Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito speaks to journalists during his press conference at his residence Togu Palace in Tokyo, Japan in this handout picture taken on February 21, 2019 and provided by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan. Imperial Household Agency of Japan/Handout via Reuters.
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's crown prince Naruhito, who is set to ascend the Chrysanthemum throne in two months, turned 59 on Saturday and said the thought of the future made him solemn but he intended to pattern his reign after that of his father.
Emperor Akihito, 85, who has had heart surgery and treatment for prostate cancer, hinted in a 2016 television address that he wanted to step down because he feared age might make it hard for him to fulfil his duties, setting the stage for the first abdication by a Japanese monarch in roughly two centuries.
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