Succession and Membership Issues - Page 23

BMC · #**441** 10-06-2006, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emily

So, where is Akishino in all this? As Masako is now moving toward the end of, or has finished, her childbearing years I thought the succession would then be Naruhito, Akishino, Hisahito. If that is the case, why not be grooming Akishino for the Emperor's position and then he could in turn groom his son? This would seem the more humane way to go about part of Hisahito's education as opposed to adoption by Naruhito -- unless Akishino is going to be passed over.

I also question what the article means by "nominal" adoption? Could that mean "when the time comes that Hisahito is old enough, he'll spend part of the day with his Uncle helping/observing his duties and in that way becoming prepared for the role of Emperor?

Regarding the last paragraph of your post, I would think this would be the best thing. IIRC, Crown Prince Phillippe of Belgium spent quite a bit of time observing his Uncle, King Baudoin, at work while he was growing up.

Elspeth · #**442** 10-06-2006, 12:50 PM

I don't know if something is getting lost in the translation or what, but the whole premise of the suggestion sounds bogus. The crown prince and his brother aren't that many years apart in age - it isn't as though we're talking about an age difference like the one between Prince Charles and Prince Edward or anything - so it's unlikely that having Prince Akishino succeed his brother will put off Prince Hisahito's accession for all that long. I mean, it's possible, but it isn't likely. And as you say, Emily, if Prince Akishino is to be the heir to his brother, he'll have to learn the ropes, and in doing so he'll be able to teach his son.

Seems to me there are undercurrents here - rub Princess Masako's nose in the fact that the long awaited boy isn't hers? make sure Princess Aiko knows she's the unimportant one in the family? suggest something so unpalatable to the crown prince that he decides to step down? practise egregious cruelty toward Princess Kiko for reasons unknown? take Prince Akishino down a notch? On the face of it, this suggestion is so ludicrous that there must be something else going on.

BMC · #**443** 10-06-2006, 02:45 PM

Yes, it would seem a lot is being left out, or left to the reader to try to read between the lines. Would for once these "experts" would come right out and say what they mean!

But the IHA seem to prefer murk to clarity, all the better to cloak their machinations.

Emmily · #**444** 10-06-2006, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fanletizia

Expert proposes Prince Hisahito be adopted by crown prince

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/061005/kyodo/d8kida802.html

This can't be legal, no matter how much the IHA wants it, could it?

Toledo · #**445** 10-07-2006, 07:28 AM

All I wonder is when the Emperor is going to step in, his sons and their wives and children are being played like chess pieces by these 'lawmakers'. Can he be allowed to have a 'say' on this?

BMC · #**446** 10-07-2006, 02:03 PM

I don't see why he wouldn't, after all he is the head of the Imperial House.
But from what I can see there isn't much communication between him and his sons. Maybe he is a hands off kind of parent, like Queen Elizabeth II is.

Emily · #**447** 10-07-2006, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMC

I don't see why he wouldn't, after all he is the head of the Imperial House.
But from what I can see there isn't much communication between him and his sons. Maybe he is a hands off kind of parent, like Queen Elizabeth II is.

I want to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. I think Akhito may have learned a lesson about lack of communication from Naruhito's public complaint about Masako's treatment. Not to keep beating a dead horse, but re-reading the birthday interviews, while I know they are scripted for the press, does show the family to be more humane, in touch and communicative than official images portray. The number of times they get together for lunch with each other - or as the one item mentioned, that they had dinner and watched fireflies this summer - suggests some level of communication. Michiko consistently comes across as a very thought-filled woman. My hope is that they are more on top of the "adoption" and other succession issues than we realize.

Amina · #**448** 10-08-2006, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emily

I want to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. I think Akhito may have learned a lesson about lack of communication from Naruhito's public complaint about Masako's treatment. Not to keep beating a dead horse, but re-reading the birthday interviews, while I know they are scripted for the press, does show the family to be more humane, in touch and communicative than official images portray. The number of times they get together for lunch with each other - or as the one item mentioned, that they had dinner and watched fireflies this summer - suggests some level of communication. Michiko consistently comes across as a very thought-filled woman. My hope is that they are more on top of the "adoption" and other succession issues than we realize.

I hope so too...i don't about the idea of adoption it will only put off a future crises. I hope that the government etc continue debate the succession issue more before coming up with a final decision and I HOPE that the Imperial Royal Family are happy and united whatever the final decision.

bekalc · #**449** 10-10-2006, 11:21 AM

Well in fairness, I read the article and the guy mentioned a "nominal adoption." Which would suggest perhaps an adoption in name only, where the boy would still be raised by his biological parents. But regarded as legally the Crown Prince's son so that he can be trained from an early age to be the future emperor. It doesn't sound like he's trying to take the little boy away from his real family.

He does say that later on they will have to change the rules so a female can succeed. So this isn't some jerk who is trying to be mean. He's just trying to suggest a realistic way where the young Prince can be trained for his position rather then being not prepared at all.

Elspeth · #**450** 10-10-2006, 01:14 PM

Since the young prince's father is the next in line after the Crown Prince, he must also be being trained to take over the job; if that's the case, he'd be just as able as his brother to train his son.

Furienna · #**451** 10-10-2006, 01:58 PM

Excactly! The emperor and the empress must always have known, that both their sons could become emperor one day, so both sons must have been raised to know what's expected from them. Right?

Elspeth · #**452** 10-10-2006, 02:41 PM

I should think so, especially after neither of the princes had produced sons by the time they were in their late 30s. Even if Prince Akishino hadn't been getting any training because they thought Princess Aiko might inherit, there's time to train him now and it's going to be a while before his son is old enough to start training.

Furienna · #**453** 10-10-2006, 03:07 PM

Naruhito and Fumihito are likely to both have been raised to be future emperors. Even if Naruhito was the oldest and therefor the heir appearent, anything can happen. What if Naruhito ended up in an accident or got a terminal disease? So Fumihito also needed to be raised to become emperor.

mandyy · #**454** 10-17-2006, 03:55 AM

LEAD: Lawmakers form league to preserve male-line imperial succession

A group of Japanese parliamentarians launched a nonpartisan league Tuesday to push to maintain Japan's traditional imperial succession rules allowing only males to ascend the throne. "How can we comfortably keep the imperial system, whose line of emperors has been unbroken for ages, for good? I believe it is our responsibility to bring our wisdom together to open the way for its future," said Yoshinobu Shimamura, a member of the governing Liberal Democratic Party and former farm minister, who heads the new group..............
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/061017/kyodo/d8kq76mg0.html

Next Star · #**455** 10-17-2006, 11:19 AM

In the Japense monarchy a woman can't be head of state she must take care of her children and the home while only a man can be head of state they feel a woman should have no part in politics or government it has been that way for millions of years beening that Japan is the world's oldest monarchy.

Lady Night Stalker · #**456** 11-02-2006, 08:10 PM

Quote:

In the Japense monarchy a woman can't be head of state she must take care of her children and the home while only a man can be head of state they feel a woman should have no part in politics or government it has been that way for millions of years beening that Japan is the world's oldest monarchy.

Corrections it has been that way for thousands of years not millions. Secondly women at one time were allowed to rule but one of the Emperors (I don't know which one) changed the laws so only males could inherit. Women can and should be head of state,

ropura · #**457** 11-03-2006, 07:06 PM

Its was " Emperor Meiji" Period that women not allowed be Emperor.That only male can be Emperor.

Ropura

Next Star · #**458** 11-06-2006, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lady Night Stalker

Corrections it has been that way for thousands of years not millions. Secondly women at one time were allowed to rule but one of the Emperors (I don't know which one) changed the laws so only males could inherit. Women can and should be head of state,

In myth they say that the Japense monarcy had been found in 745 B.C so if that is true it is more than a million years old and that is in the past we are talling about the present.

Lillia · #**459** 11-06-2006, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Next Star

In myth they say that the Japense monarcy had been found in 745 B.C so if that is true it is more than a million years old and that is in the past we are talling about the present.

Well, it looks like they would be a little more than 2,000 years old (not 1 million) using those figure and if I have the math correct.

Anyone want to check?

Lillia · #**460** 11-06-2006, 08:52 PM

ok

here's something from the International Herald Tribune. They did an interesting article about Japanese Monarchy and they did a little history too...

"...According to Japanese myth, the first emperor, Jimmu, a descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu, reigned 2,665 years ago; historians, though, trace the start of Japan's imperial system to the fourth or fifth century..."

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/26/news/japan.php

and Time Asia had something to say about the monarchy's 2,666 year old imperial history also:

http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers.../timeline.html