Emperor Akihito and his abdication


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With deft political move, Japan's Emperor seeks to cement the role he created | The Japan Times

Yuichi Nishimura, a young constitutional scholar at Hokkaido University, told the Asahi that whoever leaked the [abdication] news wanted to appear to be bypassing the Cabinet, which has authority over the Imperial Household Agency. […] The government, which currently represents the desires of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party, is working to revise the Constitution, and one of the things they want to change is the status of the Emperor from a "symbol" (shōchō) of the state to its "sovereign head" (genshu), which is what he was before Japan lost World War II.

Toshiya Sakiyama, a reporter who covers the Imperial household, speculated on TBS Radio that the Cabinet probably knew about the Emperor’s "intentions" before the leak and did nothing to stop it, but he "can’t confirm" that supposition. In any case, if the Cabinet didn’t know about it, then it was remiss in its responsibilities, because while the Emperor’s duties are stipulated in the Constitution, those he actually performs are carried out at "the discretion of the Cabinet." […] His visit last week to Nippon Budokan Hall to express remorse for World War II is not something he’s required to do, and thus he can only do it with the permission of the Cabinet.

The same goes for all those trips he and Empress Michiko have made to former battle sites to pray for those who perished in the war, not to mention visiting disaster areas to commiserate with evacuees. These "duties" (kōmu) are, legally speaking, not duties at all. Real kōmu are restricted to religious rituals, rubber-stamping documents and meeting foreign dignitaries. These newer tasks are simply things the Emperor wants to do, and now that he’s established a precedent in the minds of the people, he insists that his heirs continue this work, which is why he wants to step down. […] As Nishimura points out, this "role" the Emperor has assumed negates that of "sovereign head of state."

[…] Sakiyama says he received information that the announcement of the Emperor’s intention to step down was originally going to be made on the Emperor’s birthday in December, and while no one in the media has said so explicitly, the feeling is that it was moved up because of the LDP's victory in the Upper House election in July. Before the government starts fiddling with the national charter, the Emperor wants the people involved and thus has injected his "will" into the matter. Such a scheme is clearly political and outside the Emperor's job description, but when you create an occupation for yourself, you get to say how it’s carried out.
An Imperial appeal to the people- Nikkei Asian Review

The aging monarch first signaled his intention to step down to family members and close aides about five years ago, according to the Imperial Household Agency, which released the video on Aug. 8. But the Japanese constitution forbids the emperor from saying anything with political implications, and the prime minister's office has been hesitant to address the emperor's wish, according to the agency.
"To move the discussion forward, we had no choice but to create an opportunity for the emperor to directly speak to the public about what he has been thinking," an agency official said.

[…]

It is not true that Akihito wants to retire early because of the heavy workload, an agency official said, adding that he is worried some people may have the mistaken impression that the emperor intends to relinquish the throne immediately.
 
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Good, Tatiana-Marie. Looks like the Emperor has the public opinion on his side.
The government will now be forced to act.

Just as interesting is the question of gender. In contrasts to the conservatives, the general public don't seem to have that big a problem with a female emperor.

That is probably a topic for another thread, but I feel the uncertainty about possible future changes to the succession law is negative for the children of the Imperial Family. Right now, I assume Hisahito is being raised as the heir to the throne while Aiko and her family must have come to terms with the fact she will never become the Empress regnant. Can you imagine what would happen if, let's say 5 years from now, when Hisahito would be already 15 and Aiko would be almost 20, the Japanese Diet decided to change the law turning their lives upside down ? I don't see it happening in this generation (maybe in the next one).
 
:previous: I agree. If such a change doesn't take place or is at least an official agreement is announced to change the law of succession within the next couple of years. - Such a change is hardly going to be implemented until the next generation.
 
:previous:
:previous:

Hisahito being stripped of his position is out of the question. The people do not want it, and anyway, Prime Minister Abe's term is not due to expire until September 2018 and it may be extended.


For example, in a July 16 Sankei Shimbun commentary, University of Tokyo Professor Emeritus and Japan Conference (Nippon Kaigi) Vice-Chairman Keiichiro Kobori opined in exquisitely polite, obtuse terms that the Emperor should not — could not? — retire, as doing so would potentially destroy the Japanese kokutai (national polity). For the historically inclined, to even see the term "kokutai" make an appearance in this context is unnerving, as it is closely associated with the age of prewar fascism, [...]

On Aug. 7 the Sankei Shimbun and Fuji TV conducted a public opinion poll in which 84.7 percent of respondents said they favored amending the Constitution to allow the Emperor to abdicate. Given that amendment of the Constitution (as opposed to the IHL [Imperial House Law]) may not actually be necessary to enable the Emperor to do so, this was more than a little misleading and suggests a pro-amendment agenda that lies elsewhere — in the tweaks that conservatives will doubtless wish to slip in "while we're at it."

More recently, the Cabinet Legislation Bureau has reportedly expressed the view that constitutional amendment is necessary for abdication. Based on a seemingly strained reading of Article 1, which says the Emperor derives his position from the "will of the people," this view comes a bit late, weeks after others have opined that no amendment is necessary, and reeks of "task-based" constitutional interpretation. This becomes more apparent when you look back at the CLB's willingness to dramatically amend its views on the far more specific wording of Article 9.

[...]

Another objection to abdication seems to be that it would involve essentially acknowledging the status of Emperor to be that of a mere yakushoku, a job or role that can be cast off. Some conservatives seem still wedded to the Emperor being an indelible status with deeper significance, inextricably tied to the nation's historical roots and religious traditions. [...] For his own part, Emperor Akihito made his own views on the subject clear in his address by repeatedly describing what he does by using some variation of the term tsutome, a term generally used to refer to a role or function, not an embodiment.
Japan fumbles for the legal path to an 'Emprexit' | The Japan Times

:previous:

The article also sums up how the current Imperial House Law and Article 2 of the Constitution were "revolutionary when written".


I agree, the CLB's reading of the Constitution is very "seemingly strained".

Article 1. The Emperor shall be the symbol of the State and of the unity of the People, deriving his position from the will of the people with whom resides sovereign power.

Article 2. The Imperial Throne shall be dynastic and succeeded to in accordance with the Imperial House Law passed by the Diet.
 
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That sounds mostly like a big song and dance show in order to prevent the Emperor from abdicating.
If they can't come up with something better, they don't have a good hand.

Emperors have abdicated before in Japanese history - and these emperors where semi-gods!
 
In his broadcast, the Emperor came close to expressing his desire to abdicate, but held back, it has been claimed, because that would have violated Article 4 of the Constitution:

The Emperor shall perform only such acts in matters of state as are provided for in this Constitution and he shall not have powers related to government.​
Yet, it seems to me, the Emperor made one comment that not only violates the Constitution, but also fundamentally changes the role of the Emperor:
I have considered that the first and foremost duty of the Emperor is to pray for peace and happiness of all the people.​
But prayer is not an official or constitutional duty of the Emperor at all, let alone the first and foremost. Article 7 lists the duties of the Emperor as:
The Emperor, with the advice and approval of the Cabinet, shall perform the following acts in matters of state on behalf of the people:
Promulgation of amendments of the constitution, laws, cabinet orders and treaties.
Convocation of the Diet.
Dissolution of the House of Representatives.
Proclamation of general election of members of the Diet.
Attestation of the appointment and dismissal of Ministers of State and other officials as provided for by law, and of full powers and credentials of Ambassadors and Ministers.
Attestation of general and special amnesty, commutation of punishment, reprieve, and restoration of rights.
Awarding of honors.
Attestation of instruments of ratification and other diplomatic documents as provided for by law.
Receiving foreign ambassadors and ministers.
Performance of ceremonial functions.​

Article 20 states that:
Freedom of religion is guaranteed to all. No religious organization shall receive any privileges from the State, nor exercise any political authority.
No person shall be compelled to take part in any religious act, celebration, rite or practice.
The State and its organs shall refrain from religious education or any other religious activity.​

While the Emperor did not mention a particular religion, I don't see how prayer can be considered anything but a "religious activity." In essence, the Constitution stipulates that the Emperor should refrain from carrying out an activity that he considers the first and foremost duty of the Emperor. The Japanese Government seems to take the line that such religious activities can be classed as culturally based ceremonial functions, and therefore constitutional. If Shinto and Buddhist traditions can be accommodated under the current Constitution, it seems odd that the Imperial Household Law is suddenly a stumbling block to yet another cultural and historical tradition: the Retired Emperor.

The Constitution of Japan
 
Yet, it seems to me, the Emperor made one comment that not only violates the Constitution, but also fundamentally changes the role of the Emperor:
I have considered that the first and foremost duty of the Emperor is to pray for peace and happiness of all the people.​

It's very much a reversal to the role of the emperors under the Shoguns.
Back then it was very much desired (read: demanded) that the court, and especially the emperor, devoted themselves to fine art and praying for the happiness and well-being of the people - albeit the Japanese people.
A very emphasized reversal I'd say!

And very subtle too, because who can be against the Emperor who prays for peace and happiness in a country with a pretty pacifist Constitution? ;)
- That is, except for those nationalists who wish to change the Constitution and make it less pacifist...
And they can't go out and say: we don't want the Emperor to pray (and as such also speak) for peace and happiness.

So yes, the Emperor is here being very political, without being political at all. :D
 
Government leaning toward special one-off legislation enabling Emperor to abdicate | The Japan Times
The government is leaning toward adopting special legislation to enable the abdication of 82-year-old Emperor Akihito before discussing possible amendments to the Imperial House Law, sources said Monday.

Special legislation effective only for the current Emperor would not involve discussions on complicated Imperial House Law amendments, such as whether to set up a permanent abdication system, or whether to allow a married female member to stay within the Imperial family, the sources said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga declined to clarify the planned legislation, telling a regular news conference, “We are now discussing various kinds of things.”
[...]
In a nationwide telephone survey by Kyodo News in August, 85.7 percent of the 1,008 respondents said abdication should be legalized as an option for the Emperor and his successors by revising the Imperial House Law.

Launching full discussions on wide-ranging amendments now would delay legislation enabling any abdication, according to the sources.

Other problems include deciding conditions for accepting an abdication and the Emperor’s title after retiring.

The government is considering submitting relevant bills to the Diet next year, the sources said.
 
That sounds like a good compromise and that's probably the most digestible solution for all parts.
 
It appears the IHA refuted a claim that Prince Akishino had indirect contact with a NHK reporter about abdication. As best as I can figure out from the Google translation, an article "FRIDAY" alleged Prince Akishino gave a "prepared facial expression" confirming the Emperor's abdication intention to a "Mr. A", who then contacted the NHK reporter. "Mr. A" is said to be a person familiar with the inner workings of the IHA and is aware of the Emperor's regular dining opportunities with his sons.

The IHA states Prince Akishino is very cautious about the handling of information and there is no "Mr. A."

IHA press release
 
According to government sources, the expert panel was initially expected to be launched in September. However, a postponement until October or later is emerging. A senior government official said, “It is better to start the discussion after public opinion can be deemed to have settled down.”

Without making assumptions about an abdication by the Emperor, the government intends to ask panel members for their opinions about official duties so that an emperor can continue attending various events, and also whether to allow a regent or others who substitute for an emperor to perform official duties such as matters of state.
Abdication panel to target core issue - The Japan News


"We looked into whether it is possible for the Emperor to abdicate, but it is difficult," Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuhiro Sugita told the Imperial Household Agency this past spring. Sugita was heading a top secret team at the prime minister's office that was formed after the Imperial Household Agency conveyed the Emperor's feelings.
[…]
Eventually, the team concluded that a regency should be established instead of allowing the Emperor's abdication, even though it took into account the Emperor's negative views on the regency system. The team's conclusion was passed down to the Imperial Household Agency, and the prime minister's office assumed that the issue had been settled.
[...]
A couple of days before the Emperor made a nationally televised address announcing his apparent desire to abdicate on Aug. 8, officials associated with the prime minister's office were surprised to see a draft of the address provided by the Imperial Household Agency, as the draft contained negative expressions about establishing a regency.
[...]
The draft of the speech was exchanged between the prime minister's office and the Imperial Household Agency several times for revisions, but the Emperor's expression toward the regency system remained intact.
[...]
"The initial draft contained even stronger and more straightforward expressions,"revealed a source close to the prime minister.
Gov't team concluded Emperor's abdication 'difficult': sources - The Mainichi
 
Good grief! They are really dragging their feet!

Do they prefer a "hostile" Emperor whom they can't sack?

Perhaps it would be a good idea to look into the Imperial Household to ascertain whether they are superfluous... :D
 
It really is unbelievable.
 
An overwhelming majority of Japanese support changing the law to allow not just Emperor Akihito, but any future emperor, to abdicate, according to an Asahi Shimbun survey.

The share of respondents who said that Akihito should be allowed to retire from the Chrysanthemum Throne was 91 percent, while just 4 percent opposed the possibility.

Of those in favor of the emperor’s abdication, 76 percent said an arrangement should be instituted to allow any emperor to step down. Seventeen percent said only Akihito should be allowed to do so.
[...]
The Asahi Shimbun conducted an opinion poll of eligible voters nationwide about the emperor’s abdication and other issues on Sept. 10-11.

Under the survey, pollsters contacted respondents at land line and mobile phone numbers generated through random computer sampling. The poll received 983 valid responses from 1,839 land line numbers reached with at least one eligible voter.

There were 1,045 valid responses from 2,114 mobile phone numbers that were reached and found to belong to an eligible voter.

According to the survey, 72 percent endorsed a revision of the Imperial House Law so that a woman can ascend to the throne, whereas 21 percent opposed such a change.
Asahi poll: 91% say Akihito should be free to step down: The Asahi Shimbun
 
That should put pressure on the government and court officials.
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will announce plans for a panel to discuss Emperor Akihito’s abdication when he delivers a policy speech for the extraordinary Diet session to be convened on Sept. 26, a government source said Thursday.

The government has decided to seek expert opinion before beginning legal procedures in response to the 82-year-old Emperor’s video message to the public on Aug. 8 in which he indicated his desire to abdicate.

Members of the panel will likely include academics specializing in the Constitution, administrative law, history and Japanese traditional culture, the source said.

Although the panel was initially planned to be set up this month, its launch could be delayed to October or later, they added.

Abe to announce plans for panel to discuss Emperor's abdication | The Japan Times
 
Hmm, another attempt to buy time?
 
Another day, another poll...
JIJI
SEP 16, 2016
An opinion poll showed Friday that 58.3 percent of respondents support the idea of allowing all Japanese Emperors in the future to step down during their lifetimes.

Meanwhile, 33 percent said that abdication should be permitted only for Emperor Akihito, who suggested in a video message televised in August that he hopes to abdicate due to his advanced age, according to the opinion poll conducted for four days through Monday.

Only 3.5 percent said that no Emperor should leave the Chrysanthemum Throne while being alive.

The government is currently considering allowing only Emperor Akihito to abdicate, possibly by establishing a special law.

Of the respondents, 71.9 percent said that a wide range of issues related to the Imperial family, including whether to allow a woman or a person on the maternal Imperial bloodline to become a ruling Empress or Emperor, should also be discussed by a panel of experts on the abdication issue, to be set up by the government as early as next month.

But 21.7 percent said the panel should handle the abdication issue only.
60 percent back permanent system for Imperial abdication in Japan: poll | The Japan Times
 
That's an interesting poll!

Especially the last part.

As I see it, a majority of the Japanese are very interested in other issues regarding the Emperor - and the Imperial Family...
I don't think the government and the people are thinking about the same issues here!

While the government may be focused on the political role of the Emperor in particular (and preferably keeping that very limited and as conservative as possible IMO), I think the public are much, much more interested in discussing the succession and whether girls should have equal rights to the throne as men.

The abdication is a given thing IMO. The public is fully behind it.
And the government can't stall much longer.

It's a lose-lose for the government IMO.
Either they cave in to the Emperor now and abandon their conservative stance on emperors not being able to abdicate.
Or they end up having a discussion on their hands, that goes against the conservative stand of the government in several issues more, that they did not want to bring up! Gender equality, succession right, role of the Imperial family (why shouldn't they be able to speak out more?) and perhaps not least the purpose of the Imperial Court...
 
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:previous:

But it is interesting that the polls never have questions on restoring patrilineal collateral branches, which Abe and the nationalists favor.

From the Asahi Shimbun survey that Prisma posted:
The survey also showed that a combined 87 percent replied that they view the emperor’s “official duties” such as attending events and visiting people in disaster-hit areas as important in fulfilling his role as a symbol of Japan.
Abe Cabinet's support hits 62% in new survey - The Japan News
Under the current system, a regent can be appointed as a substitute for the emperor in performing official duties if there are reasons such as a serious illness.
The survey showed 79 percent said they believe a regent could be installed because of the emperor’s advanced age, while 17 percent said they did not.
Gov't to prioritize Emperor's abdication, shelve other Imperial succession issues - The Mainichi
Prime Minister Abe, however, is known to be opposed to non-patrilineal succession. According to his aides, Abe was preparing to review the Imperial Household Act after the July House of Councillors election, to examine issues such as the status of female Imperial Family members who leave for marriage, as well as a proposal to restore Imperial Family status to male descendants of male Imperial branch family members who left the Imperial Household after World War II.
In the wake of the Emperor's Aug. 8 announcement, however, all that was set aside to address the abdication question.
 
:previous:
But it is interesting that the polls never have questions on restoring patrilineal collateral branches, which Abe and the nationalists favor.

Perhaps Abe and the nationalists suspect restoring the collateral branches might be an even harder sell to the Japanese public. Those families have left the Imperial system for nearly 70 years and may enjoy their privacy and freedom from the IHA. I gather from other threads that the ex-members and aristocracy acknowledge their former royal/noble titles in private.

Would the public accept a faraway male descendant from a monarch or a more immediate female descendant from a recent monarch? Would any collateral family or potential male descendant wish to return the fish bowl/symbolic lifestyle? I only searched briefly. Some collateral branches still exist; the others are already extinct or will be extinct (no male heir). Another proposal was to let the Imperial family adopt from a collateral branch and that candidate would be taught to become an Imperial member. What would that involve? Forcing the whole family to enter the Imperial system? I presume an infant/younger child would be better than teaching an older child/adult who'll know what he's lost. I can't imagine the IHA/government separating a child from his parents.

An old article from Feb 2006:
Tsuneyasu Takeda, a member of one of 11 former princely houses that were abolished after Japan's defeat in the Second World War, has grabbed media attention by speaking out against the proposed revisions.

The author of a book titled The Untold Truth of Imperial Family Members that was published last month, Takeda says the succession should remain limited to males descended from an emperor through the paternal line.
[...]
Takeda, a great-great-grandson of Emperor Meiji, who reigned from 1867 to 1912, says one way to avoid future succession crises might be to restore the former princely houses or allow the emperor and imperial family to adopt males from those families.

But although Takeda has written that such men should feel a responsibility to maintain the royal house, he said he would feel overwhelmed if asked to step in to fill the gap.

"Sometimes people say it would be good if I were to... return to imperial status, but that is something that I would be overawed by," said Takeda, who was raised as a commoner. "It's something I can't even imagine."
Gulf Daily News » World News » Male-only imperial line backed

I'm honestly pleased with the polls supporting abdication, even if limited to Emperor Akihito. At least the panel indicates progress, however slowly. I wonder how long the discussions will take. A lengthy discussion will reflect poorly on Abe as not being serious about considering the Emperor's wishes/forcing the poor monarch to accept a regency.
 
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Now, now, Tatiana-Marie - we don't want people answering questions we don't want to hear the answer to. ;)

:previous: Interesting, isn't it?

And I think you nailed it. The Imperial family, and especially the Emperor himself have ensured that the emperor is not an aloof, distant figure. So I think you are right, people will prefer someone they know to take over.
 
The government is preparing to appoint an expert panel around mid-October to discuss the potential abdication of Emperor Akihito following indications from him that he wishes to vacate the throne, a government source said Friday.

The panel would consist of six members, including Takashi Imai, honorary chairman of Keidanren, and Takashi Mikuriya, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo, the source said.
Japan plans to form panel in mid-October to weigh Emperor's abdication hopes | The Japan Times

Asahi's report lists the other 4 members as:
  • Ms. Junko Obata - Sophia Law School Professor ( administrative law )
  • Mr. Atsushi Seike - Keio University (labor economics)
  • Ms. Midori Miyazaki - Chibashokadai Professor (International Politics)
  • Mr. Masayuki Yamauchi - Tokyo University professor emeritus (international relations History)
ETA:
The government said Friday that a six-member advisory panel was established to draft a report on how to reduce the public duties of Emperor Akihito, but the politically sensitive issue of whether he should be allowed to abdicate due to advanced age is now expected to become part of its agenda.

[...]

The panel, which is devoid of experts on the Imperial family, will hold its first meeting in mid-October, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe most likely in attendance, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference.

No deadline will be set for the panel’s report because the government wants the members to discuss the issue "in a quiet environment with no prejudgments," Suga said.

The chief Cabinet secretary emphasized that the issues to be discussed are "related to the foundation of the state and extremely important."

The panel does not include specialists on the history of the Imperial family or on matters related to the Imperial House Law because its main function will apparently be to study experts’ views and form a consensus.

The government chose the members based on their ability to "organize various views and discuss and explain them to the public," Suga said.

The panel will thus hold hearings to let experts on Imperial issues express their views for reflection in the final report, Suga said.

The approach taken by the government in tackling this sensitive issue appears to put priority on forming a consensus rather than drawing attention to noted experts who could split the group.

Conservative politicians and scholars maintain that an emperor should not be allowed to quit under his own volition because it could destabilize the Imperial system over the long run. This argument has made the abdication question a very sensitive issue in Abe’s Cabinet because many of its key supporters are nationalistic conservatives.

"It is true opinions are divided among experts," Suga admitted at the news conference.

The six members are Takashi Imai, chairman emeritus of the Japan Business Federation, the influential business lobby better known as Keidanren; Junko Obata, a Sophia Law School professor and expert on administrative law; Atsushi Seike, president of Keio University and a scholar on labor economy studies; Takashi Mikuriya, professor emeritus of politics at the University of Tokyo; Midori Miyazaki, former TV broadcaster and professor at Chiba University of Commerce; and Masayuki Yamauchi, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo and a noted expert on Islamic studies.
Panel formed to ease burden on Emperor Akihito but abdication issue looms | The Japan Times
 
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Diverse abdication panel omits Imperial experts- Nikkei Asian Review

Takashi Imai, an honorary chair of the Japan Business Federation and likely head of the six-member panel, dines with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe several times a year and is believed to be on the same page with the administration on many issues.
[...]
In an August interview with The Nikkei, Mikuriya recommended extraordinary legislation allowing just Emperor Akihito to step down. The government "needs to avoid time-consuming ways" of handling the issue, he said. The other five panel members are unlikely to lodge any particularly strenuous objections to abdication, according to a government source.
[...]
Though some in the [Imperial Household] agency consider one-time legislation insufficient to ensure stable succession, others assert that the body will provide its full cooperation and avoid butting in unnecessarily.

Regardless of their views on the best course of action, agency officials want to see speedy progress. "I'd like the cabinet to prioritize this," Grand Steward Noriyuki Kazaoka, the head of the agency, told reporters Wednesday.
Japan forms expert panel on abdication- Nikkei Asian Review
The emperor's comment last month that "in two years we will be welcoming the 30th year of Heisei," the era name denoting his reign, has led some to contend that the government must work to realize his abdication in 2018.
Prisma, that is a wonderful post about the problems with restoring collateral branches. Muhler, perhaps the pollsters had the exact same thoughts on the government. ;)
 
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Japan plans to form panel in mid-October to weigh Emperor's abdication hopes | The Japan Times

Asahi's report lists the other 4 members as:
  • Ms. Junko Obata - Sophia Law School Professor ( administrative law )
  • Mr. Atsushi Seike - Keio University (labor economics)
  • Ms. Midori Miyazaki - Chibashokadai Professor (International Politics)
  • Mr. Masayuki Yamauchi - Tokyo University professor emeritus (international relations History)
ETA:

Panel formed to ease burden on Emperor Akihito but abdication issue looms | The Japan Times

It is indeed a weird composition for the advisory panel. Not only are there no experts on Imperial House history and law, but also there are few experts on constitutional law in general. Instead, the panel includes names from the fields of business/industry and economics, who really have little to contribute to this particular debate in my humble opinion.
 
Another proposal was to let the Imperial family adopt from a collateral branch and that candidate would be taught to become an Imperial member. What would that involve? Forcing the whole family to enter the Imperial system? I presume an infant/younger child would be better than teaching an older child/adult who'll know what he's lost. I can't imagine the IHA/government separating a child from his parents.
Japan royals has long history of adoptions, including adult's adoption, from a collateral branches.
Marriage between a princess and a male from a collateral branch with subsequent his adoption by Prince Hitachi or Prince Mikasa would be best solution.
 
Adoption? Why? What is wrong with young Prince Hisahito?
 
They need some backups for security. Having only one very young child to inherit is not at all safe. And Girls inheriting is not even the discussion so his sisters and cousin are useless to them.
 
Presuming it isn't an infant, wouldn't such an adoption be a formality? Akin to the Roman adoptions.

That is in the sense that the child will still be brought up with his parents and siblings, but in contrast to them groomed and educated for a life at the court, and if need be, an emperor.
The adoption merely meaning that, just in case, the child is on paper the son of the Imperial Couple or the Crown Princely Couple.

It makes sense in a way, but it would be much more simple to lay out a line of succession that includes girls IMO.
 
The IHA would never allow that. They control every aspect of Royal life and won't tolerate outside influence on a future monarch.
 
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