After Japans Emperor Akihito expressed his desire to retire in 2016, his abdication date has been finalised. The 10-member Imperial House Council in Tokyo announced on Friday (1 December) that the emperor would formally renounce his throne on 30 April, 2019.The countrys parliament had passed a new legislation in June this year, allowing the emperor to pass on his royal duties to his 57-year-old elder son, Crown Prince Naruhito.
