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Writer's pictureAlexander Adams

Essays From the Crypt: Japanese Emperor Abdicates to Focus More on Pokemon GO

('Essays From the Crypt' is an anthology of articles which, for one reason or another, never made it to print. Saved from the grave, they live once again!)

Credit :Chris Maguirang on Pixabay

(Originally published in 2016)


This week, Japan's Emperor Akihito has declared his intentions to abdicate in favour of his, son Crown Prince Naruhito, in order to focus more time on catching them all.


In a statement, the 82-year-old was quoted as saying ‘our courage will pull us through’, adding that he knows it is his destiny. Emperor Akihito has previously expressed his enthusiasm for travelling across the land, and searching far and wide for elusive Pokémon.


‘I want to be the very best, that no one ever was. To catch them is my real test, to train them is my cause’ he was quoted as saying in an earlier interview, whilst sporting a red and white cap and blue jacket, far more formal than his usual attire.


He believed that his duties as Emperor were hindering his pursuit of becoming the Pokémon Champion. As a result, he has expressed a regretful negligence of his duties, and believes Prince Naruhito to be the man to lead the country forward, adding that his Rattata was in the top percentage of rattatas.


The position of Emperor, one that has been purely ceremonial since the 1947 Post-war Constitution, is today a symbol of national unity, and Emperor Akihito has been a popular and deeply respected figure by the Japanese public during his 26-year reign.


Pokémon Go (the hit mobile gaming app based on the Nintendo video game series) has proven so popular that its average daily use has exceeded that of Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram as of the 12th of July. However, its popularity has also resulted in an increased number of 10-year-olds being admitted to emergency wards, having wandered recklessly into long grass.


Gary Oak has declined to comment on the Emperor’s decision.

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