Hirohito Conscious, Gets More Blood
Emperor Hirohito remained in serious but stable condition Monday, palace officials said, after doctors gave him nearly half a pint of blood.
Hirohito, 87, fell ill almost one month ago and has been bedridden since.
“The emperor as usual is fully conscious,” said Kenji Maeda, spokesman for the Imperial Household Agency.
Hirohito’s temperature was 98.7 degrees and his pulse rate was 88 beats per minute Monday night, doctors reported.
Japan’s Defense Agency also said that it will cancel an annual review scheduled for Oct. 30 because of Hirohito’s illness. The only other time the event was called off was in 1959, due to a powerful typhoon that devastated parts of Japan.
Hirohito, who has reigned over Japan since 1926, discharged a small amount of blood early Monday, and Maeda said court doctors are giving him almost daily blood transfusions to fight anemia.
Since Sept. 19, he has received more than 18 pints to replace the blood lost and to combat anemia.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
