The emperor's last sumo appearance

Back at the palace...

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Emperor: The last time...

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Empress: As emperor. You can still attend.

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Emperor: But it’s not the same. I need to defer to Naruhito. Mustn’t upstage him. I have abdicated after all.

Hakuho

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Empress: A lot of nice outings.

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Emperor: Water under the bridge. Moat perhaps.

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Empress: A lot of great yokozunas.

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Emperor: Yes. Chiyonofuji.  Takanohana. Hakuho.

___________

Voice-over

Abdication. Resignation. Retirement. Call it what you will. Withdrawal from being in the public eye. Some regret for sure, especially when the duties carry echoes of antecedents going back hundreds of years. Akihito’s imperial observations always carried a gentleness, a depth, an understatement.

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