Heart failure was discovered by Japanese Emperor Emeritus’s condition improved

• The father of the current emperor of Japan, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, was diagnosed with heart failure last month, but his condition has improved with treatment
• In 2019, Akihito, 88, abdicated as the first Japanese emperor to do so in two centuries, citing doubts about his ability to handle the responsibilities of the position.
• At the end of June, it was determined that Akihito had heart failure as a result of a malfunctioning heart valve.

The father of the current emperor of Japan, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, was diagnosed with heart failure last month, but his condition has improved with treatment, according to a spokesperson for the Imperial Household Agency (IHA) on Tuesday.

In 2019, Akihito, 88, abdicated as the first Japanese emperor to do so in two centuries, citing doubts about his ability to handle the responsibilities of the position.

Heart failure is a disorder that can be addressed if the heart muscle is not pumping blood as well as it should. It is distinct from a heart attack, in which the heart’s blood supply is suddenly cut off.

At the end of June, it was determined that Akihito had heart failure as a result of a malfunctioning heart valve. Since that time, he has been receiving medicine and has been had to limit his activity and fluid intake.

He is currently going about his daily business, the official said.

In addition to bringing the monarchy closer to common people, Akihito, the son of Emperor Hirohito, devoted a significant portion of his reign to mending the wounds of an Asian war fought in his father’s name.

He expressed “sad regret” on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two in 2015, departing from prior comments that some perceived as an effort to preserve a legacy of pacifism under danger from traditional Japanese society.

On August 15, 2015, the 70th anniversary of the war’s end, he made the following statement: “Looking back at the past, together with deep remorse over the war, I pray that this tragedy of war will not be repeated and together with the people, express my deep condolences for those who fell in battle and in the ravages of war.”

Akihito, a physicist by profession, was the first member of the Japanese imperial line to wed Empress Emerita Michiko, a commoner he met while playing tennis.