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    Japan's Cabinet Moves To Allow Emperor To Abdicate

    If the 83-year-old Akihito steps down, he will be the first to abdicate in 200 years. But the provision doesn't solve Japan's royal problem: strict rules of succession and a dearth of eligible males.
    by Laurel Wamsley May 19, 2017 2 minutes
    Japan's Cabinet has moved to allow Emperor Akihito to abdicate the throne ? an event which hasn't happened in 200 years. Akihito (left) and Empress Michiko appeared with members of the royal family at the spring garden party at the Akasaka Palace imperial garden in Tokyo last month. / KAZUHIRO NOGI / Getty Images

    Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet approved legislation Friday allowing Japan's emperor to abdicate the throne. If the bill passes parliament and if Emperor Akihito steps down, the event will mark Japan's first abdication in 200 years.

    Akihito heads the oldest hereditary monarchy in the world. In a rare last year, the 83-year-old expressed

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