A German book about Crown Princess Masako

[tan_berry]

Very interesting, ChiaraC. I think, too, that the birth of Hisahito has been a big luck for Aiko, who is a child probably carrying those genes with the proclivity to depression, the daughter of two very sensitive persons. It is still necessary a male heir in Japan, a very male-centered society. The geishas are not a so far cultural practice yet. Anyway, now without so much pressure, it would be very nice for Aiko to have a brother or sister, so that her parents are not so focused on her. Hisahito´s parents seem to be a couple less romantic, with both feet on the ground. I like Masako very much, but she is not strong enough or psychologically fit for all the pressures she has had to endure. And Naruhito would be the next emperor, to be succedded by his nephew?

 

[Mandy]

Very interesting, ChiaraC. I think, too, that the birth of Hisahito has been a big luck for Aiko, who is a child probably carrying those genes with the proclivity to depression, the daughter of two very sensitive persons. It is still necessary a male heir in Japan, a very male-centered society. The geishas are not a so far cultural practice yet. Anyway, now without so much pressure, it would be very nice for Aiko to have a brother or sister, so that her parents are not so focused on her. Hisahito´s parents seem to be a couple less romantic, with both feet on the ground. I like Masako very much, but she is not strong enough or psychologically fit for all the pressures she has had to endure. And Naruhito would be the next emperor, to be succedded by his nephew?

The succession line hasn't changed with the birth of Hisahito. It is still, Naruhito, Akishino and then, Hisahito.

 

[bekalc]

Honestly, the whole thing sounds very sad. But I can't help agree a bit with the Emperor and Empress. Not so much with the idea of gender selection (NO!) but with the idea of why not try to have another child right after Aiko.

Honestly, it doesn't hurt a kid if their brother/sister is 2 years a part from them, or one year apart. My brothers and I are all 2 years apart, and it's actually really nice because the closer you are in age, the more built in the playmate is. I think it would have been really nice for Aiko to have a built in playmate at 2 years old...And honestly the older she gets, the less fun having a sibling will be. She won't be able to relate to the sibling growing up as much. Plus it's nice for the parents because the kids can be gone at around the same time...

Besides, psychologically it's actually really good I think for kids to learn they are not the center of the Universe. Although maybe they were worried that Aiko would feel less special if a male heir was born. Who knows.

And really it's not like Masako was getting any younger anyways, and it does get more dangerous the older you are as well. So time really wasn't on their side. Still I don't agree with gender selection.

 

[ChiaraC]

Very interesting, ChiaraC. I think, too, that the birth of Hisahito has been a big luck for Aiko, who is a child probably carrying those genes with the proclivity to depression, the daughter of two very sensitive persons. It is still necessary a male heir in Japan, a very male-centered society. The geishas are not a so far cultural practice yet. Anyway, now without so much pressure, it would be very nice for Aiko to have a brother or sister, so that her parents are not so focused on her. Hisahito´s parents seem to be a couple less romantic, with both feet on the ground. I like Masako very much, but she is not strong enough or psychologically fit for all the pressures she has had to endure. And Naruhito would be the next emperor, to be succedded by his nephew?

That is open to discussion if Masako is too fragile... Fritz and Kobayashi say that the emperor´s friends indeed blame her because she is not "like a rice plant that will rise again no matter how many times you have trodden on it". (Which, in my opinion, sounds a bit brutal...). But the special therapist who is taking medical care of her and whose name is a big secret (I´ll tell you more when we come to that point) says, according to Fritz and Kobayashi, that Masako is mentally very, very strong.

And I tend to believe him/her (the therapist´s gender is unknown). If you know Masako´s and Naruhito´s story, in my opinion, it cannot be doubted that they are not "very sensitive", but very strong indeed because they have had the strength to survive all this. (And, bye the bye, does not Naruhito look like a winner on the latest photos – birthday and jogging? I am so glad to see it.) Anyway, I wonder if Kiko would still be alive and laughing in their stead... Although she is certainly much stronger than many people would think who see her ever-smiling face I do not think that she would have been able to sanely and safely go through such an ordeal. And concerning Akishino, I am sure that he would NOT have been able. He is nice but rather soft and a bit spoilt, and, to my mind, should thank God that he has never been put to the test.

And I do think that it would have been nice for Masako and Naruhito to have more children, and that it is a pity that, by now, it is rather improbable that this will still happen. But I do think that Mako and Kako indeed do feel not appreciated because their brother is thought to be so extraordinarily important. You see it in their faces: they only smile a bit when they get some attention for taking care of their brother (Kako when she was pushing the buggy in the park). And even Michiko said that they behave like "little mothers" but also tend to be a bit malicious sometimes... Aiko, to the contrary, looks to me not spoilt, even if she is an only child but like a child who knows that she is valuable and very much loved. Only look how she smiles at her father on the pics of his last birthday!

 

[ChiaraC]

A god becomes human

Here we go for the next parts, today all will be about Akihito, his story and his view of the role of the tenno:

We notice that even concerning this – for commoners absolutely private – issue, a couple´s having children, there already exist notable differences between the opinions of the crown prince and the crown princess on one hand and the emperor and the empress on the other. But although it can safely be said that the difficulties existing between them can be explained within the context of modern versus traditional it would be much too simple to say that the crown prince is modern and his father traditional. Akihito has been and partly still is called modern, even too modern by some.

And this seems to me the fundamental problem, we will see this phenomenon several times: that whatever a member of the imperial family does or fails to do a group of Japanese declares it to be end of the Japanese nation or of all values of the Japanese tradition or something of the sort. And another group of Japanese declares the same action to be the first step on a very necessary path that should have been taken a long time ago and that they have nearly despaired to hope for… (In my opinion, it is an interesting phenomenon that the discussions in this international forum often seem to reflect this national conflict like a mirror. Also here we often have very polarized opinions.) So, whatever the emperor does he can be sure of at least one thing: there will be somebody heavily complaining.

If we take Akihito´s marriage, for instance: It is known that his mother abhorred the thought that he should marry a commoner. And with this opinion she was very far from being alone. To give just one example: One of the most influential women of Japanese "high society" of the time, Itsuko Nashimoto, wrote in her diary on the 27th November 1958: "Today we get the news: Michiko Shoda is to become the wife of crown prince Akihito. Excitement and uproar in the whole country. Broadcasting and television are full of the engagement news. I feel angry and sick. Japan cannot be rescued, Japan is rotten."

But although Ms Nashimoto was very clear in her opinion there were a lot of people whose feelings concerning this matter were absolutely contrary to hers. Fritz and Kobayashi explain that after the fall of the feudal class by the end of the Second World War a prosperous middle class had began its rising in Japan. Michiko´s becoming a princess gave them something to dream of. "She ate bread, sat at a fireplace, played the piano, was a pupil of the private Christian school Sacre Coeur and studied English literature. Japanese women sighed when they thought of this life that resembled a fairytale." And Akihito´s marriage was "modern" not only because of the person of the bride. Also his reason for marrying her was modern: "I marry her because I love her", Akihito confessed to his friend Akira Hashimoto shortly before his wedding. Akihito who had in his earlier youth still been raised with the consciousness of being divine (we remember, the tenno is said to be descended from a goddess) and who – after Japan´s defeat – had been re-educated for the new task of becoming "a symbol" for the nation wanted to show by his marriage, that he, too, was, after all, a human being: "I wish that also the people should look upon our marriage from the point of view of humanity."

His old teacher Dr Shinzo Koizumi felt very relieved by the prince´s choice. The prince used to be called "the hope of Japan" by the media (which originally had been the idea of Elisabeth Gray-Vining, his other teacher), and if he had married a daughter of one of the (formerly) noble families that would have been like going back into the past that was still associated with the lost war.

After Japan´s defeat, Akihito´s father Hirohito had been in a very difficult position. He was in danger of being executed as a war criminal. All depended upon his making a good impression on general MacArthur. He succeeded by telling MacArthur: "You can do with me whatever you want. You can even send me to the gallows. But please do not let my people starve." MacArthur WAS impressed and decided that the tenno could help to initiate change and to help his people become democratic. Akihito publicly renounced his divinity and consented to serve in future as "symbol of the country and of the unity of the nation". Only one month after the end of the war, he told American journalists: "In my opinion, a constitutional monarchy like in England is ideal." And, as already mentioned, he found new teachers for his son: Elisabeth Gray-Vining, an American Quaker, author of many children`s books, and Dr. Shinzo Koizumi, a Japanese Christian who had been president of the famous Keio-university.

For Akihito ,the change was difficult. Fritz and Kobayashi report that once in high school during "constitutional science" he gave a scrap of paper to his friend Hashimoto. "Inherited professions are detestable, are not they?" was written on it… "Akihito even critized for a time his father and Vining. He thought at the time that his teacher (Vining) had influenced him too strongly and had made him become too American." But, however that was, Akihito was well aware that he had to take pains to become a good emperor (although he might not have been quite as sure what that meant). And even if he could have forgotten it, if left to himself - he had been given an unforgettable reminder: On his fifteenth birthday, seven Japanese were executed as war criminals by the Allied Powers. The birthday ceremonies were cancelled.

And Akihito obviously was never fully convinced that all this was past and gone and would never return. I quote: "When Akihito in 1958 heard the notice that king Faisal II of Iraque (who was his age and whom Akihito personally knew) had lost his throne by a putsch and had been killed, the crown prince turned pale, let his cup of tea drop and for a few seconds was unable to utter a word. Then Akihito is said to have told a friend who was with him that the story of Faisal would be his fate, too. For a time, Akihito even took pains to practice type-writing. His friend Akira Hashimoto asked him for the reason of this exercise. Akihito responded seriously: "If anything happens I will be able to work as a typist.""

Considering this background, we understand better why it is so important for Akihito to do everything in the "right" way (which, of course, is HIS way, but that is the same with all of us), why he is so concerned that his heir obviously does not share his view of the role of the tenno and why he is insisting so strongly on the necessity of a male heir: he thinks that every mistake, every compromise might be just one too much – and then the monarchy in Japan might cease to exist at all. It is not easy to be flexible under these circumstances (and even the early separation from his parents may have a subconscious influence here). How can he say: "I am doing it this way and the next emperor will do it in another way." if he fears – as this other way, in his opinion, is absolutely wrong - that the tenno tradition will be, shortly after his passing, lost forever?

 

[ChiaraC]

Mystic symbol

Fritz and Kobayashi report that the system of the English monarchy that had been so new and fascinating to Naruhito was something that to Akihito was already quite familiar. In his youth, when after Japan´s defeat he had been re-educated to become the "hope" of a new and modern Japan, his teacher Dr Koizumi had read with him a biography of the English King George V. in the original version and in full length - more than 500 pages. He did that in order to give his young pupil an idea of how a sovereign can set an example of stability and serenity for his people in times of change and disquiet.

It is unknown what Akihito thought at the time about the things he read. As already mentioned, it was generally difficult for him to adapt so quickly to the radical changes that had been brought upon him as an important member of the Japanese imperial family. But even if he ever entertained the opinion that the English monarchy could teach him something he could use for the understanding of his own duties he certainly at some point in his life has stopped thinking that. A friend of his, Akira Hashimoto, told Fritz and Kobayashi that the European monarchies, according to the tenno, had exploited their people by high taxes, had conquered countries that were not their own and had taken possession of foreign riches by force whereas the Japanese tennos have never done anything of the sort. The emperor, of course, admits that political quarrel and dissent had existed also in ancient Japan, but the person of the tenno had always stood above these things and had protected and cultivated the Japanese tradition and cultural heritage. (Fritz and Kobayashi leave that accusation uncommented. But I cannot help adding that it is, of course, a bit unfair to compare a political government – that all of the European monarchies were at some point in their past – to a constitutional monarchy that serves as a national symbol but has no worldly power. For the European monarchies it is a comparatively new experience to fulfill only representative functions, for the Japanese monarchy it has been like this for by far the longest time of their history. You can hardly be tempted to use your power for evil matters if you do not have any.) Another friend of the tenno, Akashi, says, that in their youth emperor and empress had been indeed reform-oriented and had felt curiosity to see and learn new things. They were interested in Western ideas and way of life and even tried to adapt to them. But when they grew older they became more and more convinced that the Japanese monarchy has to be strongly and deeply rooted in the tradition and culture of their own country.

But although emperor and empress over the passing years have become more conservative than they used to be in their youth they nevertheless still do things that no Japanese sovereign has done before them, and they do not always strictly keep to the old traditions. For example, in order to give Masako a friendly welcome in the imperial family, on the day of the official engagement of Naruhito and Masako emperor and empress had dinner with the new couple, Fumihito, Kiko, Sayako and Masako´s parents and sisters. From a Western point of view that would have been rather a matter of course. But for the Japanese monarchy this was an absolute novelty: until this day it had never been the custom for members of the imperial family to have close and familiar meetings with commoners. Akihito´s father had never in his life sat to dinner with Michiko´s parents.

Another novelty were visits of the imperial couple to the victims of catastrophes caused by natural forces. Not long after they had succeeded to the throne, in 1991, Akihito and Michiko comforted survivors of the volcanic outbreak of Unzen-Fugen. And in 1995 they supported victims of the earthquake of Kobe. They went to 13 different places, wore informal clothing, and they even bent down to the people they were talking to and went down on their knees to be on the same level with them.

For the more conservative Japanese this was already too much. A famous literary critic, Jun Eto, said: "They should not go down on their knees. They do not have to be on the same level as the people they are talking to." Another journalist, Hideaki Kase, commented: "The emperor is the mediator between heaven and earth. Such sacred persons should not go into public." According to the tradition, the tenno is "okami" – that means as well "God" as "above". Fritz and Kobayashi say that it is precisely at this point that a harsh dissent exists among the Japanese. Some – like Eto or Kase – say that it is this remoteness, this mystic quality that makes the Japanese monarchy so important and special while others, to the contrary, strongly criticize the deep and unconquerable abyss that seems to exist between the imperial family and the common people.

The imperial couple nevertheless continued on this new way of "humanitarian support". In 2004, when the earth repeatedly trembled in the region of Niigata they went there by helicopter and compassionately asked: "What has happened to your house?", " Take care of your health!", "How long have you already been staying in this gymnastic hall?"

But it was also clear that this was as far as they would go. Michiko says that the tradition of the Japanese monarchy consists of praying and following. The master of ceremonies of emperor Hirohito, Tatsuo Takeda, warned: "If the imperial family leads the same life that also the commoners lead the monarchy will be no longer necessary." So, it seems to be very important as well as very difficult for the tenno to be, on one hand, "open" for the people but, on the other hand, still not to lose his mystical aura of remoteness. It is a difficult task anyway but it would become impossible to hold this balance if he were to take action of any sort. For Akihito it is absolutely clear: if the tenno wants to stay above quarrel and dissent and to not take sides, if he wants to stay a symbol of the whole of Japan he has to refrain from taking action and has to remain passive.

To be continued

 

[charlottestreasures]

To ChiaraC

I want to thank you profusely for translating this book that we would not have the privilege of reading.

I have just finished reading Ben Hills book.

 

[Vanesa]

I share your opinion. The work ChiaraC is doing is very worth. Without people like her, we'll never know the content of these kind of books. One must be very rich to purchase all the books one should wants to read!

Vanesa.

 

[Al_bina]

ChiaraC,
Joining the other Forum members, I would like to thank you for translating this book. I find this book very informative as it has enlightened me a lot in regard of the life of the Japanese Imperial family and reasons/causes behind their actions to a certain extent.

... Michiko says that the tradition of the Japanese monarchy consists of praying and following. The master of ceremonies of emperor Hirohito, Tatsuo Takeda, warned: "If the imperial family leads the same life that also the commoners lead the monarchy will be no longer necessary." So, it seems to be very important as well as very difficult for the tenno to be, on one hand, "open" for the people but, on the other hand, still not to lose his mystical aura of remoteness. It is a difficult task anyway but it would become impossible to hold this balance if he were to take action of any sort. For Akihito it is absolutely clear: if the tenno wants to stay above quarrel and dissent and to not take sides, if he wants to stay a symbol of the whole of Japan he has to refrain from taking action and has to remain passive.
... [snipped and my bolding]

In my opinion, the whole life of the Japanese Emperor and his family can be described by the above sentences.

 

[bekalc]

And I do think that it would have been nice for Masako and Naruhito to have more children, and that it is a pity that, by now, it is rather improbable that this will still happen. But I do think that Mako and Kako indeed do feel not appreciated because their brother is thought to be so extraordinarily important. You see it in their faces: they only smile a bit when they get some attention for taking care of their brother (Kako when she was pushing the buggy in the park). And even Michiko said that they behave like "little mothers" but also tend to be a bit malicious sometimes..

Huh? The Empress never said that her grandchildren were malicious, this is what she said:

However, each time I see my grandchildren, I think that there is a special feeling that is different from the joy I felt as a mother. While there is also something of the emotions I experienced as a mother, as I now see it from the new perspective of a grandmother, there is a particular sense of joy and satisfaction every time I watch the children interact as they play and take care of each other. Aiko looks so happy when she is playing with Mako and Kako. Mako and Kako, too, while they treat Aiko with such care, at the same time, treat her with the special intimacy that only children themselves can share, which I feel, is different from the way we adults approach children. With Hisahito, also, the two elder sisters are like two little mothers who look after him. To watch them hold Hisahito and change his clothes so attentively but with such ease as if they were experienced mothers, or to see the way little Aiko approaches Hisahito, who is smaller than herself, and gently touches his hand?I feel they are so sweet and seeing them gives me great delight.

No, the Mako and Kako don't smile so much, but if you look at pictures of them well before Hishihito was born, and even when they were Aiko's age, they were never that smiley in general. Perhaps they are shy. But there have been pictures of Mako doing things with her father, and Kako has her skating and gets attention for that, so I wouldn't assume they are jealous or anything. In fact both have a reputation for being well behaved young girls.

Aiko seems adorable and I love her smiles, but in contrast to Mako/Kako, there has been some statements of why Aiko wasn't seen bowing in certain occasions.. Something her father did when she was age/ aunts, uncle, and cousins as well. And which from what I can understand is an expected thing from a Japanese child.

Now, Aiko may be just shy herself, who knows.. And it really wouldn't do to assume any child, unless you get to know them or hear reports of them acting lke brats, to assume they are spoiled.

Honestly, I hope that both sides of the family encourage Aiko to spend time and get to know her cousins, because they could easily serve as "honorary" siblings for her. I know I had a cousin who was an only child and around my brother's age. We lived really close by, and even though my mom had divorced his parents' brother. My mom, Aunt, and Uncle all encouraged us to build a relationship. This cousin is like a third brother to me, and I know he is extremely close with my brothers.

The point I was making in general is the idea that really having a sibling close in age, is not harmful in anyway to a child. (I think it's quite good for them.)

 

[ChiaraC]

Huh? The Empress never said that her grandchildren were malicious, this is what she said:


No, the Mako and Kako don't smile so much, but if you look at pictures of them well before Hishihito was born, and even when they were Aiko's age, they were never that smiley in general. Perhaps they are shy. But there have been pictures of Mako doing things with her father, and Kako has her skating and gets attention for that, so I wouldn't assume they are jealous or anything. In fact both have a reputation for being well behaved young girls.

Aiko seems adorable and I love her smiles, but in contrast to Mako/Kako, there has been some statements of why Aiko wasn't seen bowing in certain occasions.. Something her father did when she was age/ aunts, uncle, and cousins as well. And which from what I can understand is an expected thing from a Japanese child.

Now, Aiko may be just shy herself, who knows.. And it really wouldn't do to assume any child, unless you get to know them or hear reports of them acting lke brats, to assume they are spoiled.

Honestly, I hope that both sides of the family encourage Aiko to spend time and get to know her cousins, because they could easily serve as "honorary" siblings for her. I know I had a cousin who was an only child and around my brother's age. We lived really close by, and even though my mom had divorced his parents' brother. My mom, Aunt, and Uncle all encouraged us to build a relationship. This cousin is like a third brother to me, and I know he is extremely close with my brothers.

The point I was making in general is the idea that really having a sibling close in age, is not harmful in anyway to a child. (I think it's quite good for them.)

I somewhere read in this forum that Michiko said they behave like "little mothers" but also tend to be a bit malicious sometimes and that it is a pleasure to see Aiko so tenderly treating her little cousin – at least, it is this what I remember. It must have been somewhen around New year but I cannot find it so quickly. I will look for it when I have more time, o.k.? Maybe then we will understand the difference, or maybe I have misunderstood a word – that does happen, of course. And what I see in the faces of Mako and Kako I still see but, of course, it is only my impression, and I cannot prove it. But anyway, thank you for the words by Michiko that you quoted, I did not know them before.


I understand what you mean concerning siblings but I would say it depends on the circumstances. I have been growing up as an only child and I only have a little sister and brother from the second marriage of my father. I absolutely doate on them. (But I could be their mother, so that is not the same thing.) But my parents both had siblings, and when I saw that I really was not sure if I wanted that, too. In my mother´s family they quarrel but when it is important they support each other, so I would say in this case: it is, after all, good to have siblings. But in my father´s family it seemed to me that the children felt a sort of: „Don´t be so sure that you are important, and if you are not the child we want there are others who want your place“ – competition from the first day... Of course, it is the growns ups who do this, it is not the children´s fault. But in my father´s family I´d definitely prefer to be an only child, and I am not sure if I would not think the same in the Japanese imperial family. At least, I´d prefer to have sisters, I think... (I adore my little brother, brothers are certainly nice, generally speaking, but in this special case I am not so sure.)


Thank you, Albina, Vanesa and Charlotte, for your kind words and thanks to all who read my translation. I am working on the next part concerning the crown prince´s view of the tasks of the tenno – a bit tricky. It is good to see your support!

 

[Mermaid1962]

I check in here often to see whether you've added anything to your translation/summary. It's excellent.

 

[ekat8]

This fear turned out to be not wholly without reason: Fritz and Kobayashi report that Masako only one day before her departure to Belgium in December 1999 had made a pregnancy test which was positive. Naruhito and Masako and their surrounding considered to cancel the journey. But everything was already prepared. They did not have time to reflect. "And, moreover, Naruhito´s friend, the Belgian crown prince Philippe, would have been very disappointed: Naruhito and Philippe have the same age and had promised each other while still being bachelors to attend the wedding of the other." And the executives of the crownprince´s household warned that if this trip was cancelled the pregnancy might be become prematurely public. So they took a bitter decision and went on this trip. The emperor and empress were not informed of this because it was clear that under these circumstances they would never have allowed Masako to leave.

I'd like to add some information to this incident. While Prince Naruhito and Princess Masako were in Belgium, they travelled all the way to a restaurant
for wine and dine. The restaurant "Le SANGEIER DES ARDENNES" is 80 kilometers away from Brussels. You can find a picture of them titled "SAILE Prince Naruhito et son epouse Masako Owada" in the restaurant.

Does anybody tell me why Princess Masako did such a silly thing despite she knew she was pregnant?

 

[HRH Abigail]

Wow

I want to share with you excerpts from a German book about CP Masako. I have got nearly all of my information about the imperial family from that book but I only recently realized that you here in this forum cannot have that same information because the book is as far as I can see only available in German. (A lot of books here in Germany, especially about international issues, are simply translations of English books, I had not especially paid attention to the authors and so I presumed that it had been the same in this case.)
I really think its contents are worth sharing because the authors are trying to give an explanation for the conflicts in the imperial family that to me seems very interesting and convincing. As you can already suppose from the title (Prinzessin Masako – Der gefangene Schmetterling: Princess Masako – The encaged butterfly, from 2005) they are very compassionate upon Masako. They say that they got a lot of information from friends of Masako and Naruhito who did not get the couple´s official permission to talk to journalists but who are so concerned and worried about the situation that they decided to give them anonymously the information they have. That the authors really got their information from these friends, of course, is something that they cannot prove under the circumstances, we have to believe it (or not). From my point of view, I can say that neither the style of the book nor the contents give the impression of yellow press. One of the authors, Martin Fritz, is a German journalist who lives in Tokio and works for a German public TV station, ARD, and they are usually supposed to be "serious" and to not invent things to make a story. (Of course there are many differences but to give you an idea: they have a reputation a bit like BBC.) They definitely have a reputation to lose if one of them tells nonsense. So I really suppose he should be creditable. The other author, Yoko Kobayashi, works as a free journalist in Tokio.
But although the authors end their book with the hope that Masako will be able to leave her cage (which does NOT mean: her position as crown princess) and will be set free to use her abilities and enchant Japan and the rest of the world they are taking a lot of trouble to make the position and opinion of the emperor and empress understandable, also for Western people. (They basically see it as a conflict between generations in the imperial family, they do not think that the IHA as an institution has much power left – I will give more details about this in the future as this point has been discussed in this forum already with much dedication.) And they suceeded in making at least me aware of the fact that there really IS a conflict that cannot be solved that easily, that it is a conflict that is not only their personal familiar issue but that represents conflicts that strongly exist within the Japanese society and that the solution to them can never be that simple as to just make one side wrong and declare them to be the "bad guy".
I will start by giving you excerpts and resumés from the sixth chapter because it is there that they explain their view of the conflict. (It will take me some time because it has 60 pages so although I hope that you are interested in my translations I also hope that you will be patient with me.)

Wow!

Nice start.

Thank you!

-- Abbie

 

[Elspeth]

I'd like to add some information to this incident. While Prince Naruhito and Princess Masako were in Belgium, they travelled all the way to a restaurant
for wine and dine. The restaurant "Le SANGEIER DES ARDENNES" is 80 kilometers away from Brussels. You can find a picture of them titled "SAILE Prince Naruhito et son epouse Masako Owada" in the restaurant.

Does anybody tell me why Princess Masako did such a silly thing despite she knew she was pregnant?

Travelling to a restaurant was silly? It's not as though she went skydiving or bungee jumping.

 

[ekat8]

Travelling to a restaurant was silly? It's not as though she went skydiving or bungee jumping.

If you are a few weeks pregnant, I presume doctors would advice you to avoid several hours ride to a restaurant and also alcoholic beverages. To an unborn baby, it might have been like bungee jumping.

Please don't take me wrong. The miscarriage after their visit to Belgium is not Princess Masako's fault. Never! However, I've been wondering why they couldn't be more careful when they chose to visit Belgium as scheduled.

 

[kimebear]

Women do all kinds of things while they are pregnant. My own mother worked right up until the day I was born and she commuted an hour a day on rural roads. A good friend worked until her son was born and she was a waitress carrying trays. A simple trip to a dinner is nothing and I highly doubt she was drinking alcohol while she was there.

 

[Al_bina]

With all due respect...

ekat8,
Although you have pointed the contrary, the tone of your posts implies that you are inclined to put blame on Crown Princess Masako for miscarriage because she went to the restaurant. Given the specifics of the Imperial family lifestyle, it would be fair to assume that the restaurant visit was approved by her doctors and other parties concerned. Sometimes, staying in bed would not stop an woman miscarrying.

 

[COUNTESS]

You are most correct. Traveling to a restaurant or anywhere with a "good" pregnancy is irrelevant. Obviously, there was a problem. Mostly miscarriages occur, because there is some defect in the fetus. Sometimes not. But a doctor would have had to caution her not to travel and have complete bed rest and even that would not guarantee that there would be no problems. Masako did nothing "silly" or wrong.

 

[ekat8]

Women do all kinds of things while they are pregnant. My own mother worked right up until the day I was born and she commuted an hour a day on rural roads. A good friend worked until her son was born and she was a waitress carrying trays. A simple trip to a dinner is nothing and I highly doubt she was drinking alcohol while she was there.

I myself did all kinds of things while I was pregnant. But do you know
one out of 10 pregnancies suffers a miscarriage and that number increases
in a few weeks pregnancy? Being extra carefull doesn't harm anybody.

What Priness Masako did wasn't commuting an hour a day on the same
rural roads. She was in a foreign country and in a few weeks pregnancy
which she kept a secret when leaving Japan. Flying itself might have been some stress on her body. All I want to say is that she could have visited
other restaurants in Brussels(Don't they have?) and she could have avoided
several hous car rides.

The former Belgium Ambassedor interviewed said that he had never thought she was pregant because she was drinking wine as usual.

 

[ekat8]

ekat8,
Although you have pointed the contrary, the tone of your posts implies that you are inclined to put blame on Crown Princess Masako for miscarriage because she went to the restaurant. Given the specifics of the Imperial family lifestyle, it would be fair to assume that the restaurant visit was approved by her doctors and other parties concerned. Sometimes, staying in bed would not stop an woman miscarrying.

I just don't understand her for her unnecessary hours drive and wine in her
early pregnancy. The miscarriage has nothing to do with her act, but I think
her act as a pregnant woman was inconsiderate.

The restaurant visit was a private one, so it's unlikely to be approved by
doctors. Rather, they would stop it with all their might.

 

[Al_bina]

... The miscarriage has nothing to do with her act, but I think her act as a pregnant woman was inconsiderate.

I do apologise, but the tone of your post implies once again that Crown Princess Masako should be blamed for miscarriage because she inconsiderately took the trip in question.

The restaurant visit was a private one, so it's unlikely to be approved by doctors. Rather, they would stop it with all their might.

Can you present any proof that the restaurant visit was not approved by the doctors and others parties concerned?

...
The former Belgium Ambassedor interviewed said that he had never thought she was pregant because she was drinking wine as usual.

[snipped]
It would be most kind of you to present the source of your information.

 

[kimebear]

I myself did all kinds of things while I was pregnant. But do you know
one out of 10 pregnancies suffers a miscarriage and that number increases
in a few weeks pregnancy? Being extra carefull doesn't harm anybody.

What Priness Masako did wasn't commuting an hour a day on the same
rural roads. She was in a foreign country and in a few weeks pregnancy
which she kept a secret when leaving Japan. Flying itself might have been some stress on her body. All I want to say is that she could have visited
other restaurants in Brussels(Don't they have?) and she could have avoided
several hous car rides.

The former Belgium Ambassedor interviewed said that he had never thought she was pregant because she was drinking wine as usual.

Yes, thank you. I am familiar with the facts behind miscarriages, having had several myself (all but the first one on bed rest, btw). Being her first pregnancy (that we know about), you don't know how your body is going to react to a pregnancy and there is no reason to worry about day to day activites unless you have had experience.

I also would be interested in reading the interview with the Belgian Ambassador as this is the first time that I have heard this statement made. If you could provide a link, I would appreciate the opportunity to hear his thoughts on the matter. Thanks!

 

[Charlotte1]

I just don't understand her for her unnecessary hours drive and wine in her
early pregnancy. The miscarriage has nothing to do with her act, but I think
her act as a pregnant woman was inconsiderate.

The restaurant visit was a private one, so it's unlikely to be approved by
doctors. Rather, they would stop it with all their might.

I doubt whether her trip to Belgium and her attendance at a restaurant far from Brussels had anything to do with her miscarriage. Masako and Naruhito were at the Belgian wedding which took place on December 4th, she miscarried the first week of January, that's over a month later, by that time she was back in Japan and probably wrapped in cottonwool. The pregnancy news was made public on December 11th ( I was in Japan at the time and can remember the screaming headlines in the paper that day) being her first pregnancy I doubt whether she would have been doing much beyond getting out of bed and yet she still miscarried.

 

[Charlotte1]

Can you present any proof that the restaurant visit was not approved by the doctors and others parties concerned?

You are assuming here that the doctors knew she was pregnant. Also although it's a view that people seem to cling to that the Japanese royals are tightly controlled they do actually have a private life with private freedoms. If it's a private visit to a restaurant in Japan or elsewhere they just go, there's no 'getting approval'. ( The only issue would be security so their security people would need to be informed to check the places out)

I'm assuming that since ekat8 has Kobe Japan as the place where they're from they would have access to Japanese language materials and therefore information which on one hand is more critical of Masako ( which the Japanese media is) but also less "poor prisoner Masako stories" which the western media like to perpetuate. Aside from the criticism it's good to get the extra information that Japanese have rather than the one sided western 'poor victim' view.

 

[ekat8]

I doubt whether her trip to Belgium and her attendance at a restaurant far from Brussels had anything to do with her miscarriage. Masako and Naruhito were at the Belgian wedding which took place on December 4th, she miscarried the first week of January, that's over a month later, by that time she was back in Japan and probably wrapped in cottonwool. The pregnancy news was made public on December 11th ( I was in Japan at the time and can remember the screaming headlines in the paper that day) being her first pregnancy I doubt whether she would have been doing much beyond getting out of bed and yet she still miscarried.

You are absolutely right. The miscarriage has nothing to do with her act.
My point is that that doesn't necesarily mean her act as a few weeks
pregnant woman who kept it secrect from His or Her Majesty is considerate.

 

[ekat8]

Yes, thank you. I am familiar with the facts behind miscarriages, having had several myself (all but the first one on bed rest, btw). Being her first pregnancy (that we know about), you don't know how your body is going to react to a pregnancy and there is no reason to worry about day to day activites unless you have had experience.

I also would be interested in reading the interview with the Belgian Ambassador as this is the first time that I have heard this statement made. If you could provide a link, I would appreciate the opportunity to hear his thoughts on the matter. Thanks!

The interview was televised in Japan and so many people heard that
but I'm sorry I don't have a videotape. I think you can call the restaurant
and ask the master if it's true or not.

 

[COUNTESS]

She might not have been certain. And, its her body, and she should have the right to announce her pregnancy, when she wished.

 

[ekat8]

I apologize that I have caused some controversy in this thread. I think I can
give you some more concrete information you can see on the website, so
I should go to another thread or make one. Thank you for all the comments.

 

[Charlotte1]

I apologize that I have caused some controversy in this thread. I think I can
give you some more concrete information you can see on the website, so
I should go to another thread or make one. Thank you for all the comments.

There's no need to apologise, this is a forum where people discuss royalty, all you've done is to give us something to discuss. It's good to get some different information about Japanese royals from someone in Japan, you have access to a different view point and different information.