INTERVIEW: Ex-JCP Head Lauds Emperor for Keeping Away from Politics

   Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)--Former Japanese Communist Party leader Tetsuzo Fuwa has praised Emperor Akihito for, unlike his father, keeping away from politics as stipulated by Article 4 of the constitution.
   Emperor Hirohito, posthumously called Emperor Showa, "did not seem to care about Article 4," which bans the Emperor's involvement in politics, Fuwa, 88, dubbed the party's "theoretical pillar," said in a recent interview with Jiji Press.
   "The current Emperor understands (its significance) and consistently takes the stance of observing Article 4," the iconic communist said. "The current Emperor is the first one to behave appropriately under the current constitution."
   The constitution, which defines the Emperor as a symbol of the country, was established after the 1945 end of World War II, during the tenure of Emperor Showa, who had been revered as a living god.
   The JCP's mission statement once called for the abolition of monarchy. But under Fuwa's initiative in 2004, the statement was revised to tolerate the Imperial Institution, saying that the issue should be settled by consensus among the public.

(2018/03/24-19:27)