Japan's crown prince hopes to continue father's legacy

Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito says he hopes to continue the close relationship his father built with the people when he succeeds him as emperor later this year.

Naruhito, who turns 59 on Saturday, will ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1 after Emperor Akihito abdicates.

"I feel very solemn when I think about the future," he said at an annual pre-birthday news conference Thursday. His remarks were embargoed from publication until Saturday.

In this Feb. 17, 2019, photo provided by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito poses for a photo at his residence Togu Palace in Tokyo. Naruhito celebrates his 59th birthday on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (Imperial Household Agency of Japan via AP)

"While I continue to prepare for this role, I would like to maintain the past emperors' work. I would like to think about the people and pray for the people," he said.

His wife, Masako will also assume a new role as empress. The former diplomat has suffered from stress and has often skipped public events, and it's unclear how she will manage her new role as empress.

"Although Masako is steadily recovering, her condition still fluctuates. I would like Masako to continue to slowly widen her contribution in her role," Naruhito said, adding he hopes to support his wife just as she has supported him.

In this Feb. 17, 2019, photo provided by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako pose for a photo at their residence Togu Palace in Tokyo. Naruhito celebrates his 59th birthday on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (Imperial Household Agency of Japan via AP)

Naruhito's younger brother, Prince Akishino, and his family are also expected to play a major role. The Japanese throne is only inherited by male heirs, and Naruhito's only child is a daughter. Prince Akishino and his young son Hisahito are next in the line of succession after Naruhito.

Akihito's desire to leave the throne revived a debate about the country's 2,000-year-old monarchy, one of the world's oldest, as well as discussion about improving the status of female members of the shrinking royal population.

"This problem will relate to the imperial family of the future. I would like to refrain from giving any opinions on the system," the crown prince said.

In this June 26, 2018, photo provided by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, Japan's Crown Price Naruhito, right, guides Rio Paralympics women's T12 marathon silver medalist Misato Michishita as they run together at Akasaka Imperial Garden in Tokyo. Naruhito celebrates his 59th birthday on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (Imperial Household Agency of Japan via AP)

Those who are concerned about the future of the royal family with shrinking membership want to allow women to ascend the throne and others to keep their royal status so they can keep performing public duties, but a government panel has avoided the divisive issue.

Even before the 1947 Imperial Law, reigning empresses were rare, usually serving as stand-ins for a few years until a suitable male can be installed. The last reigning empress was Gosakuramachi, who assumed the throne in 1763.

Debate over the succession law, however, is emotional. Some conservatives proposed a revival of concubines to produce imperial heirs, and others argued that allowing a woman on the throne would destroy a precious Japanese tradition.

In this June 26, 2018, photo provided by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, Japan's Crown Price Naruhito guides Rio Paralympics women's T12 marathon silver medalist Misato Michishita as they run together at Akasaka Imperial Garden in Tokyo. Naruhito celebrates his 59th birthday on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (Imperial Household Agency of Japan via AP)

In this Feb. 21, 2019, photo provided by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito speaks to journalists during his press conference at his residence Togu Palace in Tokyo. Naruhito celebrates his 59th birthday on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (Imperial Household Agency of Japan via AP)

In this Feb. 21, 2019, photo provided by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito speaks to journalists during his press conference at his residence Togu Palace in Tokyo. Naruhito celebrates his 59th birthday on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (Imperial Household Agency of Japan via AP)

In this Feb. 17, 2019, photo provided by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako pose at their residence Togu Palace in Tokyo. Naruhito celebrates his 59th birthday on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (Imperial Household Agency of Japan via AP)

In this Feb. 17, 2019, photo provided by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako read the information on the national youth book report competition at their residence Togu Palace in Tokyo. Naruhito celebrates his 59th birthday on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (Imperial Household Agency of Japan via AP)

In this Feb. 17, 2019 photo provided by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako read the information on the national youth book report competition at their residence Togu Palace in Tokyo. Naruhito celebrates his 59th birthday on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (Imperial Household Agency of Japan via AP)

In this Feb. 17, 2019 photo provided by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito poses for a photo at his residence Togu Palace in Tokyo. Naruhito celebrates his 59th birthday on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (Imperial Household Agency of Japan via AP)

In this June 26, 2018, photo provided by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, Japan's Crown Price Naruhito, right, guides Rio Paralympics women's T12 marathon silver medalist Misato Michishita, left, as they run together at Akasaka Imperial Garden in Tokyo. Naruhito celebrates his 59th birthday on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (Imperial Household Agency of Japan via AP)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Athletics owner John Fisher and his family will invest $1 billion into the construction of a stadium in Las Vegas and U.S. Bank and Goldman Sachs will offer a $300 million loan, club executive Sandy Dean said Thursday.

Dean made his remarks to a special meeting of the Las Vegas Stadium Authority board.

Dean said four letters will be presented at the Dec. 5 authority meeting asserting construction details and financing will be in place. Final approvals are expected to be made at that meeting to allow construction of the $1.5 billion, 30,000-seat domed ballpark with a capacity for up to 33,000 fans.

“We feel like we're on the right path and it will become clearer in the months ahead,” Dean told the board.

Construction is expected to begin in the spring with a targeted opening before the 2028 season. As much as $380 million in public funding will go into building the stadium, which will be on the Las Vegas Strip on the site of where the recently demolished Tropicana stood.

Dean said Fisher is still pursuing partners in the Las Vegas area who can purchase stakes in the franchise, which in turn goes toward paying for the stadium.

“We've been consistent in saying it would be good coming to Las Vegas to have outside partners from Las Vegas,” Dean said after the meeting. “That process has just begun. The ability to finance the stadium is independent of that.”

As for the financing, the four letters that will be presented at the December meeting will better address that.

The first is the loan commitment from U.S. Bank and Goldman Sachs. Dean said it probably would be a five-year term “that would be replaced by a permanent loan once construction is done.”

Another letter, Dean said, asserts the Fisher and his family have the ability to meet their financial commitment. Dean said the third letter from U.S. Bank will show that through a review of the owner's finances that it “concludes the Fisher family has more than sufficient resources to fund the equity investment that's required to build the stadium.”

The fourth laid out the commitments to Athletics StadCo LLC, an entity created to handle the private capital investment.

Also, the draft lease agreement and deed were presented to the board.

“We feel like these documents are on track for the schedule that we have been talking about for a number of months,” said Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “We feel like there's a real possibility we'll be able to reach a conclusion on all of them on Dec. 5.”

Dean said an updated construction budget will be presented at that day's meeting, and he acknowledged the final cost likely will rise “by something.”

Hill said documents would be made public several days before the December meeting and he didn't anticipate any issues regarding approval.

“There are a couple of places where we need to get the language right, but we've had enough of a conversation to understand that everybody understands what the outcome is intended to be," Hill said.

He cited ensuring details regarding parking as an example of getting all the proper wording in place.

The A's will play at least the next three seasons in West Sacramento, California. The club announced it will play 60 of its 81 home games next season at night, tying the 1968 A's for the most in their history. That includes 25 of 28 games at night in June and July when temperatures are often 100 degrees (37.8 Celsius) or hotter.

Their first game in Sacramento is March 31 against the Chicago Cubs.

The A's played their last of 57 seasons in Oakland, California.

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FILE - Sutter Health Park, home of the Triple A team Sacramento River Cats, is shown in West Sacramento, Calif., April 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)