Hirohito Stable; Vigil Suspended by Takeshita

Ailing Emperor Hirohito on Sunday received another blood transfusion, but a palace spokesman said the monarch’s condition remained stable, and Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita left on a tour of northern Japan, suspending his vigil in Tokyo.

Takeshita told a news conference in Akita, about 435 miles northeast of Tokyo, that he is concerned that the cancellation of traditional festivals and other events since Hirohito suffered a sudden deterioration of his health Sept. 19 might disrupt business and people’s livelihoods.

Cabinet ministers have canceled or postponed overseas trips while foreign dignitaries, including South Korean President Roh Tae Woo, have put off their scheduled visits to Japan.

Hirohito, 87, suspected of having abdominal cancer, was visited Sunday by Crown Prince Akihito, heir to Japan’s Chrysanthemum Throne who has taken over most of his father’s duties, his wife, Crown Princess Michiko, and other members of the imperial family.

Jaundice Spreading

A report on Hirohito’s health carried on the Kyodo News Service said that “his jaundice is fast spreading through his body and the monarch keeps his eyes closed when visitors come to see him at his bedside in his Fukiage residence” inside the moated Imperial Palace in central Tokyo.

The monarch’s kidney functions are also weakening, Kyodo said.

But palace spokesman Kenji Maeda said Hirohito’s temperature, which rose to a high of 100.5 degrees Friday night, has declined to a normal level, and his vital signs showed that the monarch is in stable condition.