Japan monarchy roils over abdication reports

Japan's ancient monarchy was in tumult yesterday, with the imperial household insisting its ageing emperor had no plans to abdicate after reports he wanted to step aside.

Respected national broadcaster NHK -- citing palace and other sources -- said Wednesday that 82-year-old Akihito wanted to pass the throne to his eldest son sometime within the next few years.

Any such abdication -- the first since 1817 -- would be a severe jolt to a country where the 2,600-year-old royal family symbolises stability and continuity.

Media watchers say NHK and Kyodo News, which separately carried a similar report, would be extremely careful before committing on such an explosive story.

But the Imperial Household Agency, the tradition-steeped government body that runs royal affairs, was categorical in its denial.

"It is absolutely not true," Vice Grand Steward Shinichiro Yamamoto told reporters late Wednesday.

The emperor "has long refrained from discussing systematic issues out of consideration for his majesty's constitutional position," he told reporters.

The throne, which Japan claims to be one of the world's oldest, is held in deep respect by much of the public, despite being largely stripped of its mystique and quasi-divine status in the aftermath of World War II.