In a 10-minute TV address, the 82-year-old emperor Akihito of Japan expressed fears for his failing health and his ability to carry on as leader, and hinted that he wanted to stand down. The monarch, emperor of Japan since 1989, said he wanted an orderly imperial family succession, stopping short of saying he intended to abdicate. Akihito has had heart surgery and treatment for prostate cancer. “I am concerned it may become difficult for me to carry out my duties as the symbol of the state with my whole body and soul as I have done so far,” he said. No emperor has abdicated in the modern era, which began with the Meiji Restoration of 1868.