Prince and Princess Akishino have a son: Prince Hisahito

[Laviollette]

It's a boy!
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/05092006/325/japan-s-princess-kiko-gives-birth-boy.html

 

[Zonk]

Wow..they did it! Got to hand it to the IHA. Well.....I hope he has a healthy and blessed life.

 

[Sister Morphine]

I'm a little upset that it's a boy. I wanted them to finally change the laws of succession to allow females to inherit.

Also, didn't she have IVF to get pregant this time? They could have manipulated it to insure she gave birth to a boy.....that's wrong, IMO. They should have let nature take its course.

 

[Benjamin]

How very surprising . Anywho...

Congratulations to the Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko (and the IHA, of course)!

 

[Zonk]

Sister Morphine..I am not sure what you mean. Manipulated in what way? IVF....using advanced technology to make sure it was a boy?

 

[kimebear]

While not necessarily legal or ethical, it is medically possible to ensure that only male embryos are implanted during IVF. No suprise here. I'm just suprised that they didn't do that with Masako.

 

[Elspeth]

Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preimplantation_genetic_diagnosis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_selection

 

[magnik]

Good that it was safe dalivery for mother and child. Congrats to parents and IHA
They have what they want.
Pitty all CPly family.

Once again - why I'm not surprise?

 

[Sister Morphine]

Sister Morphine..I am not sure what you mean. Manipulated in what way? IVF....using advanced technology to make sure it was a boy?

What Elspeth and kimebear said is what I was talking about.


I don't feel that it's fair. If they wanted only boys from the start and put so much pressure on these two women to produce males, they should have just done it to begin with. I feel part of CP Masako's problems stemmed from the pressure to produce a male child.

 

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Congratulations to Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko....Glad that they are having another baby.....
However, it's still sad for the Crown Princely family....Although we all know if Princess Aiko becomes the Empress, alot more of duties will fall on her shoulders, but it is still unfair to treat women like that.....although i'm a boy, but i think in the modern 21st century, it's not great with a patriarchal view exist. Yah, and now the baby is third in line to the throne putting Princess Aiko out of the important royal circles.

 

[Zonk]

Well..I am going to take a guess and say with the birth of the baby boy..Aiko wont be Empress anytime soon. And most likely, when she marries, like her aunt...she will leave the imperial family.

I do wonder how this will impact Naruhito. I mean obviously, he will still be Emperor...but he so on the outside now...will they ever let the man speak, leave the country?

 

[Saragli]

Well I was really hoping for a girl but even I new that was false hope. The IHA did it. It scares me that they could actually do it but they did it and now they got a boy.

 

[Elspeth]

It'll be interesting to see the family dynamics over the next few years. Prince Akishino has allied himself publicly with the Emperor and the IHA and against his brother. Normally you'd expect to see the Crown Prince being the most prominent member of the younger generation, but this Crown Prince may well become little more than a place-holder now. The new prince is likely to inherit much younger than the current one since his father and uncle are already in their 40s; it's probably going to be like the British situation only even more so, because in Britain the heir to the throne is at least the father of the young man who's likely to have a much longer reign. So as the parents of the Great Hope of Japan, the Akishinos may have a much more prominent role than an Emperor's younger son normally would, and the Crown Prince and his family be seen as little more than an irrelevance.

 

[Buggs]

The only think now is that, free from all stress, Masako gets pregnant!!!!

 

[magnik]

Well..I am going to take a guess and say with the birth of the baby boy..Aiko wont be Empress anytime soon. And most likely, when she marries, like her aunt...she will leave the imperial family.

I do wonder how this will impact Naruhito. I mean obviously, he will still be Emperor...but he so on the outside now...will they ever let the man speak, leave the country?

Or maybe Aiko will marry some prince in the future...

I think that all this case - impact to Naruhito and to Masako on the day when the pregnancy was announcement. This birth impact to them much more than pregnancy, specialy to Masako. Now probably she think and maybe not only she (IHA) that it would never happen if she would gave a boy, what she should do not some girl. I've hope that this event don't tatally break down Masako.

The only think now is that, free from all stress, Masako gets pregnant!!!!

Sometimes it happen.

In theory only!
It would be great - specially for IHA. After all they efforts and finaly success, Masako would do them smth like that - gave a boy. I wouldn't have nothing against it! Probably like some of us.

 

[kimebear]

I am happy for the safe delivery of the baby for both mother and child. However, now that the gauntlet has been thrown down, Naruhito and Masako should have a "designer baby" as well. Maybe Masako could use a donor egg because of her age as complications increase with advanced maternal age. The IHA most likely aren't concerned with her genetics. Assuming of course that it wouldn't endanger her life because then it is unthinkable. Also assuming that the problem isn't Naruhito in which case, the IHA should back off of Masako. Sorry, but I believe that Masako will be treated even worse now. Kiko did what Masako couldn't.

 

[Saragli]

I wonder if Naruhito will still even decide to continue as the crown prince. One of the most importent job of an heir is to produce an heir and according to the IHA he has failed at that job. Personally, If I was Naruhito, I would give up my place and try to start a normal life. Maybe Masako could go back to doing what she loves and Aiko could grow as a normal child.

 

[Lady Jennifer]

Maybe this will lessen the pressure on Masako & maybe just maybe a little miracle will happen....
Congrats to the parents & the big sisters

 

[Zonk]

I wonder if Naruhito will still even decide to continue as the crown prince. One of the most importent job of an heir is to produce an heir and according to the IHA he has failed at that job. Personally, If I was Naruhito, I would give up my place and try to start a normal life. Maybe Masako could go back to doing what she loves and Aiko could grow as a normal child.

I don't think they will let him just walk. IMO Masako will either totally fade into the background or they will still pressure her into trying to get pregnant with the "boy." Kiko's baby (while loved by his parents I am sure) will be the spare. I just hope and pray and that this child has a normal life (as much as possible for an heir). And not treated as delicate poreclain china.

 

[Vanesa]

I was not here for some days, and sincerily, I believed that the baby should born much later. But well...here he is and I'm happy he is healthy. How Princess Kiko's health is? No doubt she must have had the better medicine care in the world but "placenta previa" is not a joke.

For what I've read she is allright. If she is well, I'm very relieved...

Vanesa.

 

[monica17]

Congratulations to the Imperial Family for the new addition. I am happy that Princess Kiko and the new prince are both well. I knew it was a boy! However, I do share the concerns of all those who posted. It's quite in the early hours of the working day here - and my day is ruined.... because Aiko won't be a reigning female tenno, and the possibility of the Crown Prince and family being sidelined...... I also think all members of the Imperial Family know that it's a boy so it's not likely a surprise for them. Masako and Naruhito, IMHO, are already "conditioned" to the arrival of their nephew. Like I said in the other thread (Princess Kiko is pregnant for the 3rd time), I hope that with the baby boy, the family will be able to reconcile and define what's best for them in the 21st century.

I hope this puts the IHA into such a jubilation, it would relax its outdated concepts and be supportive of the Imperial Family members, especially the modern ones.

I'm excited to see how Japan celebrates. I remember how the Japanese celebrated when Aiko was born. I will drink sake here in Manila to celebrate!

 

[Eliza]

We all expected that it be a boy but now that it's confirmed, i'm rather disappointed.

congrats to the parents and i'm glad both mommy and baby are doing fine. But while the IHA is celebrating, i can't help but send slient prayers to CP Masako, Pss Aiko, the CP himself, Pss Kiko and most of all this new baby who's entry into this world is for one sole reason alone.

Perhaps, the CP couple knew of the gener of the baby earlier and are already mentally prepared but still with this new arrival - it does throw alot of questions...

 

[Laviollette]

Can't you people hold your fire for 5 minutes??? And since when did one person and whether or not they are happy become the center of the Imperial Family? That's not the case in any royal family or monarchy. It's not about one person, in this case Masako. And shouldn't she be feeling relieved right now anyway? Give it a rest. I'm very happy for Princess Kiko and the safe delivery of her newborn son. He was born at 8:27 a.m. and weighed 5 pounds 10 oz (2,558 grams).

 

[Elspeth]

I don't think anyone here is unhappy that she had a safe delivery. However, as we've been saying all along, this isn't just a case of a princess having a baby; there's a lot of politics, bureaucratic intrigue, and family tensions involved, which is what people are discussing.

 

[merampo]

Congratulations!!
According to NHK news
Weight:2558g
Height:48.8cm

 

[monica17]

I don't think anyone here is unhappy that she had a safe delivery. However, as we've been saying all along, this isn't just a case of a princess having a baby; there's a lot of politics, bureaucratic intrigue, and family tensions involved, which is what people are discussing.

True for me! Thanks for articulating, Elspeth.

 

[Laviollette]

I understand that this is a heated discussion and that's what this forum is about but I'm expressing my opinion too and I just don't get the poor, poor CP couple saga. Shouldn't they be happy? The pressure is off Masako to bear a male heir. Naruhito will still be emperor. Obviously a lot of people want a change in succession to allow females to succeed but that's not going to happen right now.

I happen to feel just as passionately about the Catholic issue in Britain and the male primogeniture issue in Monaco but at some point you accept that things might not change as quickly as you want them to.

 

[Victoria1999]

Congratulations to the family. I suppose the congratulations should mainly go to IHA . I am happy for their newborn boy, but not happy in the way that all this was done.

 

[caroline mathilda]

Now Princess Aiko will have the opportunity to have the type of life that her mother Masako left behind when she entered the Imperial Family. Politically I am disappointed for Aiko, but personally very happy for her because that kid just got her life back.

Caroline Mathilda

 

[SyberiaWinx]

My congrats to the princess and her baby-glad everything went well!

The law could still be changed, so we mustn't be so quick to despair. With only one male heir, someone is bound to realize how easily they could end up in the same situation all over again. The boy might not even refuse to become emporer when the time comes. Or, when the Crown Prince becomes emporer, possibly he could do something about the law.