politics

Lawmakers eye restoration of ex-imperial members to ensure male succession

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LDP is full of such dictators

0 ( +0 / -0 )

In reading about the possibility of female succession in both Engish and Japanese I have found no suggestion whatsoever that any of the females in the royal families want to be Emperor.

I cannot speak for them personally, but given all the constraints on the royal families, it would not be surprising if the royal women are more than happy to escape through marriage to commoners.

Masako is known to have been extremely reluctant to marry into the imperial household and as is equally well-known it did not do good things for her emotional well being.

Further, this is not an issue for foreign nationals any more than having female priests or a female pope is an issue for non-Catholics.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

There is no reason to deny the possibility of Empresses to ascend the throne. They have every right to be as miserable as their male counterparts.

Yes, I am serious.

Why would any sane individual even want the job as Emperor(ess) of Japan? No longer will you have any person freedom, no longer will you have privacy.

I recall in 1993, when the imperial wedding took place, and when consort-to-be Masako walked out, I immediately knew that she trained exasperatedly, and behaved like a different person completely than she was during numerous interviews before the wedding ceremony. In the years since then, she had suffered depression and emotional disorders due to the pressure of just being part of the Imperial family. So yes, that's royal life for you. Want the throne? Then better prepare for the worst.

For those who are eligible, go for it, and good luck, you are going to need it.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Sucks to be a woman huh?!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Let's see Abe's response, if he's really serious with his Womenomics and making a "society where women can shine."

0 ( +0 / -0 )

SpeedOct. 24  10:01 am JST

Just let women be able to take the throne. That's what most Japanese want anyway.

These useless old LDP coots aren't interested. What most Japanese people want doesn't get them elected.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I have a dream

When Aiko sama is enthroned as the Empress.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I think my eyes just rolled so far back into my head that I saw an alternate universe where these old men were voted out of power

1 ( +3 / -2 )

More repressive policies from the aged conservatives that cling to the status quo!

Meanwhile the slide to the abyss continues...

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Or we could allow women to become emperesses. That would be much cheaper than paying these families for doing nothing.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Japan have a very very very long way to go in equality of the sexes.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

The best is when you remind these scared, old men that Japan has, in the past, been ruled by a woman. If they don’t believe it, tell them to sheepishly ask their wives when they skulk home and hand over their salaries, asking for a bit more of an allowance this week.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

To sustain the imperial family, the group within the Liberal Democratic Party came up with ideas such as having unmarried male members of the former branches join the imperial family through adoption or marriage, if they want to.

Oy ! To whom do they expect the male members of the former branches to get married to ?

Princess Mako which is already engaged and will have to make a change of plan ?

Princess Kako ?

Princess Toshi ?

Less drop the possibility for them to have a say in that matter when we are at it.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Why was the law created in the first place? Why are the powers that be so very much afraid of a woman on the throne? Japan might be a better country if Aiko sama became empress. :)

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Anything to keep up the sexism and avoid stepping into the 21st century, I guess. Good old Japan. No surprise it Always ranks close to dead last out of 150 countries on gender equality.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

Poor Aiko-sama will be holding her breath hoping the feminists and human-rightsists don't prevail. She's spent the past 17 years secure in the knowledge that marriage is her ticket out of the royal straitjacket.

In this case, 'equal rights for women' doesn't do women any favours: instead it offers an escape route for the Crown Prince, his teenage son and any other obscure males in the royal line that might get shaken down out of the old collateral branches of the royal family tree and proclaimed legitimate heirs.

That said, the idea that only a person with a particular style of genitals is fit and able to carry out royal 'duties' (dressing like a hina-sama, chatting at garden parties, waving from balconies, opening public buildings etc) is patently and obviously silly.

Invalid CSRF

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Japan doesn't need emperors, just abolish monarch and spend the savings on the poors of Japan.

-8 ( +0 / -8 )

Just let women be able to take the throne. That's what most Japanese want anyway.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

The "unbroken line" goes back about 1,500 years. The actual situation prior to that point is anybody's guess. Taking all of human history into account, 1,500 years is not that long. All traditions were created at some point by people. All traditions change over time. All traditions eventually disappear.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Another reason not to vote in any old decrepit politicians. Vote young. Vote women.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Imagine the immense pressure on female Japanese royalty to bear a son. I've long supposed that was a main case of Empress Masako's slide into depression.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

I remember the Netherlands' previous monarch as being a queen regnant. And guess who is heir to the Spanish throne? So many examples, past, present and future.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

One has to wonder what goes through the minds of Japanese people when they see members of their imperial family meet Queen Elizabeth or the queen of Denmark.

Can you imagine yourself being the only child, a female. Your parents die but they can't leave their house and possessions to you because of your gender. Instead, everything goes to a male, third cousin whom you've never seen before.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Wow! So basically, women be damned. Your job is only to procreate produce a male heir for future generations and that’s it,

With the aging population is this country I’m wondering, what role do women have? When looking at serious issues like these it’s no wonder a lot of women don’t want to raise a family.

So many contradictions, Japanese is truly a male controlled and dominated society.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Anything but a woman. THE HORROR! THE UNIMAGINABLE HORROR OF IT!

10 ( +11 / -1 )

They say, if female descendant emperor or empress succeed, there is a chance that Chromosome Y will be lost, and become a complete different DNA unless they conduct DNA test.

According to my wife, the DNA test is the problem. If they have to do that, they'll find that the royal family is illegitimate. They should just do away with the whole thing and keep them away from our tax money.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Lol how's this normal in the 21st century? Seriously, 90% of the flood victims won't receive government support (conviniently) and these individuals honestly believe this is the most important issue?

6 ( +8 / -2 )

How about we go back to 2012 when they wanted to change it to allow females... then magic a boy was born.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Before the war, the emperor could have second, third or more wives to get male successors. Empress Meiji was barren and Emperor Taisho was born to one of his subbordinate wives. There are many who claims today they are descendents of Emperor Meiji such as Takeda.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I knew that this issue brings confusion to foreigners.

I don't know why the media won't explain more detail the issue.

First, the issue is about whether there should be empress or not.

empress is called "女性天皇" (Jyosei- tennouu)

There have been some empresses in past, so Aiko-sama can be empress.

Second issue is about whether Aiko-sama's childrent, boy or girl can be emperor or empress.

Her children will be called, "女系天皇" (Jyokei - tennouu), meaning female descendant.

This is unprecedented in past, and some people are opposing it.

Why?

They say, if female descendant emperor or empress succeed, there is a chance that Chromosome Y will be lost, and become a complete different DNA unless they conduct DNA test.

https://blog.goo.ne.jp/lazybones9/e/347b43e4801dbcce5364a8d556f24ddb

This is what they say, not my opinion.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Anything to avoid putting a woman on the throne, huh ?

22 ( +23 / -1 )

Emperor Naruhito has a daughter -- Princess Aiko, 17, -- and there are other females in the family, but the Imperial House Law requires women to abandon their imperial status after marrying commoners.

> The group is also against allowing women to remain imperial family members, even after marriage.

Stupid law considering the fact that the whole imperial line's validity is based on them being the descendants of a GODDESS (Amaterasu.)

21 ( +22 / -1 )

.

Why not just let the monarchy fade away . . .no male heirs, no monarchy.

.

12 ( +17 / -5 )

A conservative group within Japan's major ruling party on Wednesday finalized proposals to allow men from now-abolished collateral branches of the imperial family to rejoin it, as part of measures to ensure stable succession.

Or, here is a novel idea, how about allowing females to ascend to the throne and female members of the royal family retain their royal title, with non-royals marrying female royals becoming consorts and their offspring having royalty.

The group is also against allowing women to remain imperial family members, even after marriage.

Ahh, silly me for thinking that females in the royal family should be treated the same as males.

These conservatives are nothing more than chauvinistic pigs!! If they are in charge, the royal family deserves to die out.

Still can't figure out this insistence on males only.... particularly when Amataresu is a goddess. The only explanation is what I said before.

17 ( +20 / -3 )

I think a bill should be drafted to kick these "conservatives" out of the Diet! They are oblivious to the fact that we are living in the 21st Century, and need a slap upside the head along the way to remind them!

24 ( +27 / -3 )

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