Royal Insight Forum

QuoteConcubines, divorce and extended family trees - all have been suggested to avoid putting a female on the Chrysanthemum Throne

QuoteMao Komuro was searching an Internet bookshop looking for some bedtime reading for her 18-month-old daughter when a blurb stopped her in her tracks. "Crown Princess Masako's favorite," trumpeted the entry for "Goodnight Moon," by U.S. children's writer Margaret Wise Brown.

Quote"Princess Masako was expected to return to the palace as soon as Princess Aiko calmed down," a palace source relates. "But a miscommunication occurred."

Expecting Crown Princess Masako to be back at any moment, the family delayed the start of the meal. But with the timing of the formal dinner thrown askew, the chefs and servants at the palace were thrown into a tizzy.

QuoteJapanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi plans to submit a bill paving the way for the return of the first empress in 236 years. Mr. Koizumi wants to change the 1947 Imperial Household Law to allow Crown Prince Naruhito's daughter, Aiko, to assume the throne.

QuoteJapan Ponders Letting Women Rule, or Using Concubines To Insure a Future Emperor

QuoteDOZENS of conservative MPs yesterday attacked moves to allow a woman to take the Japanese throne, with one leading opponent warning that the only daughter of the crown prince could marry "a blue-eyed foreigner".

QuoteTOKYO: More than 1,000 people met in Tokyo yesterday to protest at a proposed law change that would allow women and their children to inherit Japan's Chrysanthemum throne.

QuoteDozens of conservative lawmakers and their supporters on Wednesday attacked a proposal to let a woman take the Imperial Throne, warning the move would threaten a centuries-old tradition -- and could even allow foreign blood into the Imperial line.

The lawmakers, led by former Trade Minister Takeo Hiranuma, are fighting a law being drafted by the government to avert a succession crisis in the Imperial Family by allowing reigning Empresses. The 1947 Imperial Household Law allows only men on the throne, and no woman has reigned in more than 200 years.

QuoteThe imperial family has not produced a male heir since the 1960s, and public support has been growing for a change in the law to allow Princess Aiko, the daughter and only child of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, to ascend the throne.

QuoteJapan's Crown Prince Naruhito has revealed a love of James Bond films, pub crawls and vinegar-drenched fish and chips wrapped in newspaper

QuoteAbout 40 Japanese lawmakers have joined a rally in Tokyo to protest against government plans to allow women to ascend to the throne.

QuotePrincess Masako is so weighed down by the demands of imperial life that she wants a divorce, according to the Japanese press, as opposition grows against plans to allow her child, Princess Aiko, to sit on the Chrysanthemum Throne.

QuoteTOKYO - Japan's Empress Michiko, suffering from dizzy spells, has cancelled her official duties for a week, a palace spokeswoman said on Sunday.

Michiko, 71, has had dizzy spells for unknown reasons since October, the spokeswoman for the Imperial Household Agency said.

"The Majesty the Empress plans to return to official duties after taking a sufficient rest for a week," she said.

QuoteJunichiro Koizumi, Japan's prime minister, yesterday appeared close to abandoning plans to alter the imperial succession law, a day after it was revealed that Princess Kiko, the wife of the second in line to the throne, was pregnant

Quote from: Britbratbubbles on February 10, 2006, 08:03:52 AM
<_< , oh well, what can you do?

Quote from: Britbratbubbles on February 10, 2006, 09:39:18 AM
They are not going to change, so the girls on the forum and rant and rave, but it's going to change anything.

Quote from: Britbratbubbles on February 10, 2006, 09:51:00 AM
Nothing.

QuoteConservatives within Japan's hidebound imperial household must be rejoicing at what must seem a miracle pregnancy.

QuoteMichiko, 71, had been suffering from the mystery spells since October and the decision was made last week to cancel her official duties.

QuotePrincess Kiko's pregnancy was the big story for Japan's wild weeklies in the week from Feb. 13 to 17.

Though some magazines will typically let loose on the Imperial Family, the occasion of an Imperial impregnation saw slighter more than usual restraint amongst the men's mags, and festive fanfare from the female fare.

Quoteespecially poor Miki Ando, who was abused yet again for taking too many servings herself and becoming too fat for a figure skater.

QuoteSmiling serenely and elegantly dressed in a sharp pinstripe suit, Japan's Crown Princess Masako stepped out for a rare formal engagement in Tokyo

QuoteThe operation to remove the cancer was initially scheduled for Monday but was postponed because more detailed examinations were needed.

QuotePrince Tomohito of Mikasa, a cousin of Emperor Akihito, had an operation on Tuesday to remove throat cancer at Kyorin University Hospital in western Tokyo, the Imperial Household Agency said.

QuoteEmperor Akihito and Empress Michiko paid a brief visit Tuesday to a volcanic island just south of Tokyo that was evacuated after a major eruption six years ago.

QuoteThe news that Princess Kiko, the wife of Emperor Akihito's second son, is pregnant -- possibly with the Imperial Family's first male heir to the throne in four decades -- has triggered a rash of magazine articles about the happenings inside the moat.

But now the Imperial Palace has had enough. In an unusually harsh statement, the Imperial Household Agency on Thursday accused unidentified magazines of printing errors and urged them to stop it.

QuoteTOKYO: Thousands of people gathered under a huge rising sun flag at a Tokyo stadium yesterday to protest against a proposal to allow women and their children to accede to Japan's ancient Chrysanthemum throne.


Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi last month abandoned a plan to submit a bill to parliament to let women inherit the imperial throne, following news that Princess Kiko, the wife of the current Emperor's younger son, was pregnant with what many hope will be a male heir.

QuoteTOKYO (AP) - Crown Prince Naruhito said Friday the health of his wife, Masako, is improving but that she is not well enough to join him on an official trip to Mexico next week.

Masako has been receiving counseling and medication for stress-induced depression since she retreated from official duties in late 2003.

QuoteRecent years have not been kind to the Crown Prince and his immediate family. The Crown Princess, Masako, suffered a miscarriage in 1999, and afterward came down with shingles, forcing her to cancel many of her public duties.

QuoteIT was one of the biggest rallies in support of Japan's imperial system since the end of World War II: Some 10,300 men and women gathered at the Budokan martial arts arena to protest a proposal that would let women become empresses and pass along title to the Chrysanthemum Throne. At the end, the throng stood and raised their arms in unison while shouting, "Long live the emperor!"

QuoteCrown Prince Naruhito departed Wednesday for a visit to Mexico during which he will attend an international water summit and meet Mexican President Vincente Fox, palace officials said.

Crown Prince Naruhito, who had postgraduate studies on the history of water canals at Oxford University's Merton College in 1983-1985, is to deliver a keynote speech at the Fourth World Water Forum opening Thursday in Mexico City.

QuoteJapan's Crown Princess Masako made her second public appearance in three days when she joined her husband Naruhito and their little girl Aiko for a photocall on Wednesday.

QuotePrince Naruhito of Japan was looking more Western than Eastern when he donned a cowboy-style hat for a visit to the Mayan ruins of Uxmal on the Yucatan Peninsula at the weekend.

QuoteHer increasing health is likely to be due to the support of her husband Crown Prince Naruhito. Throughout this difficult period in her life the former career diplomat has had his full backing.

QuoteHer daddy was back home after an overseas trip, and little Princess Aiko's excitement over his return was clear for all to see. As Crown Prince Naruhito pulled up in a limo, his four-year-old daughter couldn't even wait for him to get out of the car before calling out enthusiastically to greet him.

QuotePrincess Aiko on Sunday attended a concert and took part in children's games at the student festival at Gakushuin, the school where she started kindergarten earlier this month.

QuoteJapan's expectant Princess Kiko may be under intense scrutiny in the run-up to the birth of her third child, but on a recent engagement in Tokyo she gave no hint of being under pressure.

QuoteTOKYO (Reuters) - The wife of Japanese emperor Akihito's second son, pregnant with a possible heir to the Chrysanthemum throne, on Thursday underwent an ancient ritual to pray for a safe birth.

QuoteJust over a month after she first started at Tokyo's Gakushuin Kindergarten Princess Aiko seems to be getting into the swing of things. The royal youngster arrived hand-in-hand with her mum Masako for a class picnic, kitted out rather more informally than she was on her first day of school in April.

QuoteWhat has attracted the notice of Shukan Bunshun (5/25), however, is how graciously Mrs. Kuroda appears to be coming to terms with her new status. Clad in a white spring coat, blue jeans and brown walking shoes, she could be seen strolling down the local shopping street in her neighborhood (which the reporter, in the interest of privacy, or more likely, security, refrains from identifying).

QuoteCrown Prince Naruhito will perform official duties on behalf of Emperor Akihito while his father is on a visit to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand in mid-June, government officials said Tuesday.

QuoteJapan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko have set off for a week-long tour of South East Asia, beginning with a state visit to Singapore.

QuoteNow some people, including the crown prince himself, say Japan's imperial household needs to modernise, abandoning ancient practices which have forced members of the royal family to sacrifice personal ambition and suppress their feelings.

QuoteJapanese Crown Prince Naruhito performed in Beethoven's 9th Symphony during a concert at Tokyo's Gakushuin University, Kyodo news service reported Sunday.

QuoteJapan's royal baby isn't due for weeks, but popular magazines, never shy about probing the secrets of the great and famous, have already decided that the imperial family is about to welcome its first male heir in over 40 years.

QuotePrincess Kiko, pregnant with a possible heir to Japan's imperial throne and who was diagnosed with a complication last week, is in stable condition, the Imperial Household Agency said Thursday.

QuoteTOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Princess Kiko, pregnant with a possible heir to the throne, donned a red and white silk "obi" sash in a traditional ceremony on Tuesday to pray for the royal infant's safe birth.

QuotePrincess Mako, the 14-year-old granddaughter of Emperor Akihito, left for Austria on Thursday for a two-week homestay trip in the European country.

QuoteTokyo, Aug. 5 (AP): A critically acclaimed movie portraying the late Emperor Hirohito during the closing weeks of World War II opened in Japanese theaters on Saturday, more than a year after the biopic first screened overseas.

``The Sun,'' directed by Russia's Alexander Sokurov, depicts the former emperor _ played by Issey Ogata _ as a man of solitude and grief, not as a man of power.

QuoteTOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Princess Kiko, pregnant with a possible heir to the throne, will likely have her baby by a Caesarean operation around September 6, public broadcaster NHK said on Tuesday.

QuotePrincess Kiko of Japan will be admitted to hospital today, three weeks ahead of an eagerly-awaited royal birth.

Quote
A proposal to change the law, allowing four-year-old Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Crown Prince Naruhito, to eventually succeed, was shelved with the unexpected pregnancy of his sisterin-law.

QuoteQueen Beatrix is playing hostess to Naruhito, his wife Masako and their daughter Aiko at Het Loo Palace, a beautiful fifteenth century castle in Apeldoorn on the outskirts of Amsterdam. By the look of the happy scene it seems that the Dutch monarch, together with her son Prince Willem Alexander and his Argentine wife Maxima, had given their royal visitors an especially warm welcome as they began their summer sojourn.

Quote from: hippie_cyndi on August 19, 2006, 12:03:48 AM
adorable pics of Aiko...&..Amalia playing together :wub:

JAPANESE ROYALS MADE TO FEEL AT HOME IN NETHERLANDS (http://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2006/08/18/japaneseroyals/)

QuoteCrown Prince Naruhito and his family, on a private two-week trip to the Netherlands, visited former royal stables with Queen Beatrix and her family Friday in the eastern Dutch city of Apeldoorn.

Quote from: M on August 21, 2006, 02:37:00 AM
I read this and thought, who moderates this?

Then I looked and saw that I do!

QuoteThe Shinto religion of Japan is considered, along with Buddhism as the official religion of Japan.  Over 80% of the population of Japan is either Buddhist or Shintoist.

QuoteAccording to the historical chronicles of ancient Japan, the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters, AD712) and the Nihon Shoki (Chronicle of Japan, AD720), the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami presented the sanshu no jingi or Imperial Regalia to her grandson, Ninigi no Mikoto. He in turn passed them on to his descendants, the emperors, the first of whom was Emperor Jimmu. The regalia, a mirror, a sword and a curved jewel are symbols of the legitimacy and authority of the emperor. These creation myths also form the foundations of the indigenous Shinto faith.

QuoteDutch media have reported a rare private trip to the Netherlands by Crown Prince Naruhito and his family -- and Japanese reporters who converged in the country to cover the visit -- with a sense of curiosity.

QuoteJapan's Princess Kiko, pregnant with a possible heir to the Chrysanthemum throne, is to give birth on Wednesday, an official at the Imperial Household Agency said on Friday.

Kiko, 39, the wife of the emperor's younger son, Akishino, is to undergo a Caesarean section after pregnancy complications.

QuoteWHEN Princess Kiko, second daughter-in-law of Emperor Akihito, became pregnant last January, it seemed like an answered prayer. Hopes were high that, at last, the world's oldest hereditary monarchy would have a male heir.

On Wednesday, after months of speculation, the question will finally be settled when Princess Kiko will give birth by Caesarean section.

But courtiers are now worried that even the arrival of a male heir may not guarantee the long-term survival of the Imperial family.

Quotehe boy, the first male heir born in Japan since Akishino in 1965, was born at 8:27 a.m. and weighed about 7 1/2 pounds, the palace said.

QuoteThe arrival of a boy derails plans to allow women to succeed to the throne, which were to have been put before Japan's parliament, the Diet.

"It is better for us to warmly watch over [the baby] quietly for the time being," said Junichiro Koizumi, the outgoing Prime Minister, who supported the idea of a reigning empress. "I think it is better for us to spend ample time to contemplate what the imperial family means . . . we're not talking about submitting [the Bill] to the Diet next year or something like that."

But he went on to make the point that historians and members of the imperial court had been quietly emphasising in the build-up to yesterday's birth: that one male baby did not in itself ensure the survival of the imperial line.

QuoteI don't see what wanting a male regent has to do with thinking women should be seen not heard and considerering them 3rd class. that's a pretty horrible thing to say

Quote from: QB on September 08, 2006, 11:04:32 AM
So 20% want the law changed to equal female succession?

QuoteOpinion polls suggest that the majority of Japanese people support the idea of female royal succession. But conservatives argue it could dilute the imperial line.

QuotePublic opinion polls conducted shortly after Kiko's pregnancy was announced in February showed a majority of Japanese favored letting women ascend the throne, but that slightly more than half were opposed to a quick revision of the succession law.

QuoteIf it was designed for a female, I would be saying the same thing about equal succession rights for men. It's not about men and women AT ALL, which is the mistake a lot of people make and why such misguided thinking can so easily destroy the monarchy forever.

Quote1947 The Imperial Household Law stipulates that only males may ascend to the throne

QuoteThe government of Prime Minister Yoshida Shigeru hastily cobbled together the legislation to bring the Imperial House -in compliance with the American-written Constitution of Japan that went into effect in May, 1947

QuoteHeredity matters. All 109,000 of the baby boys born last Wednesday (yes, that's roughly how many get born every day around the world) will have inherited a Y chromosome from their fathers. All will have inherited a combination of genes from both their parents, and these genes will determine every-thing from the colour of their hair to their aptitude for mathematics, maybe even their sexual proclivities in adulthood. An unlucky few will inherit some hereditary defect or disease. By contrast, a lucky few will, in the course of their lives, inherit fortunes, the size of which will depend on the acumen (or the luck) of their parents and the laws governing inheritance, not to mention the taxes on it, in the country of their birth or later residence.

QuoteTokyo, Japan (AHN) - Japan's Princess Kiko has been enjoying a surge of popularity since giving birth to the first male heir to throne in 40 years.

She is now being lauded as the perfect wife, mother and even as a national symbol of courage.

Quote from: hippie_cyndi on September 08, 2006, 11:58:36 PM
thanx for posting these links Jenee  :hug:

:blink: you kidding right? Since when anything pertaining 2 public role was designed for a woman? if we all sat home...waiting...hoping...for men 2 designate what's "male prerogative"...&...what's DESIGNED for females...we'll be waiting till armagedon....2 get basic human rights...like the Right 2 Education.....Right 2 Vote....Right 2 Inherit property....Right 2 control our bodies & sexuality....yada...yada

The whole argument that some laws are just for the good of the monarchy....cus it exclude females/women does not make sense whatso ever.....these laws were created bc of PATRIARCHAL Views that says...a woman does NOT have the same logic/intelligence/ruling power...as men...also, since men are the one who inherit the father's lineage/heritage...a woman was considered 2 belong 2 her husband's family...NOT...the one who carries on the family name...that's why Male Inheritance in most of the world Monarchy was preserved...until democracy & civil laws came 2 be the practice...well atlease in most Western....&....part of Asian countries.....i've yet 2 hear an intelligent debate of why we should not change the law  :shrug: not that your argument weren't well thought out QB....i love debating with you  :thumbsup:

Quote from: QB on September 12, 2006, 12:14:19 AM
The thing is, monarchies and MADE to have King and Queen. Without that, it leads to the total deterioration of the monarchy which could cause all sorts of other political problems.

QuoteJapan's newborn prince left hospital for home on Friday as well-wishers waved flags and cheered the first royal boy to be born in 41 years.

QuoteMasako Owada was an ambitious, career-driven 29-year-old diplomat when she took on the challenge of a lifetime – becoming a crown princess in the world's oldest reigning family.

QuoteHE WAS only a tiny bundle weighing 5lbs 9oz when born this month, but the arrival of Prince Hisahito (meaning sacred and calm) brought into sharp relief the seismic changes taking place in Japanese society

QuoteAn Imperial Guard was found collapsed Thursday in the Imperial compound in Tokyo's Akasaka district and later confirmed dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, Imperial Household Agency sources said

QuoteTokoro added that the Imperial House Law needs to be revised to allow females and their descendants to succeed to the throne to avoid a succession crisis in the world's oldest monarchy.

QuoteOn Saturday 7 October, a gala dinner was held in Tokyo where Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado of Japan, Honorary President of BirdLife International, launched a campaign to support BirdLife's initiative to rescue Asia's ailing vulture populations. Her Imperial Highness spoke of the importance of BirdLife's quick actions to save vultures in the region

QuotePrince Akishino will leave for a weeklong tour of Paraguay and other countries from Oct. 30, the Imperial Household Agency said Friday

QuoteWhile I was glad to learn that Princess Akishino was expecting, I could not help but wish for her safe pregnancy and delivery as I thought about Princess Akishino having a child after a lapse of 11 years. Although there was an unexpected development of partial placenta previa in the process until birth, we were fortunate that all danger was averted thanks to the devoted care extended by the people concerned.

QuoteCrown Princess Masako's doctors say she is feeling more confident after an official visit to Nara in late October, according to the Imperial Household Agency.

QuoteTwo-month-old Prince Hisahito, the first boy to be born into Japan's royal family in more than 40 years, was presented at a Shinto shrine in the imperial palace grounds on Tuesday in a traditional ceremony for royal babies

QuoteJapan's Princess Aiko might only be four years old but she was the epitome of professionalism and poise as the Imperial family held a centuries-old ceremony to celebrate her passage from infancy to childhood and give thanks for her growth.

QuoteIndonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono met with Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Monday and attended a banquet there later in the day.

Yudhoyono is on a four-day visit to Japan, during which the two countries are expected to agree on the broad outlines of a free-trade deal.

QuoteJapan's Princess Aiko celebrated her fifth birthday on Friday with few clues as to whether the future will see her ascending the Chrysanthemum Throne or bargain-hunting at the local supermarket.

QuoteCrown Princess Masako, wife of Crown Prince Naruhito, marks her 43rd birthday on Saturday and said in a prepared statement that life with their 5-year-old daughter, Princess Aiko, has been a "pleasure." Princess Aiko is now in kindergarten.

QuoteEmperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will start their ten-day European tour on next May 21.

QuoteEmperor Akihito spoke about issues including bullying, mourning the war dead, and the growth of Princess Aiko and Prince Hisahito, as he answered questions by the press ahead of his 73rd birthday on Dec. 23

QuoteJapanese Emperor Akihito celebrated the birth of his grandson — the imperial family's first male heir in four decades — in a New Year's poem issued to the public on Monday.

QuoteThousands of well-wishers waving Japanese flags gathered Tuesday at the Imperial Palace for a series of rare appearances by Emperor Akihito and the royal family marking the new year.

QuoteThe tombs of Japan's ancient emperors have been shrouded in myth for centuries, until now
 
After years of intrigue, secrecy and much heated debate, some of Japan's most mysterious monuments will be opened up for public inspection for the first time.

QuoteEmperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will attend the Japan premiere of the joint-Japanese-Korean movie "I'll Never Forget You" at Nissho Hall next Friday, film distributor Sony Pictures confirmed Saturday. It will be the first time for the imperial couple to attend a public movie premiere

QuoteFor the past three years the health problems of Princess Masako, wife of Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito, have kept her out of the public eye while making her a subject of fascination.

QuoteIsn't there a big law in Japan that if a member of their royal family marries a "commoners" they lose their title and rights?

Quote from: PrincessKLS on January 29, 2007, 11:48:24 PM
Isn't there a big law in Japan that if a member of their royal family marries a "commoners" they lose their title and rights?

QuoteChina wants to invite Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito and his wife Crown Princess Masako to the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in 2008, a Japanese newspaper said yesterday.

QuoteYour idea of sending delegates to each country would be a nice compromise - a gesture of friendship and diplomacy while still allowing both sides to save face.

Quote from: heather on February 07, 2007, 09:07:26 AM
China might want to apologise to it's own people for Tianamen Square....etc 
        (excuse spelling)

QuoteAUSTRALIAN journalist Ben Hills is refusing to apologise after finding himself at the centre of an international diplomatic incident with Japan over a book he wrote about Crown Princess Masako

QuoteThe Japanese government said Ben Hills' book contains groundless claims and insults the royal family, and wants an apology and corrections.

Mr Hills said he had nothing to apologise for and accused officials of trying to suppress his book.

He said the only person who deserved an apology was Crown Princess Masako for her treatment by the royal family.

Princess Masako was a diplomat who spoke several languages and travelled the world before her 1993 marriage to Crown Prince Naruhito, heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne.

QuoteJapan's extreme sensitivity over its royal family was laid bare yesterday when it reacted furiously to an unauthorised biography of its most famous — and controversial — princess.

Lodging a formal protest with the government of the author's native Australia, the Tokyo government described the account of the life of Princess Masako as "disrespectful and distorted" and demanded an apology.

QuoteJapan's future emperor has called on the people of his country to be patient with Crown Princess Masako. Speaking just a few days ahead of his 47th birthday, Crown Prince Naruhito said his wife was slowly recovering from the emotional problems she has been suffering for the past three years.

Quote from: QB on March 05, 2007, 01:33:12 PM
I really love that he sticks up for his wife, he has always been so supportive of to the public!  :thumbsup:

Quote
Japan's Empress Michiko will take a break from official duties due to sickness caused by stress, the palace said Tuesday, making her the second member of the family to fall ill under the public glare.

The 72-year-old empress has suffered bleeding in her intestines a few times, and will take 10 days off from later this month, a palace spokesman said.

Quote from: Kuei Fei on March 05, 2007, 06:22:39 AM
Not possible. The IHA wouldn't allow it in case Masako tries to defect and then tell her story.

QuoteChinese Premier Wen Jiabao met with Japanese Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace on Thursday.

QuoteFormer Japanese Emperor Hirohito stopped visiting a Tokyo war shrine at the center of Japan's diplomatic dispute with neighboring nations because of displeasure over its 1978 enshrinement of top war criminals, according to new documents published Thursday

QuoteMore often pictured looking poised and regal while fulfilling official duties, the Emperor and Empress of Japan were snapped showing off a warmer, family oriented side as they joined toddlers at a Japanese nursery school on Thursday. Visiting Tokyo's Yakumo kindergarten Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko cheerfully joined in the fun and games and brought a smile to the faces of many of the young charges.

QuoteJapanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko are the guests of honour Wednesday at festivities in Sweden marking the 300th birthday of Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus, who invented the current system of classifying organisms.

QuoteJapanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko delved into the natural sciences during a visit Tuesday to Stockholm, touring botanical gardens, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and a natural history museum.

QuoteUppsala, Sweden (dpa) - Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko were guests of honour Wednesday as Sweden celebrated the 300th anniversary of the birth of Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus.

QuoteStockholm - Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia toured the Bergius Botanic Garden on the outskirts of Stockholm Tuesday with visiting Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.

QuoteThe royal houses from the East and the West met this week to share a rare evening together when the Queen welcomed the Emperor and Empress of Japan to Buckingham Palace. The couple, who are on a three-day trip to Britain, joined the monarch, Prince Philip, and 16 other guests for an intimate dinner.

QuoteJapan's Crown Prince Naruhito will undergo surgery to remove a benign growth in his small intestine at a Tokyo hospital next week, palace officials said Thursday.

QuoteJapanese Crown Prince Naruhito entered a Tokyo hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a benign growth in his small intestine, a palace spokesman said.

QuoteIt must have come as a relief to the people of Japan to see their future Emperor looking fit and healthy as he left hospital this week following a successful operation. Crown Prince Naruhito had undergone surgery last Wednesday after a routine check had revealed a benign lump in the intestine.

QuoteElaine Yoko Yamagata looked serene Friday evening as former Fort Worth Mayor Kenneth Barr lauded her accomplishments and Yoshihiko Kamo, the consul general of Japan, presented her with the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays, conferred by the emperor.

QuotePrince Tomohito, a cousin of Emperor Akihito, will receive treatment for alcohol dependency at the Imperial Household Agency Hospital for at least one month, officials said on Friday.

QuotePrince Naruhito of Japan has announced that he will be travelling abroad again without his wife Princess Masako, who is recovering from a stress-induced mental illness.

QuoteA senior official of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games indicated hope Monday that Emperor Akihito will attend the opening ceremony.

"The committee will give a hearty welcome to the Emperor" if he is invited as a guest of honor by the Chinese government and accepts the invitation, Jiang Xiaoyu, executive vice president of the committee, told Japanese reporters in Beijing.

QuoteTokyo-based Daisan-Shokan said Thursday it will publish early next month a Japanese translation of a controversial book on the life of Crown Princess Masako written by an Australian journalist.

Kodansha Ltd. was initially planning to publish the translation of "Princess Masako," which is subtitled "Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne," but backed out after the Japanese government said the book contains groundless claims.

QuoteJapanese Crown Prince Naruhito (R), Princess Masako (L) share a light moment with their daughter Princess Aiko (C)
upon their arrival at Nasushiobara Station, north of Tokyo, 17 August 2007. The royal family is off to spend their
summer vacation at a highland imperial villa.

Quotehttp://i11.tinypic.com/68k060l.jpg

QuoteJapan's Princess Masako is an avid supporter of the UNU. Although Osterwalder has declined to comment on rumors that Masako has her own office at the university's headquarters, it is clear that the world's oldest surviving ruling dynasty is deeply involved.

QuoteFour years after Princess Masako of Japan withdrew from a public role citing a mysterious illness, the tabloid press is beginning to wonder aloud: is the reclusive royal slacking at taxpayers' expense?

QuoteThey are grainy, indistinct photographs, but for a Japan on the edge of recession they are more than enough: a pricey Mexican dinner, a plate of rare black truffles and a bowl of shark-fin soup have unleashed an unprecedented media broadside against the future Empress of Japan.

QuoteI think the self-pitying Masako needs to get over herself. this "I'm too depressed to do any work" is getting old.

QuoteI never said Masako was a failure because she didn't produce a son.

QuoteShe needs to pull herself together.

QuoteI just don't buy into the notion that simply because someone is "common" that they have the common touch, or that they will usher in modernity to these ancient institutions.

Quote from: Countessa on February 05, 2008, 10:51:53 PM
Seriously, I think the self-pitying Masako needs to get over herself. Her sister-in-law has given birth to the heir (making Princess M irrelevant), so this "I'm too depressed to do any work" is getting old.

Quote from: Countessa on February 05, 2008, 10:51:53 PM
She can always leave her husband.

Quote from: Countessa on February 05, 2008, 11:23:23 PM
I think it's time the future Empress of Japan resumes her Imperial duties and stop whining. Again, I know this sounds cruel but she is a member of an ancient royal family. She needs to pull herself together. Jmo.

Quoteshe can't even leave the country without their permission......so I ask you.....how can she honestly do much of a public work as a crown princess?

QuoteJapan's Crown Prince Naruhito should visit his parents more often, palace officials have said in a rare public signal that all is not well in the imperial household.

QuoteThe Japanese government said Ben Hills' book contains groundless claims and insults the royal family, and wants an apology and corrections.

QuoteAre they just so weak and helpless?

QuoteCrown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako and their daughter Princess Aiko visited the Imperial Palace on Sunday to meet Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. The visit came just after the family of the crown prince returned to Tokyo on Wednesday from a skiing trip to Nagano Prefecture. The family also made a visit to the Imperial Palace on March 26.

QuoteCrown Prince Naruhito of Japan will attend the coronation of the King of Tonga on August 1, 2008, the Japanese news agency Kyodo reported. The news has been confirmed in Tonga.

Quote
Japan's crown prince Naruhito left Monday on a trip to Brazil without his wife, Princess Masako, who was deemed too weak to make the voyage. Naruhito departed Tokyo's Haneda airport on a government plane, Imperial Household spokesman Minoru Osawa said.

QuoteJapanese Crown Prince Naruhito bent protocol a little as he started a visit to Sao Paulo on Thursday for celebrations marking 100 years of Japanese immigration to Brazil.

The heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne shook hands with some members of the crowd gathered in the city's main park to watch him lay a wreath at a memorial to the first Japanese who arrived in this South American nation.

The gesture was unsual for a member of Japan's imperial family, who generally keep their distance from commoners. A hefty escort acts as a buffer.

Quote from: Jenee on June 20, 2008, 12:37:06 PM
Baby steps, Naruhito!  Someone has to bring the Japanese into the 21st century!

QuoteJapan's Crown Prince Naruhito, the 48-year-old heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne, the world's oldest monarchy, arrived in L.A. today for a two-day visit.

QuoteJapan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will visit Canada next year.

The couple's visit will coincide with the 80th anniversary of the start of formal diplomatic relations between Canada and Japan.

QuoteJapan's Crown Prince Naruhito sought public understanding Friday for his ailing wife, Crown Princess Masako, who is suffering from a stress-induced form of depression that has kept her from most of her official duties for several years.

QuoteIt's been confirmed that Japan's Crown Prince Naru-hito will visit Tonga later this month for the coronation of King George Tupou V.

Quote from: Jenee on July 12, 2008, 12:54:39 PM
Naruhito asks understanding for Masako (http://gpdhome.typepad.com/royalblognl_news_summary/2008/07/naruhito-asks-u.html)


I'll be honest- I've been a supporter of Masako for many years now, but even my sympathy is waining. Yes, depression is an illness, but there comes a point in time where you simply have to get over it, be it with counseling, medication, or sheer will!

QuoteJapanese police have arrested a man who allegedly posted murder threats against Crown Prince Naruhito on an Internet message site, officials said Saturday.

QuoteJapan's last native ibis died 27 years ago. On Thursday morning, Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko were among the notables that freed the birds from wooden boxes at a ceremony held in the city of Sado, on a small island off of Japan's coast about 170 miles (275 kilometers) northwest of Tokyo.

QuoteTokyo's oldest department store, famous Takashimaya, hosts a photo exhibition entitled "Empress and her children", which has been organised by Japan's Mainichi Newspaper.

QuoteJapan's empress is praying for her ailing daughter-in-law and worries about the cancer her husband is fighting, but gets great joy from her grandchildren, she says in her annual birthday statement released Monday.

Quote from: Jenee on October 21, 2008, 01:07:28 AM
I think that the Japanese Imperial Family are backward in many ways... however, I have mad respect for them for stuff like this.

Quote from: Arubiina on October 21, 2008, 08:51:41 PM
[my bolding]
I wonder in what ways exactly the Japanese Imperial family is backward. ... perhaps because the IHA has not given in to demands of establishing the equal primogeniture ... The Japanese Imperial family is deeply traditional. Unlike usual European monarchs, Tenno was considered to to be of a divine origin. Thus, it may safely be assumed that Tenno is both a highest-rank cleric and a ceremonial figurehead in the constitutional monarchy. The key purpose of the Japanese Imperial family is to strictly uphold and preserve traditional Japanese values, which may seem peculiar to outsiders.

QuoteOne of the most powerful men in Japan came forward to allege that the princess was colorblind, thus making her ineligible on genetic grounds to take a place in the imperial line. Field Marshal Yamagata headed a samurai clan that was a rival to Nagako's mother's family and he wanted the Crown Prince to choose a bride from his own clan.

QuoteFive years after she gave up public duties because of depression, sympathy for the Princess's plight is giving way to scepticism about the seriousness of her condition - and to anxiety about what her continuing indisposition will mean for the monarchy when her husband, Crown Prince Naruhito, succeeds to the Chrysanthemum Throne.

Quotewhat her continuing indisposition will mean for the monarchy when her husband, Crown Prince Naruhito, succeeds to the Chrysanthemum Throne.

QuotePrincess Masako has been seen at expensive restaurants but not royal events

QuoteShe has been photographed dining at expensive Chinese, Mexican and French restaurants and attending events at her daughter's school.

QuoteNext week, for example, Naruhito and Masako - both British-educated - will give a private dinner party for the Prince of Wales and the Duchess. But next month, when King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain are on a six-day visit, Masako will not make an appearance. "What logical explanation can we give for that?" a palace insider asks. "That the British are healthy but the Spanish make her ill?"

Quote"The members of the Imperial Family are the passengers of the ship named the Imperial System, but not its owners," he wrote. "If one individual gets seasick and cannot stay on board, then there is no alternative but to disembark."

Quotethe cancer her husband is fighting,

Quote from: Jenee on October 27, 2008, 11:26:58 PM
Aiko goes to see exhibit of grandmother (http://gpdhome.typepad.com/royalblognl_news_summary/2008/10/imperial-family.html)

Masako is also pictured. Hopefully this means she is doing better.

Quote from: Arubiina on October 23, 2008, 01:34:56 AM
I quite agree with you. The Japanese Imperial family has got every right to have male primogeniture. I see nothing wrong with male primogeniture. 

QuoteI've been for many years sceptical about her illness. Although many commentators showed sympathy for her by saying, "It is natural that she got depressed as She was forced to give up her brilliant career and confined in royal ceremony", and so on, she seemed to be just a selfish, spoiled woman.
Yuki, Tokyo, Japan

QuoteJapan's Emperor Akihito will decorate former Economics Minister Joseph Deiss with one of the highest orders he can bestow, the economics ministry said on Monday.

Deiss, who served as Switzerland's economics minister from 2002-2006, actively sought to better economic ties with Japan, travelling there while also serving as president in 2004.

QuotePhotos give glimpse of new generation of Japanese royals

QuoteJapan's Princess Aiko missed out on her seventh birthday party this week because she caught a cold.

The young royal - the daughter of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako - was due to celebrate at a palace party on Monday (01.12.08), but the ceremony was cancelled after the princess' temperature rose above 38C.

QuotePhotos give glimpse of new generation of Japanese royals

Quote from: Kuei Fei on October 27, 2008, 01:34:21 PM
What is going on? Masako really has to get herself together. She can't keep allowing herself to wallow in depression. She has got to take charge of her life or she's going to bring her husband down.

Quote from: sillyjobug on November 10, 2008, 05:01:20 PM
There is a vast difference between what people refer to as "feeling depressed" and the clinical condition called depression. "Feeling depressed" just means you're bummed out, people say it all the time, and it means next to nothing. This is a problem because it leads us to take actual depression for granted. We assume it's the same as all the other people who feel "depressed" when they have a bad hair day. It is not! Not by a long shot. Michiko may have dealt with her problems better, but her problems may not have been rooted in neurology. She could've just freaked out. It's a lot easier to recover from that than from depression.

Depression can't really be cured, either. It's effects can be lessened, situations can change and you can feel less pressure on yourself, but it is a chemical imbalance that will basically always be there. Medication can help some people, although it has the dangerous potential of turning a patient suicidal. If Masako found this to be the case with drugs like Prozac, she surely wouldn't stay on them. So perhaps she is dealing with things as best as she can. Maybe she pulls herself together for the things she feels are truly important, like supporting her daughter. My mother did this, she was always there for me, but that didn't mean she wasn't very depressed. She was still able to go out with friends, it often cheered her to some extent. But when she got bad, she was really bad. Masako is in a terrible position. If the stress on her is part of what triggered her depression to really kick in, then stuff like this certainly won't help her.

Nobody should be scorned for a problem they cannot control.

Quote from: Mika2 on December 16, 2008, 10:00:16 PM
Dear Kuei Fei,

The trouble is, there is a great difference between what we call "depression or being depressed" and clinical depression. People who have clinical depression or mental illness, cannot just get themselves together, as they wish.  You may also be surprised at how normal people with clinical depression/mental illness can look. I had a patient who was fine if I bumped into her in town...but if she came under slightest pressure from somewhere/someone or when put under stressful situation, she just crumbled. She may cry at a slightest thing, or go completely silent without talking to anyone for days .... those people are truely unwell, though they may not look that way and cant just snap out of it. Because of this, she had to leave work which she used to love. Not because she was lazy, no... 

Mental illness can take years to improve drastically and even after that not all of them recover....many would continue to take their medication for a long time.

I heard that Princess Masako is feeling better and have been taking on more formal duty. I hope she continues to improve. 

ps Also no one should compare her to her mother in law....why? because they are 2 different people. People with illness/sickness rcover at differrent rate...it's not a competition, is it :-)

Quote from: Kuei Fei on December 17, 2008, 02:42:52 PM

She doesn't have to maintain a full career or raise her children all on her own, she doesn't have to worry about bills. I'm sick and tired of these women marrying into these families and then of course falling apart and not doing their duties and then complaining about how bad they have it. They then indulge in their neuroses and ignore their very simple obligations.

Quote from: Kuei Fei on July 31, 2008, 05:41:21 PM
Does anyone know what would happen if Masako wanted a divorce? Would the Imperial Court retain full custody of Aiko, what would the terms be?

QuoteEmperor Akihito Turns 75
TOKYO - DECEMBER 23: Crown Prince Naruhito, Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko and Prince Akishino wave to the well-wishers celebrating Emperor Akihito's 75th birthday at the Imperial Palace on December 23, 2008 in Tokyo, Japan. The Emperor, who has recently been diagnosed with a stress-related illness, made his first public appearance in a fortnight during today's celebration, where he was greeted by nearly 20000 well-wishers.