Succession and Membership Issues

[bekalc]

In all probability, your wish will be granted anyway, no matter what anybody here thinks.

This being said, I have to disagree. You would not call it the best starting conditions imaginable either if your father beheaded your mother and disowned you. Still, Elizabeth I became one of the great monarchs in British history (or even in the world´s history).

Yes but is it fair to deny Prince Hisahito. As of right now it is his birthright as the oldest male child in that family...

To be frank if your going to deny Hisahito in favor of Akiko, the denial should have been done when Kiko was pregnant. The older Hisahito gets the more a ware he is of the situation and the more unfair it is to give him a strong idea he will be Emperor and then take it away.

In Akiko's case- she's been told all of her life that right now she will not inherit. The older she gets is it fair to thrust her into a role that sh'es not prepared for?

If a change is going to be made-it must be made now. To make it 10/15 years from now would be cruel.

At this point one could argue the fair thing would be to add females in future generations. I.e Kate/Williams children will be decided on equal basis. But the current succession in relation to Anne's stays. That's a far more fair situation. Because your not stripping away from anyone a current right.

In terms of reviving the old families. To be quite frank, there's no need to revive the defunct branches in terms of duties. But why the heck can't the revive the defunct branches in terms of succession. I mean its the case in GB where you have if so and so dies they are next in line. There's no reason they can't look at the trees so who was the next oldest descendant and go from there. Its fair and ensures the monarchy.

 

[Furienna]

Yes, there should be more possible heirs, and that could so easily be fixed, if those minor branches got their succession rights back.

 

[ChiaraC]

At this point, I would like to quote the statement of a Japanese member of this board:

Some people, usually the very ultra right wing, such as Tsuneyasu Takeda who is a male descendant of the former Takeda-no-miya want the male members of old miyake to be made Imperial Hignesses so that they, too, can be entitled to the line of succession instead of Aiko.

Many ordinary Japanese people find this option very uncomfortable because, though they may be related to the imperial family through the male lines, they have been born into non-imperial families and they are plain Mr Takeda and Mr Kitashirakawa or whatever. Aiko and Mrs Kuroda are far closer to the Tenno by blood than these people such as Tsuneyasu Takeda.

There has been said a lot in this debate about certain things being "unprecedented": a female-line emperor, a husband who gets imperial status via his wife etc. That is admittedly true, for what it is worth. (A commoner getting to be empress consort has been unprecedented, too, until quite recently, and hardly anybody seems to mind it any more.)

However, nobody ever cares to mention that, if former royals should get their status back, i. e. if commoners should become imperial princes, this would also be absolutely unprecedented in the history of the Japanese monarchy. People used to the standards of the European monarchies (that features rulers like William the Conqueror or Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte) may be unaware of this and may feel that it would be sort of a normal and unspectacular thing to give higher rank to certain individuals, if need be. But in Japan´s history, not even a noble ever got to hold the rank of imperial prince (and what is more: not even a noble with imperial ancestors - of which there were quite a few - got to hold the rank of imperial prince). The way "downwards" was possible, but never "upwards". Once you were "out", you were out for good, so to speak.
That means that this whole matter is not about if tradition should be broken but just in which way.

 

[ChiaraC]

If a change is going to be made-it must be made now. To make it 10/15 years from now would be cruel.

In that, I quite agree. Unfortunately, it seems that no Japanese politician wants to stick out his neck on the issue, and that they are all playing for time...

Future shape of the Imperial Family

The government in early October, on the basis of hearings from experts, proposed that married female members of the Imperial Family create branch families within the Imperial Family and continue to retain the status of members of the Imperial Family. [...]

Although the government avoided touching on Article 1 of the Imperial Household Law, which states that the Imperial throne will be succeeded by a male offspring descended along the male line, its proposal cannot be separated from the issue of how to ensure stable Imperial succession.
With regard to Imperial status, traditionalists are opposed to the creation of branch families headed by women members of the Imperial Family because they are concerned that such a system might lead to a person from the female line ascending the Imperial throne. Progressives, meanwhile, accept allowing females to become emperor and for their first-born children to ascend the Imperial throne. [...]

Should Prince Hisahito become emperor, a situation could develop in which his wife was the only person who could perform constitutional and other imperial functions as his proxy if the current Imperial Family system is preserved as is. If married female members of the Imperial Family became heads of branch families within the Imperial Family, and were no longer identified as commoners, they could perform the functions carried out by Imperial Family members. [...]

The Diet should revise the Imperial Household Law in a manner that will ensure that the Imperial Family can continue to carry out its official functions in a stable manner.

 

[Al_bina]

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi tried to fix the problem, but his attempts were stalled by the IHA and other politicians. People said that he was arrogant and wanted to leave his office on a bold note, which was inappropriate. I watched it on NHK.

 

[ChiaraC]

An article published in January of this year said something similar about Noda.

Royal challenge awaits Noda

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda appears strongly committed to revising the Imperial Household Law to let female members of the Imperial family remain in the royal family even if they marry commoners. [...] In October, Shingo Haketa, chief of the Imperial Household Agency, told Noda that if the number of Imperial family members decreases because of women leaving the family after marriage under the law, the activities of the Imperial family as a whole will face difficulty.[...]

Noda has reportedly confided to a professor of a national university, who was asked to become a member of an advisory panel on the Imperial household female member issue, that there are three things he would like to accomplish during his tenure: a consumption tax hike, Japan's participation in the TPP agreement and revision of the Imperial Household Law. [...]

Although Prime Minister Noda appears eager to tackle many important issues, including one related to the Imperial family with its many ramifications, is he capable of handling all of them? Or is this eagerness a sign of overconfidence?

I´d say the expression „overconfidence“ in this context comes very close to „arrogance“. It is true that Noda has not succeeded in bringing about any changes of the Imperial House Law (and there is a high probability that his party will lose the upcoming elections, so that will be that).

But it seems to me that those people who basically say: „Who does this man (Koizumi or Noda or whoever) think he is to tackle such a hairy issue?” are not really being helpful. They may feel very smug now that they have been right, but, in fact, they should rather feel sad (unless they should happen to hope for the abolition of the monarchy). We may disagree in what should be done but I think that most people are aware that something has to be done.

Obviously, if the chief of the Imperial Household Agency goes so far as to personally ask the prime minister to please do something, it should be sufficiently clear that the case is urgent.

 

[ChiaraC]

Imperial status shift stumbles

The idea of allowing female members of the Imperial family to retain their status after marriage is on track to be dropped. [...]

Liberal Democratic Party President Shinzo Abe, almost certain to become prime minister next week following his party's win in Sunday's election, is opposed to the idea of allowing female members to continue holding Imperial family status after marriage. The government sought public opinions between Oct. 9 and Dec. 10. The comments were overwhelmingly against the idea, officials said, though they added that many were similarly phrased, suggesting an organized campaign.

Japan Times, Dec. 20, 2012

Abe to put off talk on female Imperial Family branches in show of conservative colors

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Shinzo Abe has decided that the Cabinet he is poised to form following his party's election victory will not discuss the possibility of establishing branches of the Imperial Family headed by females -- returning a proposal by the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) back to the drawing board.

Abe appears prepared to hold back his conservative colors until next summer's House of Councillors election out of consideration for New Komeito, with which the LDP is set to form a coalition government. However, he is putting his personal views forward regarding the Imperial Family, in which he strongly favors maintaining a male line of succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne. [...]

The reason Abe has decided not to consider such branches is to reach out to conservatives, alleviating their disgruntlement over the way he has sealed up his own conservative colors. Yet the establishment of female Imperial Family branches is an issue that first surfaced under an LDP administration. [...]

Even if the incoming Abe administration retracts the DPJ's plans, it cannot sidestep fears of stagnation in the performance of Imperial Family members' official duties. The new administration under Abe is expected to consider restoring to the Imperial Family male descendants of 11 former Imperial Family branches that departed from the Imperial Family under Allied occupation authorities following World War II. But there remain many outstanding issues with this proposal, including the question of who would be reinstated and the order of succession. From a mid- to long-term perspective there is no great change to the uncertainty surrounding male-line imperial succession.

December 20, 2012(Mainichi Japan)

PM Abe most likely to nix idea of a female imperial family

Just when you thought some outdated parts of Japanese law and culture will finally catch up with modern times, the idea has probably been nixed before it even went out the gate. The incoming Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been opposed to the idea of the proposed amendments and so it most likely will not come to fruition. [...]

Japan Daily Press, December 19, 2012

 

[NGalitzine]

Have Japanese political leaders not figured out that they are condemning the Imperial Family to possible extinction by putting all their hopes on Hisahito? There is no guarantee that he will live to succeed his father or uncle, no guarantee that he will be able to father a child, and even if he does no guarantee that his child would be a son. Seems very short sighted.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Too bad Kiko and her husband couldn't have another try for a second boy. Then again why aren't other family members trying to have some sons.

 

[Spheno]

They have at least 20 years to make decision.

 

[Spheno]

Too bad Kiko and her husband couldn't have another try for a second boy. Then again why aren't other family members trying to have some sons.

Kiko is youngest married woman in royal family, and she is 46 years old.

 

[Artemisia]

Too bad Kiko and her husband couldn't have another try for a second boy. Then again why aren't other family members trying to have some sons.

Well, that's the whole problem: who exactly are the other family members who could try to have some sons, or any children for that matter? It's not as though there are many current members of the Imperial Family capable of siring a child and/or passing inheritance rights to him.

All current members of the Imperial Family:
- The Emperor and Empress
- Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako
- Princess Aiko
- Prince and Princess Akishino
- Princess Mako
- Princess Kako
- Prince Hisahito
- Prince and Princess Hitachi
- Prince and Princess Mikasa
- Princess Tomohito of Mikasa
- Princess Akiko
- Princess Yoko
- Prince Katsura
- Princess Takamado
- Princess Tsuguko
- Princess Noriko
- Princess Ayako

Only the following could sire children who would have succession rights:
- Emperor Akihito: 79 years old (Empress Michiko is 78)
- Crown Prince Naruhito: 52 years old (Crown Princess Masako is 49)
- Prince Akishino: 47 years old (Princess Kiko is 46)
- Prince Hisahito: 6 years old (unmarried)
- Prince Hitachi: 77 years old (Princess Hitachi is 72)
- Prince Mikasa: 97 years old (Princess Mikasa is 89)
- Prince Katsura: 64 years old (unmarried)


Only the Crown Princely couple, the Akishino couple and the (unmarried) elderly Prince Katsura could theoretically have a child in this generation capable of inheriting succession rights. Realistically, the future, the very survival of the Japanese Imperial Family rests on the shoulders of one person - the 6-year-old Prince Hisahito. And there is no guarantee he will marry, have children or that any of those children will be a boy.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

You should never put your eggs in one basket. They need to find a way to make more royal family members. Is the situation like this because of the situation where if a princess married she is no longer a princess? In a family where the succession only goes through men, those in charge of the JRF have really screwed up. It's not all Masako's fault either, they should have had some kind of Plan B and Plan C.
I think it is a little ridiculous that the females who marry commoners lose their status. Isn't there no longer a nobility in Japan? So who else are these women supposed to marry? How happy would Japan be if a Princess came back with a Prince Carl Philip on her arm?

 

[Furienna]

You should never put your eggs in one basket. They need to find a way to make more royal family members.

I totally agree with this.

Is the situation like this because of the situation where if a princess married she is no longer a princess?

That's part of the problem. But it's also a problem, that the female members of the royal family have no succession rights at all. And even though I'm not the fiercest feminist around, I find that ridiculous, especially since it's putting all hope for the continuation of the imperial family on one person: Prince Hisahito. And like others have said, what if something would happen to him? Or what if he doesn't have a son? I'm all for keeping old traditions, especially where royalty is concerned. I'm not even opposed to male primogeniture. But in this case, something has to be done.

 

[Artemisia]

You should never put your eggs in one basket.

That's a simple truth Japanese ultra-traditionalists fail to understand. The immense pressure poor Hisahito will face in the future will be worse than the one Masako faced from day 1 of her marriage. No wonder the Crown Princess seems much happier these days; she's probably relieved Aiko will not have to go through that.

Their argument that the Japanese Monarchy has passed from one male to another in an unbroken line for thousands of years is simply untrue, as is the argument that Empresses Regnant were only temporarily monarchs (until male heirs would come of age) and that no female has ever inherited the Throne from her mother (that has happened before).

I think it is a little ridiculous that the females who marry commoners lose their status. Isn't there no longer a nobility in Japan? So who else are these women supposed to marry? How happy would Japan be if a Princess came back with a Prince Carl Philip on her arm?

There is no longer a nobility in Japan. Most of the changes that now plague the Imperial Family (including the fact females leave the Imperial Family upon marriage to commoners) were in fact forced upon the Japanese by the United States back at the end of World War II.

Marrying Prince Carl Philip or any other foreign royal wouldn't help; under the terms of the 1947 Imperial Household Law, naishinno (Imperial Princesses) lose their titles and place in the Imperial Family upon marriage, unless they marry a member of the Japanese Imperial Family.

 

[Furienna]

Their argument that the Japanese Monarchy has passed from one male to another in an unbroken line for thousands of years is simply untrue, as is the argument that Empresses Regnant were only temporarily monarchs (until male heirs would come of age) and that no female has ever inherited the Throne from her mother (that has happened before).

Could you please explain that a little bit more in detail? While it may very well be likely, that the imperial male line isn't as unbroken as traditionalists claim, do you have any proor for it? And which empresses inherited the throne from their mothers?

There is no longer a nobility in Japan. Most of the changes that now plague the Imperial Family (including the fact females leave the Imperial Family upon marriage to commoners) were in fact forced upon the Japanese by the United States back at the end of World War II.

But why then did the US force the Japanese to make these changes?

 

[Artemisia]

Could you please explain that a little bit more in detail? While it may very well be likely, that the imperial male line isn't as unbroken as traditionalists claim, do you have any proor for it? And which empresses inherited the throne from their mothers?

Have a look at this post which should give you an idea what I was referring to. Three of the eight Empresses were succeeded by their children (including Empress Gemmei who was succeeded by her daughter, Empress Gensho), two - by their grandsons. Aside from that, the early history of Japanese Monarchy is very heavily mythologised.

But why then did the US force the Japanese to make these changes?

I have no idea, to be honest. The Japanese history of the period is not one I'm particularly well acquainted with, so I can hardly give an adequate answer to the question. Nevertheless, it would be my guess that one of the reasons was to limit the number of members of the Imperial Family and, as a consequence, expenses connected with them.

 

[TomBert]

I think the American plan was to completely eliminate any possibility of the Imperial Family every again having the independence required to be a political force. The independent Imperial Household Ministry became a dependant agency under the control of the Prime Minister. The Emperor's immense personal wealth was transferred to the state, leaving him virtually broke and completely reliant on government funds. Then, as a symbolic act of emasculation, the peerage was abolished and the size of the family dramatically reduced; a traditional power base was suddenly gone. The problem with this is that it lays the Imperial institution open to manipulation by external forces.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Don't know much about Japan and US relations post WWII but I suspect they wanted to scale down the power of the Imperial Family; though I don't know how much say they had in being involved in WWII. I also don't know if the US has any say in if the rules were changed, I would think not.

 

[ChiaraC]

But why then did the US force the Japanese to make these changes?

The US occupation forces, namely General MacArthur, wanted to preserve the monarchy because they thought that it would keep the shattered country relatively stable and, in particular, would serve as a safeguard against communism. If you are interested in these questions, you may like to take a look at the „Classified GHQ Intelligence Reports on the History of the Chrysanthemum Throne“. You have to be aware that this report was (obviously) not compiled out of scientific interest and, at some points, desperately lacks understanding of a non-Western culture (for example when an imperial concubine is called “a common woman”). Nevertheless, it offers in many respects, rare and appropriate facts and insights regarding the monarchy and, in particular, on how its history had been manipulated to serve nationalist purposes. This is even more relevant, as in some respects, the same is happening still today, and for similar reasons.

Perhaps more falsehood has been written about the Japanese dynasty than any dynasty that ever occupied a throne. The Japanese repeated these false claims so long and so vehemently that they not only convinced themselves of their truth but they also deceived a gullible world. […] The two great "historical" books, the "Kojiki" and the "Nihongi," give a purported story of the dynasty. They were not written until 712 A.D. and 722 A.D., yet they attempt to give a minute record of conversations and details of events from 660 B.C. onward. All records which contradicted these myths were destroyed. During the time of these events the Japanese were unable to read or write. The exact birthday, age, and reign of each Emperor is given. The first 17 Emperors ages add up to a total of 1,853 years, which is 109 years for each emperor. When the Japanese learned to read and write in the Seventh Century, there was a noticeable drop in the ages of emperors. After that they averaged only 61 years. While Japan was illiterate, the Koreans and Chinese were keeping records. These records prove the Japanese "history" as mere fabrication, manufactured out of whole cloth to make it easier for certain ambitious people to rule the country. […]

The Japanese have been kept in almost total ignorance of the facts about their Imperial Family. Ito, in interpreting the Constitution, laid down the dictum that the Emperor was not to be discussed. Then a high-powered publicity campaign was launched to make the Japanese people and the world believe in the myth of an "unbroken dynasty." Repeated over and over until the people heard or read little else were such phrases as: "the splendid traditions that no other nation in the world has ever enjoyed," "the unbroken line of decent from the immortal," and "gods have been our monarchs and our monarchs, gods." This propaganda succeeded beyond the dreams of the empire builders. Foreign Governments and peoples as well as Japanese accepted the myth of the "unbroken dynasty." Today few Americans and no Japanese appear to have any knowledge of the history of the "Emperor myth" and how it was made to prevail. […]

The Shogun IYEYASU issued the following order to the Emperor: "The ruling Emperor shall no longer leave his palace, except when he takes himself to visit the Emperor who has abdicated." (d) As a result of this policy, for many centuries the masses of the Japanese people did not know that the Japanese Emperor existed. A Chinese priest of an inquiring mind made a journey through 16th Century Japan asking people about the Emperor. Few of the peasants he interrogated knew of such a being or believed when they were told. […]

The powerful men in Japan always have used abdication as a clever scheme to keep the dynasty weak and pliable. The Emperor SEIWA was removed at the age of 26, SHUJAKU at 23, REIZEI at 20, ENYU at 26, KWAZAN at 19, SHUTOKU at 24, NIJO at 26, ROKUJO at four, and TAKAKURA at 21, according to Willard Price. "Naturally in this swift succession, the lives of Emperors overlapped and in 1300 there were actually six Emperors extant; one on the Throne and five meditating." […]

"In 1868, after a period of 675 years, the sovereign authority was restored to the Throne" is the way the Japanese describe the events of 1868. As a matter of fact, from 888 until the founding of the Empire in 1868, the so-called Emperors were secluded and had no authority except from 1333 to 1336, during a period between shoguns, when the Emperor exercised sovereign authority. […] Two steps were taken by the builders [of the Meiji Restoration in 1868] to bolster the weak dynasty which was in danger of extinction. The boy-Emperor was quickly married to a daughter of a court noble. The most influential court nobles were trotted out and accorded imperial status although their claims to imperial dignity were remote and unconvincing. […]

An adopted son of the previous Emperor was raised to imperial dignity and called "His Imperial Highness Prince KANIN." Then this boys father FUSHIMI Kuniiye, a man who had 16 other sons, was brought forth and given the title of "His Imperial Highness Prince FUSHIMI." One official account published in 1929 said, "This is the oldest of the princely families, having been founded in the 14th Century by a son of GOHANAZONO Tenno, the 102nd Emperor." (d) But in 11944 the official account said, "the House of FUSHIMI was founded by a great-grandchild of the Emperor GOFUSHIMI, the 93d Emperor." (c)

It is possible that the son of the 102nd Emperor could have been the great-grandchild of the 93d Emperor; but they lived 500 years ago and probably had several thousand descendants in 1868. Then why pick out one of them for imperial status? The empire needed an Emperor and this man had 17 sons. If the 16-year-old Emperor MEIJI died without heirs, then here was a family that might replace him even if it were not related to the Emperor.

On page 3 you find the answer why the occupation forces chose to keep the number of royals relatively small (and why they completely abolished the nobility):

Eleven Imperial Families who were related to the Emperor only remotely through an ancestor who is claimed to have lived some 23 generations ago, have lost their imperial status, their rank, their titles, and their royal privileges and have become common citizens. […] Most of these 51 members of the Imperial Family already had lost most of their property by means of the capitol property tax which, in some cases, amounted to 90 percent of their holdings. Lacking business experience and contact with practical affairs of the world, their future is at least uncertain. Like all Japanese, they must now earn their place in Japan and in the world on their merits and their ability to succeed in the realm of peace. For many generations these families have enjoyed privileges and have been accorded honors and dignities to which they had no legal nor moral rights. There are, no doubt, thousands of persons in Japan and other countries who have descended from royal families in the last 500 years but they earn their livelihood and make no ridiculous claims to imperial dignity.

You see, it was sort of a matter of course for the occupation forces that, as a rule, everybody has to work for his living. They were willing to make sort of an exception for the emperor and his immediate family (although they, too, were stripped of most of their wealth), obviously because they were fulfilling a certain function for the state. But following an ethical baseline of puritanism that they apparently thought to be universally valid, independent of time, place and cultural tradition, the US authorities prided themselves on restoring sort of an universal justice to Japan by stripping “lazy” royals of their privileges and by finally forcing them to work for their living.

They do have a strong point, though, in that the collateral branches are but very remotely related to today´s imperial family. In fact, they are descended from the fourteenth-century Emperor Sukō. It is also true that most of these imperial branch houses are a product of the Meiji era end of the 19th century. The last three were founded as late as 1906 by descendants of the above mentioned Prince Fushimi Kuniye.

It does not seem, though, that the US authorities were ever aware that, by their measures, they might be putting the succession to the throne in danger. In 1948, Emperor Hirohito had two sons and Prince Mikasa also two (a third, the later Prince Takamado, was born to him in 1954). That they all together would produce but two male-line males in the next generation (the present crown prince and Prince Akishino) would not have come completely unexpected to a historian who was familiar with royal genealogical tables, remembering, for example George III of Britain who - although he fathered 13 children - had by 1817 (when his youngest surviving child, Princess Sophia, was already 40 years) but one single legitimate grandchild and potential successor, Princess Charlotte - whose premature death accordingly caused a succession crisis.

Unfortunately, the US authorities who were responsible for implementing the changes in the Imperial House Law were no experts on royal history, and probably thought in all honesty that 5 imperial princes were amply sufficient to carry on the monarchy for several generations at least.

 

[Dmitry Kurbsky]

However, nobody ever cares to mention that, if former royals should get their status back, i. e. if commoners should become imperial princes, this would also be absolutely unprecedented in the history of the Japanese monarchy. People used to the standards of the European monarchies (that features rulers like William the Conqueror or Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte) may be unaware of this and may feel that it would be sort of a normal and unspectacular thing to give higher rank to certain individuals, if need be. But in Japan´s history, not even a noble ever got to hold the rank of imperial prince (and what is more: not even a noble with imperial ancestors - of which there were quite a few - got to hold the rank of imperial prince). The way "downwards" was possible, but never "upwards". Once you were "out", you were out for good, so to speak.
That means that this whole matter is not about if tradition should be broken but just in which way.

Not quite so. There were precedences of returning to imperial status, although very rare. The most famous example should be Prince Sadami, third son of Emperor Koko. Emperor Koko demoted Prince Sadami from imperial status by granting him the Minamoto surname. Although, later the Emperor reinstalled Minamoto-no-Sadami as a prince. Later Prince Sadami became Emperor Uda.

 

[ChiaraC]

Thank you for reminding us of this story! I was not aware of it and had to look it up first. But while it undoubtedly is a case in which, technically, a return to imperial status did take place, it does not seem to offer a very helpful precedent in the present situation. It is true that Prince Sadami was demoted from imperial status - but not because the succession was already ensured by one or several brothers of his or because his mother would have been inferior in rank (in fact, she was an imperial princess, a granddaughter of Emperor Kammu) but because the powerful grand minister Fujiwara no Mototsune who had helped Prince Sadami´s father, Emperor Kōkō, ascend the throne, did not wish Kōkō´s descendants to have any succession rights. Mototsune originally intended, after Kōkō, to put one of the princes on the throne who were more closely related to himself but who he had temporarily bypassed because of their youth. So, according to Mototsune´s wishes, all of Kōkō´s children were demoted of their imperial status, and none was left in line to the throne. (Sugawara No Michizane and the Early Heian Court, The Chrysanthemum Throne: A History of the Emperors of Japan )

However, as things turned out, Emperor Kōkō died after reigning but three years, and, obviously, that led to a change in Mototsune´s plans. It is interesting, though, that Prince Sadami who was then allowed to succeed his father as Emperor Uda was adopted by a half-sister of Mototsune and, after his ascension, used to remark that he felt that he „had absolutely none of the abilities of a sage ruler“ and that he explicitly asked Mototsune „to handle all state affairs“. (The Future and the Past:A Translation and Study of the Gukanshō, an Interpretative History of Japan Written in 1219)

So, in my opinion, we have two relevant aspects here: 1) the case of Prince Sadami/Emperor Uda belongs to a time when there was no established rule of succession but emperors were installed, in a rather random way, to serve the purposes of the holders of the real power (in that case, of the Fujiwara clan), 2) although it is true that Prince Sadami was demoted from imperial rank and later reinstalled as imperial prince, he was actually the grandson of Emperor Nimmyo and the son of the later Emperor Kōkō.

In both points, the difference to the present situation with the former collateral branches cannot be overlooked, in my opinion: 1) today, the line of succession is strictly codified, following clearly defined rules. It would be unthinkable that a Japanese politician, however powerful (or power-hungry) he might be, would or could willfully choose a successor to the throne. 2) The collateral branches are descended from a fourteenth-century emperor which means that they are but very remotely related to the present imperial family, in the male line. I, for one, believe that this whole matter would look quite differently, if there were still descendants of a brother of Emperor Taishō (1879 – 1926) or of Emperor Meiji (1852 – 1912) among them, so that even the average Japanese would be able to understand how a potential successor from the disenfranchised branches would be related to Emperor Akihito. Unfortunately, neither the Taishō nor the Meiji emperor had any surviving brothers. Accordingly, it would actually take a specialized historian to clearly explain in which way the members of the collateral branches are connected to the present imperial family. The huge majority among them were born as commoners, and many even already as children of born commoners, very much unlike Prince Sadami who, like I said, was the son and grandson of emperors.

 

[ChiaraC]

Abe administration must push forth with debate on female Imperial branch households

In October last year, the administration of then Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda released a report on the pros and cons of establishing female Imperial branch families in light of decreasing numbers of Imperial Household members. The government also subsequently called for the public's input on the report, but it remains unclear how the new government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which took over in December, will handle the issue.

Abe is known as being wary of allowing women from the Imperial family to keep their Imperial status after marrying commoners, due to his opposition to allowing matrilineal Emperors. As such, some say that discussion of female Imperial Family branches will be stalled or postponed.
Is it acceptable, however, for an issue that has been deliberated for a year, and on which comments from the public have been gathered, to be shelved or suspended so easily? A look at the Imperial Household's current situation would say otherwise. The debate must go on. [...]

The task force called on the public for their comments for the next two months and received over 260,000 messages via email and mail. While some agreed to the establishment of female Imperial branch households as "a natural development," the majority of the comments received were opposed. Many called on the government to consider reinstating the Imperial status of former Imperial Household members. Many of the anti-revision comments appear to have been sent in by organizations, however, as they used several fixed texts, so there is a need to evaluate not only the number of comments, but their content. [...]

What do Imperial Family members, who are directly affected by whatever decisions the government makes, think about this uncertain state of affairs?

In an interview with the Mainichi Shimbun that appeared Jan. 7, 2012, 31-year-old Princess Akiko of Mikasa made it clear that she was hoping for a speedy conclusion, whether it be the preservation of the current Imperial House Law, or a revision. "I am in a state of unease," she said. "It is an issue that will also have an effect on my future spouse."

At a press conference on his birthday in November last year, Prince Akishino said that he had been informed about expert opinions on the matter and had talked about the issue with his daughters, Princess Mako, 21, and Princess Kako, 18. "I've spoken about this with my daughters, and I've told them about the current situation, so I think they understand," he said, without expressing his own views or going into specifics about what he and his daughters discussed.

For the unmarried women of the Imperial Family, the issue of female Imperial Household branches is one that directly affects their future and one in which they have no say. Princess Akiko's wish for a speedy conclusion to the debate is easily understandable.

Whether one supports the preservation of patrilineal Imperial Households, or the recognition of female heads of Imperial branch families, one thing is clear: the system under the current Imperial House Law is problematic. To consider the future of the Imperial Household is to think about the structure of Japan as a country. Let's hope that the Abe administration makes use of the Noda administration's report and public comments on the female Imperial branch family issue, and clear the path toward resolution. ("As I See It" by Mitsuyuki Manabe, Tokyo City News Department)

January 19, 2013(Mainichi Japan)

Gender equality key to Japan’s future prosperity

The British government has decided that the present succession rule is out of date and does not conform to the principle of gender equality. [...]

In Japan a similar change in the succession law was suggested some years ago before Prince Akishino’s son was born, but it was strongly opposed by conservative diehards for whom male primogeniture seems to be regarded as sacrosanct. In the view of some observers these diehards (including some officials in the Imperial Household) have hardly yet come into the 20th century let alone the 21st century.

There still seem to be some Japanese who think that the only real job for women is housework and looking after children. Nevertheless, if a Japanese politician were once again to declare that the main function of Japanese women was to act as a reproduction machine, he would, I hope, “be laughed out of court.” The election of a woman as president of South Korea is a significant development, but anti-Korean attitudes among some Japanese seem likely to prevent this becoming a precedent for Japan. Continuing male chauvinism among Japanese politicians and the absence of any outstanding female politician suggest that it will be a long time before a Japanese women is elected as prime minister. [...]

Senior Japanese business women are still a relatively rare phenomenon. Most Japanese boards of directors lack even a token woman director. In international comparisons, Japan appears way down on the list, somewhere among the most traditional Middle Eastern countries. This is partly due to the way in which women are recruited and often used simply as receptionists and tea servers. Japanese business systems also make it very difficult for women who take time off to bear and rear children to return to responsible jobs.

Japanese women have found it easier to get good jobs with foreign companies where prejudice against women executives is frowned on. Japanese women who study English often become more competent than their male contemporaries. They make better interpreters than men except where men have been brought up in a bilingual environment. Women are better represented in the professions, academia and the arts. But women have had to push hard to gain promotion.

Japanese women, given the same educational opportunities, are just as capable as men of holding down difficult jobs. In Britain girls often achieve better grades at school and university than boys partly because they are often better motivated; I doubt whether Japanese girls are less intelligent than Japanese boys.

The number two post in the British Embassy is currently filled by a senior woman diplomat; the counsellor in charge of commercial work in the embassy is also an experienced woman diplomat. Apparently they have no difficulty in performing their duties and do not experience discrimination because they are women. This suggests that attitudes are changing in more enlightened circles. Gender equality is hindered by the continuation of the practice, which is particularly prevalent in Japan, that sons, grandsons and even great grandsons should continue to run Japanese businesses or follow in their fathers’ professions.[...]

If Japan is to maintain its competitive position in the world and not experience further economic decline it needs to ensure that gender equality is achieved in practice and not just in principle. Japan needs as a matter of urgency to make better use of Japan’s intelligent women, who constitute such a large section of Japanese people of working age.

(The author of this comment, Hugh Cortazzi, served as Britain’s ambassador to Japan from 1980-1984.)

 

[Artemisia]

Thank you for those articles, ChiaraC.

I was quite surprised to read the comments made by Princess Akiko and Prince Akishino. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the first time members of the Royal Family have actually spoken on the issue, isn't it? In any case, I agree with Akiko: the situation must resolve sooner than later because it will hugely influence the career and personal choices of the Princesses.

 

[ChiaraC]

Thank you for those articles, ChiaraC.

I was quite surprised to read the comments made by Princess Akiko and Prince Akishino. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the first time members of the Royal Family have actually spoken on the issue, isn't it? In any case, I agree with Akiko: the situation must resolve sooner than later because it will hugely influence the career and personal choices of the Princesses.

You are very welcome!

Depends on what you mean by "on the issue". You certainly remember that considering the proposed changes of the law under Koizumi, Prince Tomohito of Mikasa did comment (that famous concubine comment , I do not think that we have to repeat it), and even if it is less known, also the late Princess Takamatsu commented at the time and said that as there had been reigning empresses before in Japan´s history, she could not conceive why there should not be another.

Regarding the present discussion about the female branches, Prince Akishino as well as Princess Akiko have, in fact, made more controversial remarks in the past than those that are quoted here... On his birthday press conference in November 2011, Akishino said,"I would leave it to Diet deliberations to discuss the institutional aspects of the Imperial House Law, but my own, and the crown prince's opinions, could be sounded out (on this issue)." In my opinion, this request was clearly unconstitutional.

During the debate about changing the succession law that took place in 2004/2005, it was expressly said that the imperial family members would not be asked to give their opinion as this was a political issue and the imperial family is supposed to absolutely refrain from commenting on political matters. Sure, the emperor still managed to have his view known, but that is probably as it has been ever since the end of the war: officially, the tenno has nothing to do with politics, but inofficially, well, you know...

But what Akishino did there was quite another story. He clearly expected to be consulted and - publicly! - said so. I see but two possible ways to explain this behaviour: either he had no clue concerning the constitutional role of the tenno and the imperial family, or he willfully ignored it.

Japanese experts on these matters did not fail to notice that, too. After Prince Akishino had made his remarks, Noriho Urabe, professor emeritus at Kobe University, said, obviously with some amazement, that the opinions of the Emperor and other members of the Imperial family should have nothing to do with how the Imperial family system should work:

"The Emperor is not supposed to express his opinions in public forums, which also should be applied for other members of the Imperial family," Urabe said, citing two stipulations of the Constitution that the Emperor's position derives from the will of the people, and that he shall not have powers related to government.

Princess Akiko, in her turn, gave in January 2012 an exclusive interview to the Mainichi on the matter which admittedly came as a surprise to me. I suppose that her father, the late Prince Tomohito, felt the need to again give his opinion on this matter but could not do it himself as he was already hospitalized. While Princess Akiko claimed in the interview that she intended to refrain from making "any political statements" and emphasized that the issue was "up to the state (the government and the Diet)," she was not satisfied with asking the lawmakers to quickly decide the matter (which is clearly a personal - and very just! - comment). Instead, at a time, when the discussion was only about allowing or not allowing female-headed branches, Akiko was among the first to reintroduce the proposal of granting members of the former collateral branches imperial status into the discussion. "The current debate appears to be concerned (only) with whether or not to allow matrilineal Imperial Family branches," she said. "I feel uncomfortable about that."

With all due respect, at that time to even mention the possibility of reinstating former imperial family members was undoubtedly a political statement. The very reason why Koizumi in his attempt to change the succession law did not even consider this option was that it was supposed to be absolutely unacceptable to the broader public in general. Only a small ultraconservative minority proposed it - among them Princess Akiko´s father Prince Tomohito...

 

[Al_bina]

Chiara!
Thanks for the articles! They are informative. I am not too surprised to read Prince Akishino's comments. However, I am not able to understand what he meant by saying "... and I've told them about the current situation, so I think they understand".

 

[Artemisia]

Prince Tomohito's comment is certainly not an easy one to forget.
I was referring to the issue of collateral branches for Imperial Princesses because I thought none of the Princesses had actually commented on the proposal. Obviously, I was wrong: thanks for reminding of Akiko's birthday interview which I have somehow missed.

 

[ChiaraC]

You are very welcome, Albina!

However, I am not able to understand what he meant by saying "... and I've told them about the current situation, so I think they understand".

Well, I do not think that there is actually much to be understood - I suppose what the prince wanted to express was that, as of now, the future of the princesses is uncertain, that maybe they will have the possibility to retain their imperial status after marriage, and maybe not, and that nobody knows if a change will take place, and if so, when. And I suppose that the princesses understood that nothing is clear as yet, and that this state of things may last for years...
Or maybe it is me who does not understand your question?

Prince Tomohito's comment is certainly not an easy one to forget.

Indeed...

Artemisia, I am actually not even sure if it was a birthday interview. It was published on January 7, 2012, and Akiko´s birthday is on 20 December. I have never seen a birthday interview being published so very late, and the contents were not the usual ones (looking back on the past year, personal life, family, outlook, important national and international events etc.). Not even the Fukushima catastrophe of March, 11, was mentioned - in January 2012, mind you! I tend to think that the interview was given on occasion of the upcoming debate about the changes, not on occasion of Princess Akiko´s birthday. (Incidentally, the bigger part of the article is still to be found here, scroll down, very last post.)

 

[Al_bina]

You are very welcome, Albina!
Well, I do not think that there is actually much to be understood - I suppose what the prince wanted to express was that, as of now, the future of the princesses is uncertain, that maybe they will have the possibility to retain their imperial status after marriage, and maybe not, and that nobody knows if a change will take place, and if so, when. And I suppose that the princesses understood that nothing is clear as yet, and that this state of things may last for years...
Or maybe it is me who does not understand your question? ... [snipped]

Thanks for the reply!
You did understand my question correctly. The Japanese royals are masters of vague speaking. I could not quite figure out whether or not Prince Akishino was all right with possible changes coming. In the end, Princess Mako and Princess Kako will conform with whatever laws are passed.

 

[BrazilianEmpire]

Well, I know that the Imperial Family is extremely controlled by the Imperial Household Agency, but there is any clue about the Emperor and his son's opinions on the succession crisis?

And what about Princess Akiko of Mikasa, she's the oldest of the unmarried Princesses, isn't she? She'll be 32 in December. Any information about if she's seeing someone?