Japanese gov't to compile basic plan for imperial succession by mid-March

The government said Tuesday it will compile by mid-March its basic plan on the staging of ceremonies related to Emperor Akihito's abdication on April 30, 2019, and accession to the throne the following day by Crown Prince Naruhito.Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, who heads a new group tasked with preparing the imperial succession ceremonies, told the first meeting of the entity Tuesday morning that the government will "do its best to smoothly hold" the rites. The abdication ceremony will be the first to be organized under the 1947 Japanese Constitution.The Cabinet of Prime Minister S…READ FULL ARTICLE