Emperor could abdicate either in March or April of 2019: sources

Japan's Emperor Akihito could possibly relinquish the throne at the end of April 2019, government sources said Tuesday, referring to a new candidate date for his expected abdication that emerged in addition to the previously reported likely date a month earlier.The new candidate date for closing the current Heisei era surfaced as the government decided to hold an Imperial House Council meeting on Dec. 1 to discuss the abdication date.Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who will chair the council meeting, visited the Imperial Palace on Tuesday afternoon where he is believed to have reported the plann…READ FULL ARTICLE