Prince Akishino & Princess Kiko: Current Events part 1

[puresnow]

thanks for the information.

 

[kawaiian]

I guess her baby bump is started to show a bit, she still looks fantastic! Thanks for the pictures fanletizia!

 

[mandyy]

Princess Kiko speaking to some guest using sign language at an event on May 21, 2006.

#1: Chunichi
#2: TBS news

 

[mandyy]

Prince Akishino, the second son of the Emperor Akihito visits Kumamoto City Zoological and Botanical Gardens on May 25, 2006 in Kumamoto, Japan. The Prince is on a three-day trip to Kumamoto to attend a general meeting of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Getty images

 

[fanletizia]

Prince Akishino, the second son of the Emperor Akihito attends the general meeting of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums May 26, 2006 in Kumamoto, Japan. He is on a two-day trip to Kumamoto

from getty

 

[mandyy]

May 27, 2006.
Prince Akishino in Kagawa Prefecture today.
#1: Shikoku news
#2: Yomiuri news

 

[mandyy]

Japan PM Koizumi visits tomb for unknown soldiers
Koizumi joined other lawmakers, members of the Imperial Family and foreign diplomats as the ashes of 398 soldiers were added to the remains of some 350,000 unidentified Japanese soldiers who died in World War Two.
Chidorigafuchi, an austere memorial near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, honors Japan's unknown war dead whose remains are symbolically contained in a gold-plated urn inside a wooden coffin housed in a hexagonal pavilion...............
http://au.news.yahoo.com/060529/15/z5qs.html

Japanese Prince Akishino, second son of Emperor Akihito, and his wife Princess Kiko walk to an altar to pay homage at the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery where the remains of unknown victims of World War II are honored in Tokyo Monday, May 29, 2006.

#1: Polfoto
#2,3: Reuters

 

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Japanese Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko along with Japan Prime Minister attended a memorial service at the Chidorigafuchi national war memorial cemetery in Tokyo 29 May 2006. About 400 remains of Japanese soldiers who died during World War II in Russia, Indonesia, and Iwojima-island were buried in the cemetery.
From Profimedia.

 

[linda85]

Is it me or are Akishino and Kiko getting a higher profile now especially since she is pregnant? Would Naruhito ever be passed over as heir? Even if Kiko has a boy? What is the rule or house rules? Does anyone know?

Thanks,
Linda 85

 

[Elspeth]

I'm sure they're getting a higher profile; the rumours for a long time have been that the Akishino family are preferred by the IHA, and that must have been reinforced by the way Prince Naruhito spoke out in public with his criticisms of the way his wife had been treated. It's also said that the Akishino family get on better with the Emperor and Empress than the Crown Prince couple do, but I don't know if there's any truth to that. I do remember that Prince Akishino spoke out against his brother and in support of the Emperor after Naruhito's speech complaining about the treatment of Masako by the IHA.

I don't think the arrival of a son to the Akishino family will be enough to knock Naruhito out of his position as heir, but no doubt the IHA will have its ways of making him and his family as irrelevant as possible, even when he becomes emperor.

 

[Emily]

I don't think the arrival of a son to the Akishino family will be enough to knock Naruhito out of his position as heir, but no doubt the IHA will have its ways of making him and his family as irrelevant as possible, even when he becomes emperor.

I have been wondering this recently....if there will be an attempt to sideline Naruhito if this baby is a boy, which I am cynical enough to believe it was "created" to be. There has been much more publicity of this family, including seeing more of their elder daughter. It is going to be interesting to see how events in this family play out in the next 3-4 years.

 

[Elspeth]

IMO, the sidelining is already happening. The Akishinos seem to be out and about every day or so, including at least one joint engagement with the Emperor and Empress if I remember correctly, and we're hearing a great deal less about the Crown Prince and his family. I think the message the IHA wishes to convey is becoming rather clear.

 

[Laviollette]

Naruhito is the future Emperor. That can't be changed. If Prince Akishino has a son then he will be the heir after Naruhito and this scenario has happened in other royal families, where the nephew or even the grandson of the monarch or emperor has succeeded instead of a son. If Kiko has a boy, I just don't think it will affect anything except there will be a male heir after Naruhito -- unless Japan changes the law for Aiko, which still could happen.

 

[kawaiian]

Japan has postponed their dicision to change the law in Imperial family until October.. which means they will see if the baby is boy or girl in the family. It's always difficult when law is against tradition and history.

Rumour has it that IHA has discreetly asked Princess Kiko and Akishino to have the third child because of the succession crisis and poor health condition of Masako. Although Kiko was very much capable of having several children in last 10 years, they have dicided not to because of Masako had very hard time getting pregnant.

If the boy is born, they will release many pressure off IHA's shoulder and also Imperial family. The whole Japan will celebrate new male heir's arrival. If the girl is born, Aiko will be the next succession and Kiko will not have pressure because she does not necessary have to have a boy child in the first place anyways. For the sake of future imperial family, I wish to see the boy in the family.

 

[monica17]

Rumour has it that IHA has discreetly asked Princess Kiko and Akishino to have the third child because of the succession crisis and poor health condition of Masako. Although Kiko was very much capable of having several children in last 10 years, they have dicided not to because of Masako had very hard time getting pregnant.

If the boy is born, they will release many pressure off IHA's shoulder and also Imperial family.

Oh, I might be wrong but didn't the head of the IHA publicly call for them to have a 3rd child? This was after the demand made on the Crown Prince couple to have a 2nd one.......

Well, if a healthy, baby boy will bring peace to the family and an end to the succession crisis...... well, by all means. A baby, boy or girl, should bring happiness to the family. I would still like Aiko to get a shot at being a female tenno, though. I mean, what if a succession crisis occurs again in the succeeding generations?

 

[Elspeth]

Well, sooner or later it almost certainly will. I wonder if Japanese society will still be so male-dominated or if the idea of a female ruler will be more congenial.

However, I think that even though Naruhito will be the next emperor regardless of whether Kiko has a girl or a boy, it seems as though he and his family have less to do these days than the Akishino couple, who are out and about everywhere and getting all sorts of positive press. The focus seems to be being shifted, at least for as long as the current emperor is alive.

 

[puresnow]

wonderful pictures!

 

[Amina]

I'm sure they're getting a higher profile; the rumours for a long time have been that the Akishino family are preferred by the IHA, and that must have been reinforced by the way Prince Naruhito spoke out in public with his criticisms of the way his wife had been treated. It's also said that the Akishino family get on better with the Emperor and Empress than the Crown Prince couple do, but I don't know if there's any truth to that. I do remember that Prince Akishino spoke out against his brother and in support of the Emperor after Naruhito's speech complaining about the treatment of Masako by the IHA.

I don't think the arrival of a son to the Akishino family will be enough to knock Naruhito out of his position as heir, but no doubt the IHA will have its ways of making him and his family as irrelevant as possible, even when he becomes emperor.

I've read that CP Masako does not have good relations with the Empress despite that fact that the Empress suffered greatly when she first married into the Imperial Family.


SO sad that the women of that family cannot unite.

 

[Amina]

IMO, the sidelining is already happening. The Akishinos seem to be out and about every day or so, including at least one joint engagement with the Emperor and Empress if I remember correctly, and we're hearing a great deal less about the Crown Prince and his family. I think the message the IHA wishes to convey is becoming rather clear.

The IHA are fools as there is no guarantee that P Kiko will give birth to a boy (i'm assuming here that this is the reason they favour that couple over CP N & CP M). But i also feel they favour P Akishino & P Kiko bcuz they are seen to 'toe the line more' than CP Nuarito (i've forgotten how to spell his name) and CP Masako. SO SILLY & SAD!!!

 

[Amina]

Naruhito is the future Emperor. That can't be changed. If Prince Akishino has a son then he will be the heir after Naruhito and this scenario has happened in other royal families, where the nephew or even the grandson of the monarch or emperor has succeeded instead of a son. If Kiko has a boy, I just don't think it will affect anything except there will be a male heir after Naruhito -- unless Japan changes the law for Aiko, which still could happen.

Like u i would love to see that happen. But unfortunately i don't see a reform if P Kiko gives birth to a boy. Hopefully Japan will change with future generations so that a woman can become Empress with no problems. Instead of having this outdated system where only males can sit on the throne and males must be descended from the MALE side of the imperial family.

I HOPE I'VE GOT ALL MY FACTS RIGHT!!!

Good to see PK blooming in her pregancy.

 

[Elspeth]

The IHA are fools as there is no guarantee that P Kiko will give birth to a boy (i'm assuming here that this is the reason they favour that couple over CP N & CP M). But i also feel they favour P Akishino & P Kiko bcuz they are seen to 'toe the line more' than CP Nuarito (i've forgotten how to spell his name) and CP Masako. SO SILLY & SAD!!!

There may be a guarantee that she'll give birth to a boy; there are ways of doing pre-implantation gender selection if they use IVF, and the IHA seems so desperate for a male heir that I wouldn't put much past them. But we need to wait and see. I must say I'll be surprised if she has a girl.

 

[mandyy]

Prince Akishino in Ishikawa Prefecture on June 8, 2006.
#1: Yomiuri news

 

[Mapple]

There may be a guarantee that she'll give birth to a boy; there are ways of doing pre-implantation gender selection if they use IVF, and the IHA seems so desperate for a male heir that I wouldn't put much past them. But we need to wait and see. I must say I'll be surprised if she has a girl.

Moreover, it is entirely possible that the child's sex has already been determined (or confirmed?) by sonographers.

 

[Elspeth]

Well, since the announcement ofr the pregnancy had that discrepancy between the stage of her pregnancy and the time she was expected to give birth, it's possible that the gender had been confirmed before the announcement was made.

 

[Jo of Palatine]

Well, since the announcement ofr the pregnancy had that discrepancy between the stage of her pregnancy and the time she was expected to give birth, it's possible that the gender had been confirmed before the announcement was made.

By now - only about 10 more weeks to go for Princess Kiko, they should know. As there are no reports of an increase of rumours (which should have happened if the information was new) IMHO they knew from the beginning.

let's try to look at the situation with a positive approach:
One could start musing about the effect on CP Masako if a boy is being born - wouldn't that help her in getting rid of the enormous pressure she must feel? Maybe she would feel better without that public pressure and could try again to become pregnant.

And I'm thinking of an interview with Queen Silvia of Sweden, when she talked about her and the king's preference for their son as next king. She said that it's easier for a man to inherit a throne and to do the duties involved then for a woman. Having read quite some interviews with the queen, I never had the idea she was against gender equality. I've believed her when she said that she said this from the point of view of somebody who knows the job and all it involves.

But - if a modern woman like the queen of Sweden says something like that - couldn't it be that the whole of the Japanese Imperial family thinks that way?
I'm not sure if the government wanted to change only the succession laws from male only to male primogeniture or if the plan was to introduce gender equal primogeniture?

If they decided to be very modern, it could be ALLl wanted to stop that law. Because even if Masako would bear a son then Aiko as the oldest would be the heiress - not a fate not all Royal parents want for their children as the example of the Swedish Royals show.

If Masako is still treated for depression, she probably can't get pregnant because taking most medication does not allow for a healthy baby. But if they needed a male baby, who but her or Kiko should be the mothers?

Just an idea.

 

[mandyy]

Prince Akishino attended the International Conference on Infant studies banquet in Kyoto on June 21, 2006.

image from Kyoto-np

 

[hilal]

16th wedding anniversary of Prince Akishino of Japan and Princess Kiko

Happy Wedding-day!!!​

 

[Vanesa]

Yeah! Happy Wedding Day!

Vanesa.

 

[mandyy]

Princess Kiko and her husband Prince Akishino attended the wedding
of her (kiko) younger brother, Mr. Shuu Kawashima in Tokyo at around noon of July 2, 2006.

#1: Photo from ANN news
#2: Asahi news

 

[mandyy]

Prince Akishino attended the Third World Congress of Environmental and Resource Economists in Kyoto on July 4, 2006.

#1: Kyoto-np