CULTURE-JAPAN: Pregnancy Mystery Puts Royal Family In Spotlight

By Suvendrini Kakuchi Reprint | | Print |

Suvendrini Kakuchi

TOKYO, Dec 28 1999 (IPS) - The guessing game surrounding a possible pregnancy in Japan’s royal family has triggered a new national watch into an institution that remains far less open than many of their counterparts in other countries.

Starting two weeks ago, the Japanese press and public have been glued to unconfirmed reports that Princess Masako, who is married to the Crown Prince, could be pregnant after more than six years of marriage.

Now, the storm of headlines has given way to a blanket of secrecy that has settled down on Masako’s possible pregnancy, which could produce a long-awaited heir to the royal family.

“We are waiting for the final tests which will be conducted after the Imperial Agency decides it is the appropriate time to do them,” said a journalist who covers Japan’s Royal Family, and who asked that he not be named.

The birth of a heir to the royal family in a country that legally prohibits a woman from ascending the throne, is of major concern for the Japanese, who have been waiting for such news since the wedding of the Crown Prince in June 1993.

But as things stand right now, the waiting could grow even longer, prompting some Japanese to reflect on the royal institution and express the wish that the royal family could be more like the average citizen.

The whole issue (whether she is pregnant or nor) is a mystery, just like the royal family. I just wish they were more human,” says Mieko Uemura, a graduate student.

Indeed, Japan’s royal family has come a long way from pre-World War II times, when they were worshipped as gods by the public. But this change does not mean Japan’s royal family is anywhere closer to their modern counterparts in other countries.

When he inherited the throne 12 years ago, the current Emperor Akihito expressed a desire to seek an image of a new royal leader closer to his people. Even today, the Imperial Agency is seen as wielding a controlling hand in every step the family takes.

But out of respect for the emperor’s wishes, powerful bureaucrats have put forward a schedule that puts priority on the royal family to visit homes of the elderly and facilities for the disabled.

This alone represents a sea change in an institution that in essence has not changed greatly over history, some Japanese say.

“Akihito has actually been seen massaging the shoulders of the elderly when he visited a senior home. Consider that with time of his father Emperor Showa, when people were forbidden to even look at him,” explains Toshiya Matsuzaki, who writes for ‘Josei Jishin’, a popular women’s weekly magazine.

Journalists however explain that the royal family is still treated with kid gloves, and all interviews and speeches given to the public are carefully screened by the Imperial Agency.

“Some people might consider that kind of life boring, but when you think of their position as being the symbol of Japan, that can’t be helped,” Matsuzaki says, reacting to the journalists’ observations.

Even Princess Masako, whose decision to give up a promising diplomatic career to marry into the royal family grabbed headlines around the world, has not been able to change the way things are done in royal circles.

At the time of her marriage, there was a lot of talk that her entry could make the royal family more accessible to the ordinary Japanese.

But over the years, Masako, a Harvard University graduate who had been working at the prestigious North American division at the Foreign Ministry, has tempered her working-professional image and traded her crisp business suits for demure pearls and expensive clothes.

This month, Princess Masako celebrated her 35th birthday and told the press that what she likes to do is to walk her dogs, learn the flute well enough to play an ensemble with her husband. She also said she is caring for an injured stag beetle.

When asked about her Palace functions, the gently smiling princess said: ” I am gradually becoming confident enough to enjoy them”.

While her carefully nurtured image might be considered too cloistered for modern times elsewhere, a modest princess is however still admired in Japan.

Observers explain that Japan takes much pride in its imperial family, which claims to be the world’s oldest with a recorded history going back to A.D. 531 and a legendary one traced to the mythical Jimmu who is supposed to have reigned from 660 B.C. to 585 B.C..

“Japan is different from most other countries,” says Midori Watanabe, who was once involved in producing documentaries about the royal family. “Gossip about the royal family is just not tolerated.”

Journalists say that given the lofty image, it might be better that the royal family remains as it is seen today — expressing no personal opinion and showing not a hint of dissatisfaction.

“It is difficult to express individuality in Japan because harmony remains a much-respected virtue,” explains a journalist. “The royal family is aware that they must strive to keep up this image especially against falling morals in Japan.”

Still, this distant exterior may sometimes backfire, as in the storm over Masako’s supposed pregnancy. “Yes, the rumors about the pregnancy is partly because it is so difficult to get to know more about the royal family,” explains Matsuzaki.

But despite the fact that the controversy has led to some debate on how the royal family can lend more of a personal touch among the public, this has not happened.

For instance, the Imperial Agency has just issued a statement saying that it is “extremely regrettable” that the mass media circulated “overheated” reports about the princess’ possible pregnancy. This, in turn, has successfully clamped down on any further news on the matter.

“I feel sorry for the princess,” says Uemura. “I just wish I knew what she is thinking.”