Japan may adopt heir

[kskiska]

JAPAN will consider allowing the country's royal family to adopt a male in a bid to avert a possible heir crisis a report said yesterday.

Japan's imperial household law only allows a man to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne, but no boy has been born to the Japanese royal family since Prince Akishino in 1965.

Emperor Akihito's eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, 44, and his wife Crown Princess Masako, 41, have a daughter, Crown Princess Aiko who is three.

(snip)

To avert a possible heir crisis, the Government will consider adopting a male from former royal members who lost imperial titles after World War II, the conservative Sankei Shimbun newspaper said, quoting imperial sources.

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http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,12028100%5E663,00.html

[Kagemusha]

1. Oh christ.

There is no heir crisis except that created by the Diet really.. I'd like to know what the *real* thinking is here. (And no, I mean, seriously, I would. I'd like to understand a side I don't understand at all right now.)

[tsuki]

12. I think the entire "Royal" may be in trouble. There are those that

never forgave Hirohito for not apologizing. And they called into question whether the royal house was fit or needed.

[thinkingwoman]

2. oh yes, better to adopt

can't just let the daughter ascend to the throne.

God forbid.

geesh.

[Sannum]

3. Wouldn't be easier

for the evil Household Agency just to let Masako off the hook, and let beautiful Aiko take the throne one day? In 20 years, almost all of the monarchs in the world will be female. The Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Norway all have female heirs. Britain has had a female monarch for more than 50 years.

[Kagemusha]

4. That means she'll be getting a 'special education'

fit for a head of state.

The first time I heard that I almost puked. I can only begin to imagine the nightmare.

[mordarlar]

16. Can you explain?

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. And yet the rules in the UK are biased towards a male heir

the male children take precedence over female ones - despite the 2 most popular monarchs in the last 200 years being the women. Apparently, when Blair became PM, and tried to raise this with the Queen (it's a good time, because the next 2 generations are male oldest children anyway), he was told she definitely wants to keep it that way.

[LiberalEsto]

5. incredible sexism

Why are so many people so frightened of women having power?

[barb162]

17. When you look at Elizabeth l of England and some other

female monarchs,it should make some people wonder about the fear of women as monarchs.

[Spinzonner]

6. This truly is

a heir-raising crisis

[GAspnes]

7. Heir today

gown tomorrow.

[Ilsa]

8. So are they going to steal away their relatives baby? How sick!

What if one of the relatives with a male baby doesn't want to give up their child? This is pathetic. No wonder "royals" are so f#&ked up.

[Selteri]

11. With the way an adoption like that works they would 'adopt'

in name and improve the stature and education of the boy to fit the Royal Heir's requirements but have the parents there as the blood parents. Especially when the event is being made so publically already.

[fortyfeetunder]

9. Probably stressed out Masako to the point

she can't carry another pregnancy to term, and now they want her to adopt a kid for a heir? What kind of bullshit is that?

Japanese women ought to stand up and say enough is enough.

[barb162]

18. she's only 41 and if she wanted to have another kid, she should.

But if she doesn't, well, that's another story.

[Selteri]

10. Japan's Fudal Laws don't count women as being capable

Ans they are not as an elightened society in some ways to how women are treated.

There are still a number of women's rights issues to still to be tackled.

For instance, there are still some arranged marriages in Japan.

There is still a huge problem of sexual harassment in Japan that really wasn't seen so openly as in America. The commuter train systems have gotten so bad as there are now women's only train cars because the groping has gotten so bad on some lines.

They are showing progress, but it isn't as far as some countries have gotten. They do have female members of their parlament which is a huge step forward and they are improving, they're just about 60 and 200 years behind the average American where it comes to women's rights. Still, they sure beat the heck out of us when it comes to their nations attitude toward war. They've got daily protests in their news over having even a few of their army members over there.

[MADem]

15. They treat women like crap in Japan

The stuff they get away with in the workcenter would curl your hair. Harassment is considered an amusing, no-harm-meant sport, not an offense. Of course, they think they are being chivalrous--the old "it's a compliment to the great beauty of the woman to have some smelly old drunken asshole paw you" defense. After all, they DO give the women a day off every month (menstrual leave) in addition to their regular holiday....so they should be grateful, right? And they don't pay them as much, because, ya know, they aren't primary breadwinners, see. And promotions?? Get to the back of the line, cutie!

Japanese women who scored a job working for a US company, the US military or the embassy counted their lucky stars--at least that was the case during the years I lived there.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

13. What's ironic is that Japan had empresses in the past

and this "boys only" rule is a legacy of the nineteenth century Meiji constitution.

The Emperor Taisho, Hirohito's father, was the child of an imperial mistress, because Emperor Meiji had no legitimate son.

As far as "adopting" an heir is concerned, back in the old days, imperial children were not brought up by their parents but by a staff of servants. Crown Prince Naruhito was, I believe, the first prince brought up entirely by his own parents.

When I was in Japan in September, they had TV features about Aiko, showing how cute and bright she is. (She did seem very advanced for her age.) I wonder if it was the family campaigning to have her allowed to ascend to the throne.

[xxqqqzme]

19. hey, here's a thought

change the f*cking law!

[calimary]

23. Granted, I do not know Japanese culture or law very well, but that

certainly was my first thought.

Why can't they change the law? Or call it an amendment or adjustment or something if the concept of "change" is too unbearable? I mean, it IS the 21st Century (even if the clock seems to be ticking backwards toward the Dark Ages here in America)...

But again, I realize, I don't know the culture or traditions in Japan, so it's easy for me to say.

[Lisa]

20. more women than men in Japan, and as the population ages ...

... this will only tip the ratio further towards the females.

As a female of Japanese ancestry -- I say we can take 'em!


The British are considering changing the law (removing male primogeniture) so first-born girls can inherit the throne.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/monarchy/story/0,2763,1390642,00.html

[Matilda]

21. Sweden has already done it.

Crown Princess Viktoria will inherit ahead of her brothers.

Swedish society didn't collapse in a heap at the news.

[sweetheart]

22. They could aways sew a ceremonial penis on the daughter

Stupid woman haters. Rather than adopt a man, why not show the
people that you are an equal society for men and women?

If they really need a man, my dog say's he'll do it, but only if
he gets a medium-rare steak every morning.

God help us all if they adopt bush and get him out of our hair...
Then he can retire far away and the japanese government can have the
asshole they helped to win the last election... fairs fair.