DEATH through overwork is considered to be such a feature of the workplace in Japan that there is a word for it: karoshi. For the Japanese emperor, karoshi, or at least death in service, has to date been mandatory, since no provision exists in the Imperial House Law, which governs the monarchy, for voluntary retirement. That might seem a bit unfair on Emperor Akihito, an 83-year-old who has had prostate cancer and heart-bypass surgery. Yet when the cabinet of Shinzo Abe, the prime minister, approved a bill last week to allow for the emperor’s abdication—just this once, mind you—Japanese ultranationalists were incandescent. They aggressively revere the emperor, regardless of his wishes. And Mr Abe, they said, was playing with sacred tradition.
Ten months ago, in a televised statement, Akihito hinted at his wish to step down. Age and declining health, he said, were taking their toll and making it hard to perform his official duties to the...Continue reading
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