Succession and Membership Issues

[Tatiana Maria]

Gov't plan in 2014 nixed idea of female branches of imperial family - The Mainichi

The government proposed in 2014 a plan that does not favor creating female branches of the imperial family, while allowing females to still take part in the family's activities, a government source said Saturday.

[...]

But the plan was never adopted by Abe's Cabinet as his government prioritized other issues such as the passage of draft security legislation, which enables Japan to exercise the right to collective self-defense.

[...]

Once a bill to enable the one-off abdication law applicable only to Emperor Akihito clears parliament as planned, the government may revisit the set of proposals to tackle the shrinking number of imperial family members.

Giving female members such imperial duties, even after they marry commoners, will not require any change in current laws including the Imperial House Law, the source said, adding the government will shoulder the expenses for their tasks.

[...]

A government advisory panel issued in the following month a final report underscoring the need to swiftly take measures to reverse a decline in the number of imperial family members. But it did not suggest creation of female branches.

[...]

I doubt Abe and his cabinet will revisit retaining princesses soon and certainly never consider female branches. After pushing the abdication legislation through, Abe's government probably doesn't want to deal with the Imperial House for a while. He recently announced plans to amend Article 9 (war-renouncing) of the Constitution, aiming for the revision to take effect in 2020.

Japan PM unveils plan to amend Constitution, put into force in 2020 - The Mainichi

Abe calls for 'historic step' toward amending Constitution this year | The Japan Times

I certainly agree. Since Abe will, to all appearances, serve as prime minister until 2021 or longer, and it is not known whether his successor will support female branches, the princesses will need to defer marriage indefinitely if they wish to retain their status.


70% back female emperor or succession from the female line: The Asahi Shimbun

The results showed that the percentage of respondents who said they are not so concerned about the imperial family’s stable continuation is lower among the group endorsing a female emperor or matrilineal emperor than the one insisting on the male line.
[...]
About 70 percent of the supporters of the male line were also opposed to the idea [of returning former imperial family branches].
The Asahi Shimbun mailed questionnaires to 3,000 randomly selected eligible voters throughout the country from mid-March to late April. Of them, 2,020, or 67 percent, gave valid responses.
The survey for the first time covered newly eligible voters aged 18 or 19.

75% Women should be allowed to inherit the throne
21% Only men should be allowed to inherit the throne

72% Matrilineal emperor is acceptable
24% Male line should be maintained

The establishment of houses headed by a female royal
49% approve
40% oppose

Return of the former imperial branches to the family
20% approve
67% oppose


Political affiliation

In favor of a female emperor
78% of nonaffiliated respondents
77% of Democratic Party supporters
72% of Liberal Democratic Party (ruling party) supporters

In favor of a matrilineal emperor
76% of nonaffiliated respondents
75% of Democratic Party supporters
65% of Liberal Democratic Party supporters


Concern about the imperial family's stable continuation

Strongly concerned: 9% of respondents
13% of the group opposing matrilineal emperors
11% of the group opposing female emperors
8% of the group supporting female emperors
7% of the group supporting matrilineal emperors

Concerned to some extent: 38% of respondents
43% of the group opposing matrilineal emperors
42% of the group opposing female emperors
38% of the group supporting female emperors
37% of the group supporting matrilineal emperors

Not strongly concerned: 41% of respondents
44% of the group supporting matrilineal emperors
42% of the group supporting female emperors
37% of the group opposing female emperors
34% of the group opposing matrilineal emperors

Not at all concerned: 10% of respondents
10% of the group supporting female emperors
10% of the group supporting matrilineal emperors
9% of the group opposing female emperors
9% of the group opposing matrilineal emperors


I am confused by respondents who would like princesses and their descendants to become emperors yet do not want them as members of the imperial family.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

The administration plans to start a full-fledged discussion on the decreasing number of imperial family members only in 2019 or later after the emperor's abdication is achieved.

But a senior LDP official close to the prime minister dismissed the proposal [on establishment of branches headed by a female member].

“Some of the female members may wish to leave the imperial family upon their marriage,” the official said. “Founding a branch headed by a female member is an unrealistic approach.”

The official suggested a system in which female members retain a degree of public status even after marriage to a commoner and can assist the imperial family in performing official duties and other activities.

Mako's marriage likely to reignite debate on female lineage, duties:The Asahi Shimbun

Hiroshi Ogushi, chairman of the DP [Democratic Party] Policy Research Council, told reporters during a press conference that, "I want related parties to talk about reaching a conclusion within a set time frame." In addition, a DP assembly member has said that, "There is a need to discuss whether the legislation can be applied to Princess Mako during the extraordinary Diet session in autumn."

A source close to the government, on the other hand, is hesitant about the opposition party's plan, saying, "I have doubts about this notion of politicizing what is essentially a cause for celebration."

Numerous issues continue to linger. [...] In the past, there have been no cases in which a male commoner has married into the Imperial Family. However, if the male spouse retains his commoner status after marrying into the Imperial Family, the family dynamic would become complicated with one half being imperial, and the other half not. A senior official within the prime minister's office says, "This is not something that can be concluded within one to two years." Moreover, a child born between the female Imperial Family member and her spouse would not be eligible to succeed to the throne, and this would not provide an effective solution to the shrinking size of the Imperial Family.

Princess Mako's likely engagement puts spotlight on imperial succession - The Mainichi

Some Diet members want to add the creation of female Imperial branches to the discussion, aiming to put it in a Diet resolution accompanying the enactment of the special measures [abdication] law. A great question is to what extent they will be able to do so. [...]

Female Imperial family members are covering the activities of the males, whose numbers are declining.

Engagement news spurs debate on 'female Imperial branches' - The Japan News

 

[Muhler]

Wow! They are almost standing on their heads in order to point how it is utterly impossible to inherit through a female line.

But how is this different from commoners marrying a male heir?

 

[Prisma]

Shrinking Imperial Family has gov't considering princesses' post-nuptial status - The Mainichi

The government is considering measures to arrest the decline in the number of Imperial Family members, following Cabinet approval of the special law allowing Emperor Akihito to abdicate and the likely upcoming marriage of Princess Mako, after which she will become a commoner.

[…]

While the issue of branch houses headed by women has been set on the back burner for the time being, allowing princesses to continue royal duties as public servants is under consideration. The measure would not require special amendments to the Imperial House Law, only a Cabinet decision. Figures close to Prime Minister Abe have stated that they are open to the possibility, and since it requires no special legislation, the decision is up to the prime minister.

In October 2012, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ)-led administration of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda released a summary which not only proposed that princesses be allowed to establish their own branch houses, but also continue their official duties as national civil servants even if they had left the Imperial Family after marriage. Both suggestions applied only to the daughters or granddaughters of the emperor.

According to government sources, the second Cabinet of Prime Minister Abe also considered the civil servant proposal for a time. In October of 2014, weighing the exit of Prince Takamado's middle daughter Noriko from the Imperial Family after her marriage to a commoner, it was debated whether the proposal should be extended to other princesses in the family. However, the idea was ultimately abandoned. The then Princess Noriko was the great-granddaughter of Emperor Taisho, not a direct descendant of the reigning Emperor. However, Princess Mako is a direct relation, and if the proposal is approved, she could be allowed to continue her official duties as a civil servant after her wedding.

Prime Minister Abe's conservative base also supports this proposal. In March 2015, lawmakers belonging to the Nippon Kaigi (Japan Conference) conservative group made the request to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. They made a point of opposing female branch houses, however, to avoid any chance of an emperor outside the Imperial Family's direct male bloodline succeeding to the throne.

The government will consider the proposal based on public opinion after the passage of the bill allowing Emperor Akihito to abdicate.

[...]

Since the Imperial House Law regulates titles and Imperial membership, I assume Mako will still loose her title but continue official duties as Mrs. Komuro if the prime minister makes the decision? What happens if the next prime minister decides ex-princesses are no longer needed? What would the order of precedence be for official ceremonies? Mako Komuro behind the last Imperial members (Takamado-no-miya) or still with Akishino-no-miya?

 

[Prisma]

Politicians tied to Nippon Kaigi reject female-led imperial lines: The Asahi Shimbun

Conservative politicians vowed to “crush” a proposal that would allow females to head branches of the continually shrinking imperial family.

Twenty-three lawmakers, mostly from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, held a meeting in the Diet on May 23 to discuss how to maintain the traditional imperial succession of male lineage.

They are all close to Nippon Kaigi (Japan Conference), a group that advocates revisions to the Constitution.

[…]

Some lawmakers at the May 23 meeting said that proposal “must be crushed,” according to participants.

After the meeting, Masahiko Shibayama, an LDP Lower House member and special adviser to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, summed up the talks to reporters.

The participants “shared the understanding that it is wrong to have such a proposal being forwarded from the very beginning,” Shibayama said.

[…]

Some participants suggested reviving imperial family branches that were abolished after the end of World War II.

“The 11 former imperial family branches became subjects of the state as a result of the (Allied) occupation policy,” one lawmaker was quoted as saying.

DP unveils resolution on female Imperial family members being able to establish branches | The Japan Times

Japan’s main opposition force, the Democratic Party, on Wednesday released its draft of a Diet resolution to be attached to a bill for Emperor Akihito’s abdication, ahead of parliamentary deliberations on the bill.

The draft resolution urges the government to consider allowing female members of the Imperial family to establish branches of the family, so that they maintain their Imperial status after getting married, amid the family’s falling membership.

[…]

The LDP and the DP are working to reach an accord on the planned resolution by this weekend, before starting Diet deliberations on the abdication bill.

The draft resolution urges the government to conduct a study on the branch family system as soon as after the abdication bill’s enactment and to submit a study report to the Diet within a year.

The DP draft also calls for the abdication legislation, which will apply to the current Emperor only, to be enforced as soon as possible, considering his age.

[…]

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

68% of public in favor of 'empress regnant' idea: Mainichi poll - The Mainichi

Sixty-eight percent of people are in favor of Japan having an "empress regnant," according to a nationwide survey conducted by the Mainichi Shimbun.

Meanwhile, the percentage of pollees who are against the notion of an empress regnant was found to be considerably less, at 12 percent. These poll results show that there is a significant gap between the general public and the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which is negative about the idea of Japan having an empress regnant or a matrilineal emperor.

Broken down by gender, it was found that 72 percent of men support having an empress regnant, and that a mere 12 percent do not. For women, 65 percent of respondents were found to be in favor, and 12 percent against. In addition, of those who support the current Abe administration, 68 percent of people said that they agree with the idea.

On the issue of Japan having an empress regnant or a matrilineal emperor, a government panel of experts submitted a report to then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2005, suggesting that the proposal be accepted. Furthermore, in a national survey conducted by the Mainichi Shimbun in December 2005, it was found that 85 percent of people were in favor of having an empress regnant.

In a subsequent poll conducted in September 2006 immediately after the birth of Prince Hisahito -- Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko's son -- the percentage of people in favor dropped to 72 percent. Nevertheless, the arguments in support of an empress regnant continue to run deep.

 

[Muhler]

To be expected. The ultra-conservatives may huff and puff all they want. It's not the Emperor who is not in contact with the people. They are.
They are fighting a futile rearguard action.

The option of abdicating is out of the bag and can be used by future emperors now.

As for females succeeding on the throne, that may change as early as with the next government.

 

[Prisma]

'Female-led Imperial Family branches' part of draft bill for Emperor's abdication - The Mainichi

In a concessional move, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is set to allow the establishment of female-headed branch houses of the Imperial Family to be specified in a draft additional resolution to a special bill to allow Emperor Akihito's abdication, putting priority on stable Imperial succession and making it likely for the draft to incorporate the proposal.

On May 29, House of Representatives Committee on Rules and Administration chief Tsutomu Sato of the LDP presented to other parties a draft of an additional resolution to a special bill allowing the Emperor's retirement, which included a stipulation calling for the government to consider the establishment of branch houses headed by married female Imperial Family members.

The LDP had maintained reservations about women-headed Imperial branch houses due to concerns among many conservative party members that it could lead to the advent of matrilineal emperors in the future. However, the party decided to allow the draft additional resolution [...] after making a concession to the largest opposition Democratic Party (DP), paving the way for the proposed resolution to spell out the new rule.

[...] The DP has insisted that female members be allowed to create their own Imperial branch houses even after marriage.

[...] The draft states that the government would start considering the establishment of such branch houses "soon after the law comes into effect," as proposed by the LDP and its coalition partner Komeito. The draft stipulates that reports on the results of discussions on the issue should be made to the Diet "swiftly," but does not specify any deadline for such reports.

[...] DP Secretary-General Yoshihiko Noda insisted that a conclusion be drawn at the earliest date possible by setting a deadline, leaving the issues on the timing for starting government discussion on the establishment of female-led branch houses and the deadlines for filing reports to the Diet major points of contention.

[...]

At an LDP board meeting on May 29, party Diet affairs chief Wataru Takeshita emphasized that the party would do its utmost to send the bill to allow Emperor Akihito's retirement to the House of Councillors within this week after having it pass the lower house.

The LDP and DP had earlier decided that the two parties should agree on the content of the draft additional resolution to the bill before discussion in the upper house starts. The LDP apparently made concessions to ensure the earlier passage of the bill. The DP had earlier presented a draft resolution stating that "The government will consider the establishment of female-led Imperial Family branches swiftly after the passage of the special law allowing the Emperor to abdicate and file reports to the Diet within a year."

The view of the Diet on the issue [...] called on the government to start looking into the establishment of female-led branch houses promptly after the abdication law's implementation. However, the DP demanded that the discussion be started even earlier, arguing that it would be too late to wait until the end of 2018 to start the discussion, when the abdication law is expected to come into effect. The abdication bill states that the legislation will come into effect on the day Emperor Akihito steps down.

So... I guess no matter what happens, Princess Mako will leave the Imperial family if she marries in summer 2018.

 

[Muhler]

It would seem so, unless they make it what do you call it? Retroactive? - Which I can't imagine the current government is willing to do.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

'Female-led Imperial Family branches' part of draft bill for Emperor's abdication - The Mainichi

So... I guess no matter what happens, Princess Mako will leave the Imperial family if she marries in summer 2018.

If the government acquiesces to the Diet's proposal to start discussions in 2019 on female branches "among other things" (the supplementary resolution will not be legally binding), will they remember it after two years? At the time Akihito will be retired, Mako Komuro will be a commoner, and Abe will be busy with revision of the Constitution.

Draft resolution calls for debate on female Imperial branches - The Japan News

While the LDP has been cautious about the idea so far, it planned to accept the resolution if the proposal for a discussion on female Imperial branches includes the wording “among other things,” which implies the discussion will not solely be about the creation of female Imperial branches, according to a senior LDP member.

Abdication bill set to pass with supplement on female-led lines?The Asahi Shimbun

Although Democratic Party lawmakers argued that dealing with the shrinking imperial family was an urgent issue that required an early start of discussions, they eventually bent to the LDP insistence that consideration only begin [after December 2018].

The inclusion of wording on female-led family branches was a major reason the Democratic Party compromised. To appease LDP opposition to such family branches, the topic was listed alongside the one about dealing with various issues to ensure stable imperial succession.

Having the two topics as subjects for government consideration allows the LDP to argue that establishing female-led branches would not necessarily lead to discussions about whether to allow female emperors. The party could argue that considering female-led branches would be a way to deal with the declining number of imperial family members rather than ensuring stable imperial succession.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

“The prime minister strongly prefers male-line succession,” a high-ranking government official recently said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official suggested that the government could even shelve the proposed reform until they determine whether the future wife of Prince Hisahito, the son of Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, can produce “several boys,” which would temporarily stabilize the succession system.

Lower House panel gives nod to one-off abdication bill | The Japan Times

 

[Prisma]

Poor woman. So frustrating the conservatives insist on pressuring Prince Hisahito and his future wife or depend on medical/fertility treatments. Also, the male determines the sex of the child.

I suppose Hisahito will be encouraged to marry young or marry a younger woman if he chooses to wait.

It would seem so, unless they make it what do you call it? Retroactive? - Which I can't imagine the current government is willing to do.

I agree. Very doubtful. The best chance to keep Mako would be to treat her as a civil servant after marriage... on the whim of the Prime Minister. I can see PM Abe rejecting that proposal too. It raises the questions "If she's performing official duties anyway, why can't she remain princess/Imperial member? Why can't there be another special law limited to Mako and Kako to help their brother?"

 

[JessRulz]

Poor woman. So frustrating the conservatives insist on pressuring Prince Hisahito and his future wife or depend on medical/fertility treatments. Also, the male determines the sex of the child.

I suppose Hisahito will be encouraged to marry young or marry a younger woman if he chooses to wait.

It really begs the question of who in their right mind would agree to marry Hisahito in the future with the already known pressure they would face?

 

[Muhler]

It's also a very short-sighted stance by the government.

Japan is basically only one tragedy away from all of a sudden having to rush in a female spare.
There are simply not enough prepared spares around.

There is a huge difference, not least in regards to a future husband, in knowing from birth that you might be a reserve and suddenly at say 21, being told that you suddenly are the heir.

What if the current male heir dies? Develop mental issues in his teens (that's often when they start)? Is gay? Is sterile?
What are they going to do then? Force him into an unhappy marriage? Clone him?

 

[Furienna]

Yeah... We might feel sorry for the three young princesses, who have kept from the succession to the throne because they are girls. But I can also feel very sorry for Hisahito, who has to live with all this pressure being pushed upon him. And as much as I understand that tradition is important to many people in Japan, it is very dangerous to just put all your eggs in one basket.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

The best chance to keep Mako would be to treat her as a civil servant after marriage... on the whim of the Prime Minister. I can see PM Abe rejecting that proposal too. It raises the questions "If she's performing official duties anyway, why can't she remain princess/Imperial member? Why can't there be another special law limited to Mako and Kako to help their brother?"

What happens if the next prime minister decides ex-princesses are no longer needed? What would the order of precedence be for official ceremonies? Mako Komuro behind the last Imperial members (Takamado-no-miya) or still with Akishino-no-miya?

Absolutely agree. Perhaps also "if a civil servant is performing the imperial family's official duties, why do conservatives profess that 'Emperor' is not a job"?

Another objection to abdication seems to be that it would involve essentially acknowledging the status of Emperor to be that of a mere yakushoku, a job or role that can be cast off. Some conservatives seem still wedded to the Emperor being an indelible status with deeper significance, inextricably tied to the nation's historical roots and religious traditions.

For his own part, Emperor Akihito made his own views on the subject clear in his address by repeatedly describing what he does by using some variation of the term tsutome, a term generally used to refer to a role or function, not an embodiment.

Japan fumbles for the legal path to an 'Emprexit' | The Japan Times

Prime Minister Abe will only approve of appointing Mrs. Komuro as a civil servant if it will shut down debate about female-led branches and succession. Analogous to his reluctant consent to one-time abdication in exchange for avoiding permanent reforms
(Eri Hotta: Emperor Akihito's lonely struggle to reform Japan's imperial system- Nikkei Asian Review).

Sidestepping Imperial succession debate, government eyes duties for former female members | The Japan Times

In a bid to “avoid a debate” on allowing women to establish branches of the Imperial family amid falling membership, the government is considering a system to grant official status to former female members and give them some official duties, sources said.

It's also a very short-sighted stance by the government.

Japan is basically only one tragedy away from all of a sudden having to rush in a female spare.
There are simply not enough prepared spares around.

There is a huge difference, not least in regards to a future husband, in knowing from birth that you might be a reserve and suddenly at say 21, being told that you suddenly are the heir.

What if the current male heir dies? Develop mental issues in his teens (that's often when they start)? Is gay? Is sterile?
What are they going to do then? Force him into an unhappy marriage? Clone him?

Even worse, the current government would attempt to rush in a private citizen who has never been prepared to assume any imperial role, not even the role of a spare.

 

[eya]

http://www.kuenselonline.com/monarchy-the-strength-of-the-past-present-and-future/

Monarchy-The strength of the past,present and future

 

[camelot23ca]

It's also a very short-sighted stance by the government.

Japan is basically only one tragedy away from all of a sudden having to rush in a female spare.
There are simply not enough prepared spares around.

There is a huge difference, not least in regards to a future husband, in knowing from birth that you might be a reserve and suddenly at say 21, being told that you suddenly are the heir.

What if the current male heir dies? Develop mental issues in his teens (that's often when they start)? Is gay? Is sterile?
What are they going to do then? Force him into an unhappy marriage? Clone him?

Considering the only reason Hisahito is here today is to ensure the future of the monarchy, I think it will have been made very clear to him from the start that his duty to Japan is all that matters. IMO he'll be expected to marry young - well before he's 30 - to an equally young, healthy woman from a good family who knows exactly what's expected of her. They'll be expected to have several children as soon as possible and, if needed, will use reproductive technology to ensure there are at least two boys in the mix. If he's gay, too bad. Mental health issues? Most of them don't preclude people from having children. Wants to pursue his education/travel/personal interests? He can do that once he's had children.

While I've never understood the antipathy towards the most straightforward solution of letting women join the line of succession, I don't think the one time/short term solutions proposed by politicians are short sighted. From their point of view they just need to ride things out until Hisahito is grown. Yes, he could be struck by lightning tomorrow or decide he's going to throw it all away and run off to be a surfer in Australia, but the most likely scenario is that he'll be fine and do exactly what he's supposed to do and the problem will be solved.

 

[Muhler]

That is indeed the most likely scenario and we can only hope it will happen the way you describe it. I.e. without fuzz and troubles.

But my point still stands, I believe. It is in my opinion downright silly to automatically exclude 50 % of the potential spares.
Beforehand you could hide an unhappy marriage, homosexuality, mental issues or various scandals behind the palace walls. That is very difficult nowadays.
It's simply too dangerous not to have at least two full-time spares in reserve.
Also, because the spares can divert attention away from an "unfortunate" heir.
Even that option is ruled out for females. As it is now, and according to the government that's how it should remain, if they get married they are out.

There is a good point in redundancy.

 

[Prisma]

CP Naruhito had a long and tough time finding a wife. There won't be a sister-in-law to help if Prince Hisahito & wife cannot have children or only have daughters. Even medical intervention isn't a guarantee; I assume fertility treatments have improved since 2000s yet they take a toll on women's health.

The lackluster response from the public doesn’t help. Most do not see the urgency, adopting a wait and see approach despite polls favoring female emperors.

Tokyo draws line between succession, female Imperial branches- Nikkei Asian Review

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's spokesman indicated Wednesday that a proposal to let women establish their own Imperial family branches should not be thought of as a means to ensure stable Imperial succession amid a shrinking number of royal heirs.

Japan should maintain a male line of succession to the Imperial throne, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a parliamentary committee.

[…]

"Female-led Imperial family houses must be debated separately from Imperial succession," Toranosuke Katayama of opposition party Nippon Ishin no Kai said at the committee meeting.

In his response, Suga positioned female Imperial branches as a way to bolster the family's dwindling ranks. […]

The opposition Democratic Party had pushed for the clause on female-led houses to be added to the resolution during talks with the ruling coalition, specifically to address the succession issue. But Suga reiterated in a news conference after the committee meeting that the two matters are separate, noting that the resolution's language does not tie them together.

[…]

Suga's mention of "the shrinking Imperial family" alludes to the division of public duties among its members to lighten the burden on the emperor. A proposal has been floated to let women continue performing these duties after marriage.

[…]

The government has suggested restoring 11 Imperial family branches stripped of that status after World War II. Abe told the Diet in January that he had considered this, as well as letting the Imperial family adopt from these houses, as possibilities before becoming prime minister. But some do not see the return of the old branches as a viable option, since their members are unfamiliar with Imperial life.

I think there are only 6 or 7 ex-Imperial branches left as some also had all girls or no children.

Japan’s Parliament Passes Law Allowing Emperor to Abdicate - The New York Times

[…]

“I am sure Abe has done the political calculation,” said Kenneth J. Ruoff, a history professor and the director of the Center for Japanese Studies at Portland State University in Oregon, “and decided it’s far better not to tick off the far right that feels intensely about this rather than cater to a largely passive majority that thinks that women should be allowed to sit on the throne.”

[…]

“It’s so obvious that there are not enough imperial family members,” said Keiko Hongo, a professor of medieval history at the University of Tokyo. “We should accept the reality. That is an unavoidable issue to be discussed.”

Mr. Abe has not commented on the role of women in the imperial family, despite his oft-repeated political rhetoric about creating a society in which “women can shine.”

Mr. Ruoff said this inevitably made Mr. Abe appear hypocritical, but suggested that introducing the question of female bloodlines was a shrewd strategy.

“It seems to be an interesting pathway to say ‘guess what, there isn’t any other heir, so we have to pick someone from this female bloodline, and then once the male bloodline is broken anyway, what’s the big deal?’ ” Mr. Ruoff said. “It’s almost as if they are putting themselves in a position down the road for checkmate. I think a lot more thought has gone into this than might initially meet the eye.”

Japan has not always prohibited women on the throne, and it is now one of the few monarchies in the world that do not allow women to reign. According to Japanese myth, the emperor’s lineage goes back 2,700 years, and in the 125 generations that have been recorded since, eight women ruled when no adult men were eligible.

What’s more, said Kazuto Hongo, who is also a professor of medieval history at the University of Tokyo and is the husband of Keiko Hongo, Japanese mythology traces the imperial line back to the goddess Amaterasu.

“She was not only female, but also on the top of all the gods,” said Mr. Hongo. “If we do not allow a woman on the throne,” he added, “we will be punished by Amaterasu.”

 

[Prisma]

The Imperial family and public vs. LDP | The Japan Times

NHK has become the go-to media outlet for scoops on the Imperial family. In July, the public broadcaster was the first to break the news that the Emperor wanted to step down and, last month, it was the first to report Princess Mako’s intention to marry a man she met at university. Both stories annoyed the government, which prefers that disclosure of information about Imperial matters follow strict protocols.

The press’ main excuse for ignoring official channels in this way is that the public likes the Emperor and the Imperial family, so the scoops are popular. It should be noted, however, that one of these channels is the Imperial Household Agency, which controls all interactions with the palace.

The aforementioned stories were the results of deliberate leaks from an inside source, so despite initial IHA complaints that reporting them was premature, the agency seems to be at odds with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The IHA is beholden to the Imperial family before it is beholden to the government, and it follows that it was the wishes of persons in the Imperial family that these two stories make their way to the people before passing through the LDP filter.

This convoluted conduit of intention is necessary because, legally speaking, what the Imperial family wants is immaterial. Any expression on the part of the Emperor with regard to his status and that of his relations is inherently political in nature, and, according to the Constitution, the symbolic head of the country is supposed to be above politics, or at least outside of it.

But the Emperor has always taken his symbolic leadership more seriously than has the LDP.

[…]

The story of Princess Mako’s betrothal follows a similar route of intrigue. Apparently, the media knew about the boyfriend a long time ago and said nothing until someone in the IHA told NHK it was OK to report it. During a discussion of the scoop on the May 23 installment of Bunka Hoso’s “Golden Radio” program, cultural critic Maki Fukasawa speculated that Princess Mako herself wanted to affect discussion of the abdication issue with regard to the status of female members of the Imperial family by conveying her intention to wed a commoner.

“To me that means women in the royal family think they have to get married as soon as possible,” Fukusawa said. Due to the shortage of male heirs at the moment, rules could be changed to allow women to stay in the palace even after they get hitched. According to the Imperial House Law (Koshitsu Tenpan), women must leave the Imperial family if they marry outside of it. A May 19 Asahi Shimbun article claimed that some people in the government say they would be happy to allow female members to remain after they marry if their mates are also royalty, which would mean reinstating Imperial branches that were dropped after World War II by order of the occupying Americans.

In an article in the June 1 issue of the weekly magazine Shukan Shincho, a palace reporter said that Princess Mako’s mother, Princess Kiko, was once in favor of marrying her two daughters off to former royalty if it would keep them in the Imperial household, but once Princess Mako confirmed that she will wed a commoner, Kiko changed her mind. Nevertheless, it seems Kiko thought that female members could contribute to the heir pool, an idea that is anathema to conservatives in the government, which are lead by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and whose opinions are articulated by the lobbying group Japan Conference (Nippon Kaigi). They are worried that the abdication issue could clear a path for female succession

[…] It doesn’t matter that, in a Kyodo News Service survey, 86 percent of the respondents said they don’t mind a female emperor. Since the Emperor is constitutionally defined as the symbol of the people, it matters what the people think, but to Abe, it’s all about the imagined purity of the patriarchal bloodline, a concept that seems to have no meaning to the average person.

[…]

In the end, opposition parties attached a resolution to the abdication bill that said the government would discuss this matter in the future. However, the LDP made sure to add a phrase that took female succession out of the debate. Since these talks will not start until after the Emperor abdicates, which probably won’t occur until the end of 2018 at the earliest, it’s easy to predict that they will just be postponed indefinitely. Abe reportedly is opposed to such discussions.

By that time, Princess Mako will have married, thus leaving the Imperial family minus one working member, a development that “worries the Imperial Household Agency,” according to an editorial in the Chugoku Shimbun. Keeping living symbols relevant and busy is hard work, but somebody has to do it.

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

I read that article yesterday and found it very interesting.

 

[Muhler]

Beholden to the Imperial Family before the government? I dunno.
Sometimes it seems to me that the IHA is pretty parasitic. So of course they are dependent on the Imperial Family for their own existence, and that means they have to justify their own existence. First and foremost by IMO being very bureaucratic! But also by "confining" the members of the Imperial Family within frames of rituals and cannots. - Lest someone might come up with the bright idea of slimming down the agency...

 

[Prisma]

Yea, I'd say the IHA is beholden to the institution of monarchy rather than the family. The Prime Minister appoints the IHA's Grand Steward (and maybe other positions?) so I expect some level of deferment to the government while somewhat accounting for the wishes of the Imperial family. From reports, Emperor Akihito wished to abdicate years earlier but the IHA couldn't figure out exactly how or when to break the news until the NHK leak.

I'm not sure about the Princess Kiko story. It's possible she'd encourage her daughters to find husbands from the former Imperial branches in case restoration happens. The consensus seems to be she risked her own health to have Prince Hisahito so why not ask her daughters to make some sacrifice? Japanese values favor a group's needs over the individual's. Yet she married Prince Akishino for love so I believe she'd accept her daughters' picks anyway.

 

[Prisma]

Imperial succession issue neglected | The Japan Times

It was on the evening of May 16 when public broadcaster NHK broke the news that Princess Mako, 25, the eldest daughter of Prince Akishino, would soon become engaged to a commoner. This came close on the heels of an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties on a one-off piece of legislation to permit the abdication of the aging Emperor Akihito, and the focus of political discussion was about to shift to the question whether female members of the Imperial family should be allowed to create their own branch in the family when they marry, instead of leaving the family under the current rules. The abdication bill was formally endorsed by the Cabinet three days later.

The timing was reminiscent of what happened last July, when, three days after the Upper House election, NHK broke an exclusive report that the Emperor would shortly deliver a message expressing his wish to retire.

These two events appear to be more than coincidental, since it is inconceivable that the subject matter of both news reports would be made public without advance approval by the Emperor and Empress. That quickly led to political speculation over possible messages in the latest report.

[…]

Conservatives repeatedly suggest an alternative in which male members of families that lost Imperial status right after World War II would be brought back into the Imperial family as potential heirs. The prime minister is said to have privately noted that he would be open to creating a female branch of the Imperial family if one of its female members is to marry an offspring of such former Imperial family members on the paternal lineage. A former grand steward of the Imperial Household Agency laments, however, that it is next to impossible to find a person with such qualifications.

Back in November 2005, an advisory body to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi issued a report stating that either a woman or a man of maternal lineage should be in line to the throne — and that the eldest of the siblings born to an emperor should take precedence. Before the report was released, the government secretly surveyed the situations of former Imperial family members and their possible intentions to return to the family’s fold. However, the probe found that there were no such males who could possibly return to the family. It has been confirmed that the male-only paternal lineage succession will someday be doomed — and that’s why the suggestion was made for paving the way for reigning empresses and maternal lineage succession, but Abe, who took over from Koizumi, turned down the recommendation, and 12 years have passed without any other solution considered, says the former grand steward.

Abe's inaction

When an insider of the Imperial Household Agency accused the government of taking no action, a senior government official denied that Abe was obstructing changes to succession rules — but said that the prime minister was simply not interested in matters of the Imperial family. He suggested that Abe does not have a strong opinion himself about Imperial family issues but is merely opposing the creation of female branches in the family to secure support from conservative forces — and the bureaucrats and the LDP follow his line.

The Democratic Party may not be much different. Former Prime Minister and DP Secretary-General Yoshihiko Noda, a leading advocate of creating female Imperial family branches, remains uncommitted on allowing reigning empresses and maternal lineage succession. He does not appear ready to take the lead for reforming the male-only paternal lineage succession rules. […]

An Imperial Household Agency source says the imminent engagement of Princess Mako is likely not meant to prod political discussion on the creation of the female Imperial family branches, but reflects her wish to lead a free life as a young lady, adding that her father must feel the same way. Political inaction and the indifference of society is pushing the Imperial family ever closer to extinction.

 

[Muhler]

In other words: if the PM close his eyes long enough, the problem will probably go away all by itself.

And the suggestion is indeed bordering on being ludicrous. That would imply an arranged marriage within an already limited extended family. It would be difficult enough to avoid incest!

 

[Prisma]

Moving Toward Abdication / Working to ensure stable Imperial succession no easy task - The Japan News

At a plenary session of the House of Councillors on Nov. 22, representatives of political parties raised questions about the Imperial succession.

[…]

The additional resolution of a special measures law to enable abdication by the Emperor stipulates the government will discuss “various issues to ensure a stable Imperial succession, the creation of female Imperial branches and other issues, swiftly after the law comes into force.”

The special measures law is expected to take effect on April 30, 2019, the day of abdication for the Emperor. Based on the words of the prime minister, there are still 1½ years before the start of full discussions.

[…] This is due to deep-rooted concern among conservatives that the creation of female Imperial branches could lead to a female-line emperor, as a child born in a female Imperial branch could succeed to the throne.

“We should crush discussions on the creation of female Imperial branches,” said a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party who attended a meeting of a project team tasked with examining the Imperial household system on June 15. Other LDP members of the project team, which is under a suprapartisan group of Diet members who support the Japan Conference, expressed strong opposition to the creation of female Imperial branches.

Judging from his past statements, Abe himself is believed to be an opponent of female Imperial branches. When answering a question from a political party representative on Nov. 22, Abe showed a cautious attitude, saying, “We’ll cautiously and carefully examine the issue while keeping in mind the significance of history, in which the male-line succession system has been maintained since ancient times without exception, and other issues.”

[…]

To reduce the burden of official duties on the remaining Imperial family members, there also is a plan to allow married women to continue their Imperial activities under the status of national public officials. The plan was discussed within the government several years ago. However, it was shelved because an agreement could not be reached between the Prime Minister’s Office, which wanted to expand the scope of women who would be entrusted with such activities, and the Imperial Household Agency, which wished to narrow down the scope, according to informed sources.

[…]

 

[tommy100]

I don't want to sound unsympathetic to tradition and Japanese customs but this really seems ridiculous now. The way these 'conservatives' are going there will be no Imperial Family in few decades and they can look forward to a Japanese President.

Is there any chance when the CP becomes Emperor he could help push through more reforms to help the succession issue?

 

[Muhler]

Agree, Tommy100.

But it's a rearguard action, necessity and the change in the public mood will make a change inevitable.

I think unless Naruhito address the problem himself, the current government will do (or more correctly ignore) anything and insist on keeping their heads buried in the sand.
If emperor Naruhito goes public with the issue, perhaps in response to a question from a foreign reporter..., the public will likely side with him I'm convinced.

 

[AdmirerUS]

Didn't someone(s) explain here in the last year or so, how the Emperor is not allowed to speak publicly on the issue? That he can only deliver speeches as written by the Government?

And before there is wild reaction, this is a bit like Queen Elizabeth delivering a written speech at the opening of Parliament; like the general dictum that the BRF not speak about political issues. Not that most other Royal Families plump for political issues all that much. And let's not drift off topic here and onto that.

But in Japan this might be handled in ways similar to other monarchies. Speak privately to the PM and other senior members of government. Seem above it while the public/politicos see there are few alternatives and then proceed as if there is no important reason to not do so.

I am very sure this is a very big pill to swallow in Japan. Time will play out this hand. I tell myself that all the time about the politics around me and mine.