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Princess Masako

Elizabeth van Kampen

先輩
Rest in Peace
Joined
1 Nov 2005
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I am reading a book called :"Prinzessin Masako, Der gefangene Schmetterling"
That is "Princess Masako, the captived butterfly"I guess.
The book is written by Yoko Kobayashi and Martin Fritz.

What a tragedy, I feel sorry for the Japanese crown prince and for the princess Masako.
The book gives me a very special look into the Japanese empire.
I know that our Dutch queen Beatrix has a very special friendship bond with the Japanese royal family. I also read somewhere that prince Nahurito and princess Masako will visit the Netherlands in August, but incognito. I suppose that they stay as guests from our queen or they stay with our prince Alexander and Maxima. So they will have some rest and peaceful time together.

What do most of the Japanese people, especialy the young Japanese, think of the Japanese royal family? Should it be less strickt and more up to a modern way of living, or does the emperor and the other members of his family have to live in an oldfashioned cage, forever??
Are many Japanese still really interested in the emperor and his family?
 
My mom is actually reading the same book, and is very interested in her.

She is indeed coming to the Netherlands for I think 2 weeks in the middle of August. ( my mom wants to pick her up from the airport I think hahaha)

My wife ( Japanese ) is interested in it, and she follows the news about them, as she follows the news about Brad Pitt. And I think most japanese read about them now and then and have an interest in them, but only as a Cultural status.
 
romance is one thing. reality is quite another
 
budd said:
romance is one thing. reality is quite another

It's great when the two join, but in this case and in the case of the Crown Prince's mother reality has been a major shock.
 
What exactly is going on with the Imperial couple? I heard that the princess can't have children and that has made the issue really difficult, especially when it comes to succession.
 
GodEmperorLeto said:
What exactly is going on with the Imperial couple? I heard that the princess can't have children and that has made the issue really difficult, especially when it comes to succession.

There was a serious discussion in the Japanese Diet about this issue, as all the current members of the Imperial Family after the Crown Prince are females.

The Crown Prince's brother's wife is pregnant and everyone is waiting to see if she gives birth to a girl or not.

If she does give birth to a girl it is very possible that the Diet will make a law stating that the succession will be based upon the birth of the first born child, whether it be a boy or girl.

However if she gives birth to a boy the succession would go from the current Crown Prince to his nephew, unless of course he and Masako-sama are able to have another child and it would be a boy.

Personally since it is the 21st Century and there have been Japanese Empresses before, the law should be changed either way to the first born child regardless of sex. That is my opinion of course.
 
Hachiro said:
Personally since it is the 21st Century and there have been Japanese Empresses before,the law should be changed either way to the first born child regardless of sex.

8 Japanese Empresses with 2 reigned twice according to my book " Chronology of Japan's Royal House ".
 
I thought the issue wasn't so much that there would be an empress as it was that the family line would cease to be followed through the males' lineage. It would break the imperial family line to switch midstream like that.
 
Glenn said:
I thought the issue wasn't so much that there would be an empress as it was that the family line would cease to be followed through the males' lineage. It would break the imperial family line to switch midstream like that.
Actually, the purity of blood is more guaranteed if the succession is matrilineal (i.e. through females). Without modern DNA testing, you can never be absolutely certain of who the father is. That's why pharaohs of Egypt had to marry their sisters (ewwww), and some Semitic cultures trace descent matrilineally (like the Jews).
 
Except that doesn't matter when the Japanese imperial family has been patrileneal for over a millennium. Accurate or not, it's how they do it. Switching over would be a certain way to break the line.
 
Hm...I can see how being unable to reproduce would be a problem, but the royal family should really lighten up on Princess Masako. She may not be royalty but she shouldn't have to be smothered.
 
I want to see aiko sama as a Emperor.
however I dont want to see aiko's child as a next Emperor.
aiko is a last emperor of Hirohito line.
if aiko's son will be a candidacy as a Emperor, I dont want to keep the Imperial household in Japan.
 
caster51 said:
I want to see aiko sama as a Emperor.
however I dont want to see aiko's child as a next Emperor.
aiko is a last emperor of Hirohito line.

Caster if Aiko-sama became Emperess and she had a child, male or female, could you explain why she would be the last of the Hirohito line?

Wouldn't her child have direct blood-ties through her father?
 
Wouldn't her child have direct blood-ties through her father?
blood is nothing.
it is a just to keep the Imperial household.
however this Imperial household will change a different dynasty in other ppl's man in line.
you have a father of great ancester in anciest.
you and a father of your great ancester is connecting completly with one male line
however aiko and next Emperor is cut in male line
it means it changes new dynasty
 
Last edited:
it is no ploblem that emperor will have foreigner blood.
However the basic succession is man in line
 
Or maybe prince Fumihito and Princess Kiko will have a son this year.

My question is; Will in that case prince Fumihito become the crown prince of Japan?
 
I think they should all get jobs and stop sucking the tax teat.
 
caster51 said:
I think they are working harder than us as a friendship ambassador with no freedom.

The Imperial Household Agency

Yeah but I never have heard of any of them having to get up at 2 or 3 in the morning to nurse a sick child, and then get up for work at 5 to go make some money so their family can eat. Not saying they don't do it because I really don't know, but I can't image it happening either.

Do you honestly think Masako-sama makes Aiko-sama's bento for "bento-kai" at her day care center?

Our taxes pay for their lifestyle. I'm not against the royal family but I don't particularly like someone saying that they are "working harder" than us.


519
 
they can not get out from Imperial Palace like a prisoner freely.
Do you honestly think Masako-sama makes Aiko-sama's bento for "bento-kai" at her day care center?
I think so.
kids understand how much mother loves them from bentos
kids like a mother's bento even though it is a very poor bento.
I think Taisho emperor educated them so because of his exprience
Our taxes pay for their lifestyle. I'm not against the royal family but I don't particularly like someone saying that they are "working harder" than us
.
even clever masako can not follow it
masako is still incapacity for our tax paying
 

I'm sorry but freedom and working harder are not the same thing. I know that from the news I have read and seen on TV she had a hard time adjusting to life as the Crown Princess.

Heck who would blame her, she had a great job and a bright future. At least the rest (majority) of the royal family grew up with it and not brought into it at @30 years old.
 
For their lack of freedom, they are welcome to my heartfelt sympathy.

Take them off what has to be the world's greatest welfare program, let them get jobs, and they'll be just as free as we are.

And my tax money won't go toward supporting them and the 宮内庁
 
I'm sorry but freedom and working harder are not the same thing

Yes, I know it
sometime, it is own value
if tennou system is kept, it is no problem for me whether they work or not.
because it is an important nucleus of japanese identity.

Politics doesn't function without the emperor's approval for new Cabinet inauguration even midnight.
 
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