Japanese Emperor Hirohito’s illness poses new problems...

Japanese Emperor Hirohito’s illness poses new problems for the Reagan Administration, which is in delicate deliberations about whether to give in to an industry demand to challenge Tokyo’s curbs on rice imports. U.S. and Japanese officials said the Japanese ruler’s ailment could strengthen the hand of those in the Administration who oppose moving against Japan’s rice policies at this time. Launching a campaign against Tokyo’s rice import limits while Hirohito lies ill “could be viewed as an insult,” a U.S. trade official said. “It would be uncouth,” a Japanese official said.