Hirohito’s Vital Signs Worsen

Emperor Hirohito’s blood pressure plunged to dangerously low levels and his temperature soared today as the ailing monarch failed to respond for several hours to treatment for persistent internal bleeding.

Chief physician Akira Takagi, who leads a team of five court doctors, said later in the day that the monarch’s condition was improving, but that he was spending the night at the Imperial Palace to monitor the 87-year-old emperor, believed to have abdominal cancer. Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita said he was concerned over the dramatic worsening of the emperor’s vital signs and would monitor the situation closely.