Latest news with #ChrysanthemumThrone
The Star
18-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Imperial revolution in Japan: Time for a woman emperor?
Deeply appreciated: Princess Aiko at the launching ceremony for the Arctic research vessel Mirai II. What many may not know is that Japan has had eight female emperors in the past. — The Yomiuri Shimbun/ANN THE shrinking number of Japan's imperial family members is a grave problem for the country. As things stand, only three members are eligible to ascend to the Chrysanthemum Throne, and unease about the continuation of the Imperial line simmers on. Ensuring a stable imperial succession has become a political issue whose resolution can no longer be postponed. The discussions on a stable succession that are underway between the ruling and opposition parties, led by the heads of both Diet chambers, must reach a consensus during the current Diet session. The Yomiuri Shimbun is proposing four key points to address and resolve the issue of a stable succession to the throne. Thirty years ago, the imperial family had 26 members. That number has fallen to 16, including the Emperor, 65. The three members eligible to ascend to the throne are Crown Prince Akishino, 59; his son Prince Hisahito, 18; and Prince Hitachi, 89, the younger brother of the Emperor Emeritus. Aside from Prince Hisahito, five imperial family members are unmarried, including Princess Aiko, 23, daughter of the Emperor and Empress; and Princess Kako, 30, second daughter of the crown prince and Crown Princess Kiko. All five are women. Discussions between the ruling and opposition parties have focused mainly on two proposals – allowing female members of the imperial family to retain their status after marriage, and allowing male children from the male line of former imperial family branches to return to the family by being adopted by current members. The parties aim to wrap up these discussions before this summer's House of Coun-cillors election. The political parties and their parliamentary groups are largely in agreement on the issue of allowing female imperial family members to retain their status after marriage. However, there are divergent views on whether imperial status should be conferred on the husbands and children of female members. Discussions on this point have reached an impasse. In particular, members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are concerned that granting imperial status to these husbands and children could one day lead to matrilineal emperors, who are descendants through a female line. This could upend the tradition of imperial succession based on patrilineal descent, which has spanned 126 generations. The party's position is that imperial status should be granted to husbands and sons only in cases in which a female imperial family member has married a man from the male line of a former imperial family branch. However, continuation of the imperial line is the top priority. Given this, it would be reasonable to allow the establishment of female imperial branches headed by female imperial family members, and to grant imperial status to her husband and children, to stabilise the overall number of imperial family members. Japan's Imperial House Law, which stipulates the line of succession and other matters related to the imperial family, states that a female member who marries anybody other than a member of the imperial family will lose her status as a family member. This law urgently needs to be revised. The postwar system that recognises the Emperor as a symbol of the state in Japan and of the unity of the people has taken root among the people. Activities conducted by the imperial family, such as travelling to Pacific War battlefields to console the spirits of the war dead and visiting disaster-hit areas to show support for people in the affected regions, have been deeply respected and admired. The Imperial House Law stipulates that the throne shall be succeeded to 'by a male offspring in the male line belonging to the Imperial lineage', but the imperial family must not be placed in jeopardy as a result of sticking rigidly to the line of male descent. Japan has had eight female emperors in the past. To ensure the stable succession of the Imperial family, consideration should be given to realistic approaches such as allowing female emperors and not ruling out the possibility of one day having female-line emperors. The Constitution stipulates only that the Emperor is the 'symbol of the state' and that the Emperor's position is 'dynastic'. The second core topic of the political discussions – allowing male children from the male line of former Imperial family branches to return to the family – has raised considerable apprehension. It remains unclear whether the public would support a change that enables people who had been living as regular citizens to become imperial family members. This issue requires careful consideration. — The Yomiuri Shimbun/Asia News Network
Japan Times
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Japan's imperial family to start YouTube account
The imperial family will launch a YouTube account next week, the government said Friday, in the latest attempt at public outreach by the tradition-bound monarchy. Last year, the imperial family made its social media debut with an Instagram account that now has nearly 2 million followers. Its posts show Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and other family members meeting foreign dignitaries, visiting victims of natural disasters or checking out exhibits of prized art. From Tuesday, the family will also publish videos on YouTube, a spokesperson at the Imperial Household Agency said. Naruhito, 65, ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019 after his father became the first emperor to abdicate in over two centuries. The monarchy holds no political power under Japan's post-war Constitution, instead acting as symbolic figureheads. Although the family remains deeply adored and respected, especially among older citizens, it also faces huge pressure to meet exacting standards of behavior and have sometimes become the target of online vitriol. The emperor's brother, Crown Prince Akishino, said last year that his family had been targeted by "bullying-like" messages. When his daughter Mako married her college sweetheart in 2021, reports appeared in Japanese media about money troubles faced by his mother, a scandal seen as damaging to the imperial family. The couple opted not to have a public wedding ceremony and left Japan to live in the United States.
Asharq Al-Awsat
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Japan's Imperial Family to Start YouTube Account
Japan's ancient imperial family will launch a YouTube account next week, the government said Friday, in the latest attempt at public outreach by the tradition-bound monarchy. Last year the royals made their social media debut with an Instagram account which now has nearly two million followers. Its posts show Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their family meeting foreign dignitaries, visiting victims of natural disasters or checking out prized art exhibits. From Tuesday the family will also publish videos on YouTube, a spokesman at the Imperial Household Agency told AFP. Naruhito, 65, ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019 after his father became the first emperor to abdicate in over two centuries. The monarchy holds no political power under Japan's post-war constitution, instead acting as symbolic figureheads. Although the family remain deeply adored and respected, especially among older citizens, they also face huge pressure to meet exacting standards of behavior and have sometimes become the target of online vitriol. The emperor's brother Prince Akishino said last year that his family had been targeted by "bullying-like" messages. When his daughter Mako married her college sweetheart in 2021, reports appeared in Japanese media about money troubles faced by his mother, a scandal seen as damaging to the royal family. The couple opted not to have a public wedding ceremony and left Japan to live in the United States.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Japan's Prince Hisahito Holds His Debut News Conference
In the Japanese line of succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne, there are just three people eligible to succeed Emperor Naruhito: His brother, Crown Prince Fumihitio; his nephew, Prince Hisahito; and his great uncle, 89-year-old Prince Hitachi. Per the 1947 Imperial House Law, only men can succeed to the throne, excluding Emperor Naruhito's only daughter, 23-year-old Princess Aiko. Prince Hisahito turned 18 in September, and this week, he held his first news conference at the Akasaka Estate in Tokyo. 'I hope to carry out my role as a member of the Imperial family with the awareness of being an adult member,' he said in his remarks, per Japan Times. He added, 'It is important [for the Imperial family] to pay attention to people's lives and the state of society.' This spring, he plans to enroll in the University of Tsukuba's school of life and environmental sciences, where he will study biology and research dragonflies. 'I have long been fascinated by insects, particularly dragonflies, and I hope to study them more broadly,' the prince said. 'I want to fully commit to my studies while also engaging in extracurricular activities.' He also shared his hobbies include growing vegetables and rice. 'Sometimes tomatoes are bitten by bugs and the rice is eaten by sparrows. But I feel delighted when I've managed to harvest vegetables and rice and eat them with my family,' he said. Elsewhere in the news conference, he said a royal wedding was far from his mind, admitting he 'had not yet given much thought to the ideal timing or partner.' In September, on his 19th birthday, Japan will hold a coming-of-age palace ceremony for Hisahito. You Might Also Like 12 Weekend Getaway Spas For Every Type of Occasion 13 Beauty Tools to Up Your At-Home Facial Game
The Independent
04-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Japan's 18-year-old prince Hisahito pledges to fulfil royal duties ‘seriously' at first press conference
Prince Hisahito, the nephew of Emperor Naruhito and second in line to Japan 's throne, held his first news conference on Monday, vowing to take his royal duties seriously. At the press conference, held at the Akasaka Estate in Tokyo to mark his coming of age, the 18-year-old shared his perspective on the emperor's symbolic role, echoing the views of his grandfather, former Emperor Akihito, and his uncle. 'It is important (for the Imperial family) to pay attention to people's lives and the state of society,' he said. 'As a young member of the Imperial Family, I am determined to fulfil my role,' Prince Hisahito said. Japan's postwar constitution defines the emperor as 'the symbol of the state and the unity of the people of Japan'. Prince Hisahito officially became an adult last September, marking the first time in nearly 39 years that a male member of the Imperial family has reached adulthood since his father, Crown Prince Fumihito, in November 1985. Prince Hisahito is also the first member of the Imperial family to come of age under Japan's revised Civil Code, which lowered the legal adulthood age from 20 to 18 in April 2022. He is the only heir of his generation in the Japanese Imperial family, as the Imperial House Law permits only males with direct male-line descent from emperors to inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne. The Imperial House Law is a legal framework that regulates the Japanese imperial family, covering imperial succession, family membership, and official responsibilities. The other successors are his 59-year-old father, Crown Prince Fumihito, and the emperor's 89-year-old uncle, Prince Hitachi. Currently in his third year at Tokyo's Senior High School at Otsuka, University of Tsukuba, the prince will begin studying biology at the university's School of Life and Environmental Sciences in April. 'I have long been fascinated by insects, particularly dragonflies, and I hope to study them more broadly. I want to fully commit to my studies while also engaging in extracurricular activities,' he said. During the press conference, he also said that he 'had not yet given much thought to the ideal timing or partner' regarding marriage, according to Japan's Kyodo News. He also said that the issue of climate change was of interest to him. 'I am concerned that it causes many natural disasters and affects people's lives.' He is also 'concerned about the impact (of climate change) on people's lives'. Japan will host a coming-of-age palace ceremony for Prince Hisahito on his 19th birthday on 6 September. Japan's Imperial family is shrinking as female members, including Prince Hisahito's sister, former Princess Mako, lose their imperial status if they marry a commoner. Of the 16 current members, 11 are women, including his sister Princess Kako and Princess Aiko, Emperor Naruhito's daughter. Concerns over the family's future have sparked debate on revising succession laws, but a government panel deferred a decision in 2021 on allowing women or matrilineal descendants to inherit the throne. 'Stabilising the number of members of the Imperial family is a particularly urgent issue,' prime minister Shigeru Ishiba said in October. In the same month, a UN committee said that Japan should 'guarantee the equality of women and men in the succession to the throne' in line with 'good practices' in other monarchies. Japan rejected the committee's recommendation, arguing that succession is unrelated to human rights or gender discrimination. In January, it cut funding to a UN women's rights committee and suspended a member's visit in response. The Imperial succession crisis has been a longstanding issue in Japan, where opinion polls consistently show strong public support for allowing a female monarch. A recent survey found that nearly 90 per cent of Japanese people favour the idea of an empress. Since Japanese royals must remain apolitical, they often pursue studies in fields like biology, literature, and the arts, CNN reported. Emperor Naruhito specialises in water transport, while his father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito (who abdicated in 2019), researches fish. Prince Hisahito's father, Crown Prince Akishino, is an expert on chickens. Additional reporting by agencies.
