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TOKYO, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Emperor Akihito delivered on Monday a video message to the public, expressing worries that his deteriorating physical strength may hinder him from fulfilling duties in the future as a symbol of the state.
In the message, the 82-year-old emperor also said it could be hard to cope with the situation just by cutting duties.
The 10-minute video message came amid growing speculation on the emperor's abdication after local media reported last month that the emperor wishes to hand over the throne to 56-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe released comments following the emperor's message, saying that he will take into consideration the emperor's condition and see what could be done.
