Akihito
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FILE - In this Thursday, March 2, 2017 file photo, Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko arrive for a meeting with family members of Japanese veterans living in Vietnam, at a hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam. While the announcement on Thursday, May 4, 2017 of Britain’s Prince Philip’s plan to retire in the fall came as a surprise, for some of the world’s royal families easing out of the public eye is seen as a normal way of ending their public service and handing the reins to a new generation. For others, being a royal really is a job for life. Japan’s Emperor Akihito expressed his apparent wish to abdicate in a rare public message last summer, and the government is making preparations. Unlike Prince Philip, Akihito is not allowed to make his own decision about retirement. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang, file)
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A screen displays Japanese Emperor Akihito delivering a speech in Tokyo, Monday, Aug. 8, 2016. The Japanese emperor, in a rare address to the public, signaled Monday his apparent wish to abdicate by expressing concern about his ability to carry out his duties fully. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
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Well-wishers wave Japanese flags to greet Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko during New Year's public appearance of the imperial couple at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Jan. 2. (Associated Press)
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Mr. Obama, Japanese Emperor Akihito and his wife Empress Michiko raise their glasses in a toast during a state dinner at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Thursday.
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President Barack Obama stands with his hand over his heart as the National Anthem is played with Japanese Emperor Akihito, right, and his wife Empress Michiko, left, during a state dinner at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Thursday, April 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
