Japanese emperor to take prostate MRI test in November

By: 2 years ago

FILE PHOTO: In this photo provided by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, Japanese Emperor Naruhito speaks during a news conference at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan, February 21, 2022, ahead of the Emperor’s 62nd birthday on February 23. Mandatory credit Imperial Household Agency of Japan/Handout via REUTERS

TOKYO — Japanese Emperor Naruhito is set to take a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test in early November to check there is no disease in his prostate, the Imperial Household Agency (IHA) said in a statement on Monday.

Naruhito, 62, will take the MRI test after the result from a separate prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test showed values that were on a “somewhat concerning” trend, the agency said, without giving further details.

Naruhito last month attended the funeral of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth together with Empress Masako in his first overseas trip since acceding to the throne in May 2019.