Japan Today Spotlight #22 | Why Japan's 2,000-year imperial family may not survive this century

Let this anachronistic system just die out.

Once it was, maybe, needed but now it has no purpose.

In this century, we do not need this archaic system that live with our taxes money.

This aristocractic line is so revered among the Japanese some still see them as descendants of Kame and have the Devine right be representative of their 2000 year old culture. So yes the line will adapt for future generations. At lease they are not the Happbergs. So if it means allowing for equal gender concerning their rein it will happen. If it does it will change inheritance law in Japan.

There is no decent Japanese person who doesn't wish for the Imperial family to continue.

In Japan, the only people who call for the abolition of the Imperial family are usually Communist Party affiliations or foreigners.

Since the current problems have arisen because GHQ reduced the number of male-line Imperial families, we should simply restore male-line Imperial families with the right to succeed to the throne.

Besides, as for the financial issue, it was GHQ's orders that the Imperial family's assets were seized, and after the war they nationalized the Imperial family's assets and seized their funds, so the Japanese government should naturally be responsible for the Imperial family's annual expenses.

Since the current problems have arisen because GHQ reduced the number of male-line Imperial families, we should simply restore male-line Imperial families with the right to succeed to the throne.

Exactly. Problem solved.

The system as it is now is idiotic! The misogynistic views that "only" an Emperor may sit on the throne is ludicrous, when there have been Empresses before.

If they can't get back to allowing the heir to be male or female, then it deserves to die out.

Since the current problems have arisen because GHQ reduced the number of male-line Imperial families, we should simply restore male-line Imperial families with the right to succeed to the throne.

Exactly. Problem solved.

Yeah and who is going to pay for it? It would be far cheaper to allow a female to become Empress than to restore those old lines!

On what authority is this guy reporting?

Like most royal families, the Japanese Imperial system works very well and there is no need to change it. Soft diplomacy, in which experienced and intelligent non-political figureheads can represent their country, is very important in maintaining relations between countries. Whether the leading figurehead has ladies bits or gentlemens bits is irrelevant at this point in our history, and it needs to be rectified.

Unlike the Pope and Islamic leaders, there have already been female emperors.

They have served as regents because the next male-line emperor was young, and handed over the reins to the next emperor.

If Aiko's husband is a foreigner, will he become emperor?

This is something that Chinese and Koreans would be happy to hear, but an emperor in the female line is impossible.

The Imperial family is not misogynistic. The current empress is a civilian, and so was the previous empress. In other words, there will always be an "empress."

Conversely, men can never enter the Imperial family.

The Imperial family is an institution that discriminates against men, so why isn't it criticized?

If Aiko's husband is a foreigner, will he become emperor?

I take it you dont know about how the royal family works here in Japan. If and when Aiko-sama marries, she will be forced out of the royal family and officially become a "commoner".

Just like her cousin did in becoming Mrs. Komuro

The ONLY way a female can stay in the royal family, at least one who is in the direct line to the Emperor, is to stay unmarried, and because of the archaic rules, they will never become Empress.

Why is Tenno translated as Emperor? There is no empire. And the last guy had to struggle for a year or so with Kunaicho just to abdicate. Why continue this farce? And the imperial date system too. Trying to calculate dates with Showa, Heisei, Reiwa is ridiculous.

Aiko's husband's story is about what would happen if a female emperor was allowed? Didn't you understand?

When a woman in the Japanese imperial family marries, she is removed from the royal family and gets a regular family register, but whether she continues to perform her official duties is up to her or those around her.

It's perfectly possible for her to remain in the royal family just by changing her family register. Is that outdated?

I guess that's how it is in countries that don't respect culture or history.

Even China, Korea, and America have short histories.

Why are the Tenno called Emperors? It's simple.

Because it used to be the Empire of Japan. Or maybe there's no English word for it.

Does Aiko-chan even want to be Empress? It seems to be a nothing job of dress-up to meet other foreign royalty who are also playing dress-up. The best thing Naru-kun could do is to abdicate and get a real job, along with the rest of them. Perhaps they could open up the palace to tourists and they could work as tour guides. Then all those who are so passionate about the royalty can meet their heroes in person, and the rest of us can continue to ignore them and not have to worry about our tax yen going to such a farce.

Imperial diplomacy is something only Japan can do, playing an extremely important role in promoting goodwill with other countries.

Those who say it is a waste of time or unnecessary are either tone-deaf to diplomacy or are the result of people in neighboring countries who find such imperial diplomacy to be an annoyance.

Why are the Tenno called Emperors? It's simple.

Because it used to be the Empire of Japan. Or maybe there's no English word for it.

Isn't it better to call something what it is, not what it WAS?

There is no Empire. How can you have an Emperor of an Empire that no longer exists?

since aristocracy, royalty, and religion aren't inherently logical concepts, trying to think about them in a logical way kind of breaks down. While the idea of the Japanese royal family might seem outdated to the GHQ descendants, to the Japanese, a law banning abortion might seem really gross.

Former Empress Michiko was a commoner, which means her son, Emperor Naruhito, is only 1/2 royal. Empress Masako was also a commoner, which means Princess Aiko is only of 1/4 royal lineage. Likewise for Hisahito, the son of Crown Prince Akishino who appears most likely to become the next emperor. Up to the time of Emperor Meiji, the continuity of the royal bloodline was ensured through use of multiple concubines, but when the western-style system of monogamy became entrenched after WW2, family size became smaller with fewer potential candidates to inherit the throne, which accounts for the present situation, and which is clearly unsustainable. (European royals, at least, were able to marry members of royal houses in other countries, an option that Japan is unlikely to adopt.) The question at had is what, if anything, can be done about it.

The imperial throne should remain. The only thing that must change is to allow female succession and I think it’s going to happen anyway. Japanese people are fine with everything else here. And only westerners in this comments section behave like they can decide for other nation whether they should have monarchy or not. Circus.

There have been no concubines since Emperor Taisho before the war.

The imperial bloodline has decreased because GHQ reduced the number of male-line imperial families.

The solution is to simply restore the male-line imperial families.

People who support a female emperor simply don't understand how the bloodline has been maintained to this day.

We don't need a female emperor either.

Anyone who says we should abolish the world's oldest imperial family, which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, because it's a waste of tax money is crazy.

Before that, we should reduce the welfare benefits and various subsidies paid to foreigners. It's a waste.

Why would anyone want to be a Japanese imperial family member anyway? You're basically a pampered prisoner with no freedom to go where you want, do what you want or say what you want, while all the while being subject to intense media scrutiny and ruled by a bunch of conservative old men at the Imperial Household Agency. I actually feel sorry for all of them.

It wonderful to have such a royal family , its unfathomable that they just fizzle out ...Japanese people have such respect and continue to have manners and teach the world about class and humility ,unlike the rest of the weird world . I wish Japan would just close the gates for another long spell , as the west is just trying to influence us all ..Its the only safe destination in the world ...and being abused by too many foreigners .Show me a cleaner place with more respect for descency , not using Keitai's on a train for example ...Im happy that the Japanese Royals are there ...gambatte ne !