The Imperial Household Council

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by princess olga

So they're at kasteel het Oude Loo? Lucky them!

Yep, I have posted some pictures earlier up in this thread.

[dutch royal]

Originally Posted by Henri M.

Nonono... no need to have a bad feeling: the Crown Prince, Princess Masako and Princess Aiko will be guests of Queen Beatrix in the month of August.

I just heard the news that the prince and princess with there little girl will stay for 2 weeks in my hometown. Hopefully we will see them at the palace ( maybe make pictures of the royal couple!!!).

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by dutch royal

Hopefully we will see them at the palace ( maybe make pictures of the royal couple!!!).

Euh... I know you do that with the very best intentions. But isn't that a bit of breaking poor Masako's relaxing vacation? Being photographed during a private holiday?

[Vanesa]

I don't think that Dutch Royal has written that she wanted to see the Imperial Crown Princes couple and maybe photography them thinking to bother them in any way. We must not be hypersensitive. Perhaps she is meaning that she expect to see them by far, or passing walking near her, or something like this...

If I was there, I also would want to see them, even by far, but I'll no try to bother them in any way, since I respect them a lot, just as Dutch Royal must respect them too.

Vanesa.

[tete]

the important thing is that she needs to relax and hopefully prepare for what will happen within the next few months. i think it was a great choice of going to the netherlands, very fitting for relaxation

[Vanesa]

Since I started to post here, I noticed a thing: the real trouble here is the IHA. I know it will be difficult to The IMperial Family to get rid of them, but I think it would be necessary if they wants (women and men) live in peace and without so hard pressures. It seems that the IHA is the real Emperor and not Akihito!

Vanesa.

[magnik]

The IHA or Kunaicho
"It is this Agency's responsibility for the health, security and travel arrangements of the Imperial family. [...]"

Not only we criticize the IHA.
"The Agency has frequently been criticized for isolating members of the Imperial Family from the Japanese public, and for insisting on hidebound customs rather than permitting a more approachable, populist monarchy. These criticisms have become more muted in recent years; Emperor Akihito has himself done much to make the Japanese monarchy less aloof."

More on Wikipedia (links too): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Household_Agency

[Lillia]

I would not trust everything that is written in wikipedia. Anyone that has access to the internet can enter any kind of information that they want into that website.

[magnik]

Originally Posted by Lillia

I would not trust everything that is written in wikipedia. Anyone that has access to the internet can enter any kind of information that they want into that website.

That's true, but not everything what is written there is false. There are few interesting links too, like here about IHA.
From Wikipedia about IHA
http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/eindex.html and http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e15/ed15-01.html .:punk:

[Vanesa]

Well yes...some of the enters in Wikipedia are true...but much more isn't true at all, or have lots of mistakes that ould confound people who goes there ready to learn. And...if there is so much material who could be considered fake, or tempered by mistakes, who could be so wise in all matters of knowledge to discern what is true there, and what is not? These kind of sites are too dangerous.

A proverb saids that "..A liar in a single thing , is a liar in all things.." So, I wouldn't take Wikipedia as a reliable source, even if what they said about the IHA is true.

Vanesa.

[Zonk]

I would think they (IHA) are concerned that Masako could overshadow Nahurito.

Don't forget...Japan is a very traditional country (in terms of the roles of men and women).

[Oppie]

on the head of the Prime Minister himself since he leads that Imperial Household Agency

The Japanese Prime Minister is not part of the IHA and wants to change the law to allow for women to succed. He began the process but it will take some time and if there is a boy born, he might lose support. But at the moment he is backing Aiko claim.

Here is more info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Household_Agency

[Toledo]

Originally Posted by Oppie

The Japanese Prime Minister is not part of the IHA and wants to change the law to allow for women to succed. He began the process but it will take some time and if there is a boy born, he might lose support. But at the moment he is backing Aiko claim.

Here is more info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Household_Agency

That's not what I found online: The Imperial Household Council

Article 29. The member of the Imperial Household Council, who is the Prime Minister, shall preside over its meeting.

But I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and take it back when I see him getting it done. Until then he is just another politician playing his own cards with human lives at stake, in this case royal lives.
PS. I stand corrected on something, it's two royals allowed as members, not three as I said on my post above.

But let's go back to the thread topic before the moderators give us a warning for getting off topic

[Emily]

And the current Prime Minister is about to leave office, isn't he? Can anyone comment on that and on who might be the likely successor -- someone conservative or liberal on this issue?

[AnnieCat]

If the IHA is upset about the gender of Naruhito's child, they should take it out on him, not Masako, since it's the father's genetic contribution that determines the gender of the child.

And I'd be willing to bet also that whatever trouble Masako had in getting or staying pregnant was only made worse by any pressure placed on her by the IHA.

Oh, Lord, I just get so furious when I write or even think about this. I've got to knock off for a bit.

[Oppie]

The IHA and IHC are different, it's the IHA that makes you want to

[Elspeth]

Originally Posted by Emily

And the current Prime Minister is about to leave office, isn't he? Can anyone comment on that and on who might be the likely successor -- someone conservative or liberal on this issue?

The likely new Prime Minister is reported to be a conservative.

This article is about a year old, but it gives an idea. Looks as though it's going to be business as usual when he takes over.

[Charlotte1]

Originally Posted by AnnieCat

On a related topic -- does anyone know why the IHA was so reluctant to let Masako travel abroad? The woman was a trained and experienced diplomat before she married. What on earth did the IHA think she would do overseas, throw furniture???

The former Chief Steward of the IHA ( he's since retired) said in an interview a few years back that they deliberately restricted Masako's trips abroad as they wanted her to get pregnant. If you look at the dates of her official overseas trips ( there were only 5, that's part of the problem) the trips initially were in the first years of her marriage, the final trip in 2002 to Australia was when Aiko was a year old.

Had Masako got pregnant early in her marriage ( Aiko was born after 8 years of marriage, she also had a miscarriage 6 years into her marriage) ideally had a son, then there wouldn't have been any restrictions on overseas trips. In comparison the current Emperor and Empress, as crown prince and princess made multiple overseas trips, but then they had a son in the first year of their marriage and the sucession was guaranteed.

[Elspeth]

Originally Posted by Charlotte1

The former Chief Steward of the IHA ( he's since retired) said in an interview a few years back that they deliberately restricted Masako's trips abroad as they wanted her to get pregnant. If you look at the dates of her official overseas trips ( there were only 5, that's part of the problem) the trips initially were in the first years of her marriage, the final trip in 2002 to Australia was when Aiko was a year old.

I wonder if it occurred to them that she was very unlikely to get pregnant when her husband was off on foreign trips and she wasn't with him.

Had Masako got pregnant early in her marriage ( Aiko was born after 8 years of marriage, she also had a miscarriage 6 years into her marriage) ideally had a son, then there wouldn't have been any restrictions on overseas trips.

We don't know that. If the IHA wanted to lower her profile, there'd have been some nonsense about how a young mother's place was at home with her children while her husband was travelling.

In comparison the current Emperor and Empress, as crown prince and princess made multiple overseas trips, but then they had a son in the first year of their marriage and the sucession was guaranteed.

Princess Michiko wasn't quite such a threat as Princess Masako with her western education and her career and her desire to put her diplomatic skills to work. We don't know what would have happened, we can just speculate.

[Emily]

Originally Posted by Charlotte1

The former Chief Steward of the IHA ( he's since retired) said in an interview a few years back that they deliberately restricted Masako's trips abroad as they wanted her to get pregnant.

Haven't they read about the troubles animals have breeding in captivity? Perhaps the opposite approach would have been best -- send her off to an island with Naruhito for an extended stay. Wouldn't it be great if she returns from this trip pregnant?!