Prince and Princess Akishino have a son: Prince Hisahito

[KathyMoore]

When was the last time a Japanese emperor passed the throne to his nephew?

Thanks!

[morhange]

Congrats to Akishino and Kiko, and also to Mako and Kako as well. I hope this takes some of the pressure off of Naruhito and Masako. I do feel bad for Aiko, but like another poster said, perhaps she will be better off marrying a commoner outside the IF rather than staying in as empress and having her life until strict control.

[kawaiian]

I'm so happy about the new baby for Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko! Congratulations!

[TLLK]

While I too am happy that she has had a safe delivery, I cannot help but feel sorry for CP Masako and Princess Aiko. I have an uneasy feeling that both will become even more isolated and looked down upon. Please, I hope that I am wrong.

[Toledo]

Well, what can we say? We knew it was going to be a boy and this is just the start of a power struggle between the two brothers based on that nefarious abomination imposed after the post war called Constitution that really messed up the order of things in Japan.

Today the lines are drawn on the sand, one brother is the Heir Apparent and the other one is the Second to the throne and holds the third Heir apparent. Shades of the story of the Dukes of Windsor. We've seen brother/or cousin fight brother/or cousin in other dynasties already, like the Bourbon Two-Sicilies, the Orleans and the Borbons, The Spanish Borbons, the Borbons and the Bonaparte/Napoleons and of course, the Romanovs. Now it's Japan's turn to write the next chapter on family quarrels.

But that will be theme for future threads. Tonight I just hope mother and child are doing fine and her health after giving birth is closely monitored.
Congratulations to them and their family.

[margotantoinette]

congrats to the happy parents, although I would have liked to see the baby be a girl (if only because I feel like Masako has been treated abominably by the bureaucrats) but i'm sure they must be delighted. quite possibly this will be easier for all involved as well, but I wouldn't be surprised if the next time the succession issue comes up it is finally decided to allow women to rule.

[KathyMoore]

Questions:


(1) when Crown Prince Naruhito becomes the emperor,
does Prince Akishino become the Crown Prince?

(2) if both Naruhito and Akishino are gone and the baby
boy become the emperoe, what title will his mother,
Kiko, be referred to?

(3) same as (2), but what will happen to Empress Masako?

(4) who are the people responsible to grooming the boy
to become the emperor? Since they haven't had to
this in over 30 years, how are these people trained?

(5) will there be any official/unofficial public celebration
in honor of the boy's birth?

Thanks!

[GlitteringTiaras]

Originally Posted by lunormandie22

Switzerland had changed their rules so that a woman can become queen and rule.

WHAT?

You mean, Sweden.

[kimebear]

Originally Posted by KathyMoore

Questions:


(1) when Crown Prince Naruhito becomes the emperor,
does Prince Akishino become the Crown Prince?

Yes he would

Originally Posted by KathyMoore

(2) if both Naruhito and Akishino are gone and the baby
boy become the emperoe, what title will his mother,
Kiko, be referred to?

If Akishino had become emperor, she would become empress dowager

Originally Posted by KathyMoore

(3) same as (2), but what will happen to Empress Masako?

Perhaps she would be "demoted" back to Princess once Akishino took the throne, but I don't really know for sure. This has not happened in recent times (300 years or so ).

Originally Posted by KathyMoore

(4) who are the people responsible to grooming the boy
to become the emperor? Since they haven't had to
this in over 30 years, how are these people trained?

The people may be new, but the customs and traditions are old and have been passed down.

Originally Posted by KathyMoore

(5) will there be any official/unofficial public celebration
in honor of the boy's birth?

Oh, you betcha! Take a look at this thread:
http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums...boy-10344.html

[princess olga]

Ugh. How very orchestrated.

How insulting to poor Masako. No wonder she's so depressed.

In one word, how utterly disgusting. So mean, utterly mean, on a human level, too. So much for Japan being a modern nation. Yeah, right.

If I were the CP and his wife, I'd resign here and now, throw the finger at the rest of that medieval clan and say, to he*l with you all and go stick that throne in your you-know-whats!!

Too bad he's too much of a nice guy to do this...

By the way, I also feel for the newborn boy, as he's hardly made an entrance, and he's already used by HIS OWN PARENTS, as a political pawn.

The Japanese royal family is a joke, and makes itelsf look ridiculous in the eyes of billions around the world with this move.

[Eliza]

I'm just guessing but.... to answer yr questions...

1. When Crown Prince naruhito becomes Emperor Naruhito, Prince Akishino remains as Prince Akishino but his new son will be the new crown prince. I think they'll most likely adopt the rules of Belgium - where the late King had no children and the crown was passed to the present day CP but because of the suddness of the late King's passing - his brother took the throne.

2. Well, when CP Naruhito is King, Pss Kiko will remain as Pss Kiko and when her son takes the throne, Pss Kiko will possibly get the title King's Mother - thereby called Pss Kiko, the King's mother. She can't be called Empress unless her husband is Emperor.

3. CP Masako will be in her own right - Empress Masako when her husband takes the throne and even after her passing will remain Empress Masako

4. Like everything evolving the Royal house of Japan - the IHA will be responsible for the grooming of this new heir...

5. I'm sure there's going to be both official and unofficial celebrations - afterall it's a boy and to all those old fuddy duddies it's the continual of the succession line.

IHA are probably gloating and congratulating themselves on a job well done

Originally Posted by KathyMoore

Questions:


(1) when Crown Prince Naruhito becomes the emperor,
does Prince Akishino become the Crown Prince?

(2) if both Naruhito and Akishino are gone and the baby
boy become the emperoe, what title will his mother,
Kiko, be referred to?

(3) same as (2), but what will happen to Empress Masako?

(4) who are the people responsible to grooming the boy
to become the emperor? Since they haven't had to
this in over 30 years, how are these people trained?

(5) will there be any official/unofficial public celebration
in honor of the boy's birth?

Thanks!

[kimebear]

Originally Posted by KathyMoore

When was the last time a Japanese emperor passed the throne to his nephew?

Thanks!

The last emperor that was not a biological child of a reigning emperor was Emperor Kokaku who reigned from 1779 - 1817. He was adopted by his second cousin Emperor Go-Momozono and married to Go-Momozono's only child.

The last time the reigning emperor passed the throne to a nephew, it was by an empress. Empress Go-Sakuramachi was the second born daughter of Emperor Sakuramachi and the older sister of Emperor Momozono. After her brothers death at age 21, she ruled in her own right until Momozono's son, Emperor Go-Momozono became a teenager and took the throne.

[ulik]

congrats on the new baby

[ulik]

the succession will be
1. prince naruhito
2. prince akishino
3. little prince

[Maxie]

I'm afraid I agree with princess Olga. I feel very sorry voor Masako (and Kiko too in a way). To put such a pressure on these women just isn't normal...

But well, there is a new child born into this world and that should always be celibrated! So congrats to Akishino, Kiko & their daughters!

[sara1981]

how im feels about little Princess Aiko will become Empress one days after his dad when she was newborn and her parents still as Crown couples but im feels bad about newborn boy will become Emperor but im sure Aiko looks cute to become Empress one days and more popular than her cousin and newborn cousin also but i wanted Aiko to become Empress after her dad

[mandyy]

#1-4,7-8: AP
#5-6: Reuters
Japanese receive copies of a newspaper reporting Princess Kiko had given birth to a baby boy, in Tokyo's Ginza street September 6, 2006.
#7-8:Medical Supervisor of the Imperial Household Ichiro Kanazawa (R), flanked by Aiiku Hospital Director Masao Nakabayashi speaks to media during a news conference on the birth of Japanese Princess Kiko's baby boy, at the Imperial Household Agency in Tokyo September 6, 2006.

[foiegrass]

Questions by KathyMoore:

(2) if both Naruhito and Akishino are gone and the baby
boy become the emperoe, what title will his mother,
Kiko, be referred to?

(3) same as (2), but what will happen to Empress Masako?

(2) I think that Kiko would be given precedence over Masako, being the Mother of the Emperor. She'll probably be given the title of Empress Dowager Kiko.

(3) look at Queen Fabiola of belgium! she's still Queen, even when her King Baud-something died in 1991. So, Masako will remain as Empress Masako. Unless IHA hates her to the core and does something to remove her status, which is most unlikely. Masako probably won't get a honorific title, like Queen Noor of Jordan, whose children didn't succed to the Jordan throne.

[mandyy]

Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko relieved at safe delivery of baby

......."We are relieved at the news of a successful birth. We hope to convey our heartfelt congratulations" to Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, the Imperial couple said in a statement.
The couple received the news that their first grandson was born on Wednesday morning at a hotel in Sapporo. According to the hotel's clerks, the emperor and empress thanked its staff members when they offered their congratulations..........
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060906/kyodo/d8jv54n81.html

Princess Kiko gives birth to boy, 1st imperial heir in 41 yrs

..........The boy was born by Caesarean section at Aiiku Hospital in Tokyo's Minato Ward at 8:27 a.m., the Imperial Household Agency said, adding that he weighs 2,558 grams and is 48.8 centimeters long.
"Nothing unexpected happened" during the operation, Ichiro Kanazawa, the Imperial Household's medical supervisor, told a press conference at the agency. "The prince is doing very well, and so is the princess after the operation."
Masao Nakabayashi, the hospital's head who performed the operation and attended the press conference, quoted the princess as saying after the delivery, "Thank you very much. I feel well." Prince Akishino, who was waiting in a separate room, reacted to the birth calmly, saying, "Thank you," according to Kanazawa.............
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060906/kyodo/d8jv4o6o0.html

Photos of Prince Akishino leaving the Aiiku hospital at around 10:04am.
#1: from JIJI press
#2-4: Yomiuri news

[MoonlightRhapsody]

At least mother and son are doing fine.

I'm sad to say that I'm disappointed that it wasn't a girl. They would still have a succession crisis down the line, even with the birth of a prince.

I've always been very suspicious of the IHA. The timing of this pregnancy is just too perfect; just when legislation was being debated about Princess Aiko becoming Emperor in her own right. I wouldn't think it unlikely that they somehow ensured that the baby was going to be a boy.