POLITICS-JAPAN: Prince’s Birth Setback for Feminists

By Suvendrini Kakuchi Reprint | | Print |

Suvendrini Kakuchi

TOKYO, Sep 6 2006 (IPS) - The birth of a royal prince on Wednesday morning has effectively suppressed a long-awaited debate on a new law, opposed by conservatives, to allow females to succeed to the imperial throne, say analysts.

Chief cabinet secretary, Shinzo Abe, a well-known conservative tipped to be the next prime minister, has called for ‘’careful” and ”level-headed” discussion before revising the imperial law.

Takahashi Ikegami, a constitutional law expert, told IPS: ”The new prince is now third in line to be the emperor of Japan. The discussion to change succession laws to the ancient monarchy is now going to be put on the backburner, which is a pity in this day and age.”

Ikegami referred to the Aug. 15 visit by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to the Yasukuni Shrine, where Japan’s war criminals are buried, delighting Japanese right-wingers. They have cheered Koizumi for standing up to Asian countries that bitterly criticise Japan for atrocities committed on their populations during the colonial period that stopped only with the 1945 defeat at the hands of the allied powers.

A right-wing extremist burned down the home of Koichi Kato, a politician, who was critical of Koizumi’s latest visit to the controversial shrine.

The birth of a boy, the third child of Prince Akishino, Emperor Akihito’s second son, and his wife, Princess Kiko, 39, marks the first male heir to be born to the imperial household in 41 years. The newborn is third in line after Crown Prince Naruhito and Prince Akishino.

The birth comes at a time when the country is riven over changing the 1947 imperial law that governs succession to the 2,500-year- old ‘Chrysanthemum Throne’, that has played a historical role in Japanese society.

The emperor was seen as a deity during the 19th century and despite his status being reduced to that of a symbol under the post-war constitution drawn up by the United States, he and the imperial family continue to preside over the country’s ancient culture and traditions.

But proponents of change argue that the modernisation of Japanese society must begin with the imperial family itself adapting to the changing times.

”Today’s birth of a prince has set Japan back a 100 years,” commented Haruko Watanabe, journalist and feminist. ‘’The issue we should be debating today is a law to allow Aiko, the daughter of the eldest prince of the imperial family, to succeed to the throne while wishing the new prince well.”

Indeed, a major aspect of the latest royal birth is the future status of the five-year-old princess, Aiko, who is the only child of Naruhito and his wife, Princess Masako.

A former diplomat and a graduate of Harvard and Oxford Universities, Masako, 41, is hugely popular with modern career women who admire her as an intelligent woman – a stance that works against conservative groups who refer to her disparagingly as ‘Americanised’.

Rightist websites have criticised the princess as ‘’not capable of producing a son,” and objected to her recent trip to Holland with her family as ‘’unbecoming for a princess”.

Masako’s reported bouts of depression, caused by intense pressure to produce a male heir, are seen as a tragedy for liberals and modernists-especially Japanese women who are now marrying late and pursuing careers.

”Masako could have played the role of bringing true modernism to Japan by being symbolic of those with a Westernised ,yet Japanese, background. If she had the support of Japanese society she could have worked for peace and acceptance of Japan in Asia,” pointed out Watanabe.

But, older observers say that while this is a viable argument, it is equally important to remember that the role of the royal family runs too deep in Japan to expect any major change in the near future.

Down the centuries a total of eight women have ascended the throne, but only as regents while suitable male heirs could take over.

Respected author, Aiko Sato, 92, who has won literary awards, explained to IPS that change is necessary for Japan but that it will take longer than expected. ‘’For the older generation, the imperial family is an embedded feature in our lives. We share their happiness and sorrow because we were educated during the pre-war years to identify ourselves with the monarchy,” she said.

Sato says Masako and Kiko represent two different types-the former a highly educated woman who married after she started a career, and the latter the teenage sweetheart who entered the Imperial Household as soon as she completed her university studies.

”The two princesses symbolise two different images in Japan. The ability to produce an heir is the winner in the current climate and, while this might sound archaic, it is important to remember that only 60 years ago, the Japanese public believed the emperor was their very identity and this image is difficult to break,” Sato said.