Japan's Emperor Akihito says health is failing and hints at abdicationReactions to Akihito’s rare TV address. Photograph: Kim Kyung-Hoon/ReutersOnce considered divine, Japan’s emperor is defined in the constitution as a symbol of the “unity of the people” and has no political power. Even expressing a desire to abdicate infringes on restrictions on political activity. Such constitutional restraints made the public address by Akihito a masterclass in the art of circum
