Sliding into Slightly Forbidden Areas
Anyway, yeah, I'm stepping into areas I don't normally talk about. I don't normally talk about contervestay topics, but this one is a bit different and I've got to talk about it.
Today I found out that Princess Kiko of the Japanese Royal Family is pregnant. This is her third child and she's 39 (her first two children are two girls ages 13 and 11).
For those of you who don't know, Japan is in the middle (or was, but I'll get to that in a minute) a debate on whether or not to allow a woman to take the throne as Empress. Currently, there are no male children that has been born after the children of the Emperor. I believe there's the two daughters of Kiko and her husband, the Prince Akishino, Mako and Kako, and the daughter of
Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, Aiko.
The debate is further marred with the mental condidtion of Princess Masako. She was a well educated woman, speaking 3 different lanuages and was a dipolmat for the UN before she married Naruhito. Masako pretty much traveled a lot before marriage, but afterwards, hardly leaves the palace. She suffered a collaspe at one point, which caused Naruhito to publically air his displeasure (and I put that nicely).
The Imperial Household Agnecy (or IHA), from what I've learned, pretty much controls the royal family. Masako was put under a lot of pressure to produce a male. Two members of the IHA publically said they recommend the Crown Prince and Princess do so (and suggest the same to the Prince and Princess, but more of that later). Many who watch the Japanese Royal Family say Masako is a shadow of her former self. She's not allowed to be herself at all (I believe she got repermanded for talking to the presidents of the US and Russia!).
From what I've heard, on the birthday of the Empress (the wife of the current Emperor, of course), a press release was sent out, which critized the Crown Princess (but the tone was not bad, it was soft, however, the point was made clear) and the birthday of Prince Akishino, he had a press conferience where he critized his brother! And that was unheard of in most Japanese families (so is what Naruhito did).
As I said, with Aiko the only child of the Crown Prince, debate was up to change the laws to allow a female to take the throne. However, conservatives and the IHA are against it, clearly. Also, as most people watching this said, due to Princess Kiko's age and the surrounding debate that this pregnancy was likely planned. Some are saying that the IHA made sure that the baby is a boy due to test tubes because this has been announced to early, she's only six weeks. Most of the time, announcements would be made in the last three months where the least amount of problems could surface.
I disagree with the whole test tube choosing the genger thing. Maybe it's possible, but I think it was announced this early to prevent the Japanese Prime Minister from going ahead with changing the law to allow females to take the throne. Junichiro Koizumi is stepping down this fall and he's the primary backing of the law, most members of his party don't like it and likely won't follow through. Already there's talk of this being shelved until they know the gender of Kiko's baby (through Koizumi denies this, thankfully). By the time Kiko's baby is born, Koizumi would have stepped down and the law may not be changed.
Meh. Just change the law. Stubborn people. I feel so sorry for Naruhito, Masako and Aiko.
Today I found out that Princess Kiko of the Japanese Royal Family is pregnant. This is her third child and she's 39 (her first two children are two girls ages 13 and 11).
For those of you who don't know, Japan is in the middle (or was, but I'll get to that in a minute) a debate on whether or not to allow a woman to take the throne as Empress. Currently, there are no male children that has been born after the children of the Emperor. I believe there's the two daughters of Kiko and her husband, the Prince Akishino, Mako and Kako, and the daughter of
Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, Aiko.
The debate is further marred with the mental condidtion of Princess Masako. She was a well educated woman, speaking 3 different lanuages and was a dipolmat for the UN before she married Naruhito. Masako pretty much traveled a lot before marriage, but afterwards, hardly leaves the palace. She suffered a collaspe at one point, which caused Naruhito to publically air his displeasure (and I put that nicely).
The Imperial Household Agnecy (or IHA), from what I've learned, pretty much controls the royal family. Masako was put under a lot of pressure to produce a male. Two members of the IHA publically said they recommend the Crown Prince and Princess do so (and suggest the same to the Prince and Princess, but more of that later). Many who watch the Japanese Royal Family say Masako is a shadow of her former self. She's not allowed to be herself at all (I believe she got repermanded for talking to the presidents of the US and Russia!).
From what I've heard, on the birthday of the Empress (the wife of the current Emperor, of course), a press release was sent out, which critized the Crown Princess (but the tone was not bad, it was soft, however, the point was made clear) and the birthday of Prince Akishino, he had a press conferience where he critized his brother! And that was unheard of in most Japanese families (so is what Naruhito did).
As I said, with Aiko the only child of the Crown Prince, debate was up to change the laws to allow a female to take the throne. However, conservatives and the IHA are against it, clearly. Also, as most people watching this said, due to Princess Kiko's age and the surrounding debate that this pregnancy was likely planned. Some are saying that the IHA made sure that the baby is a boy due to test tubes because this has been announced to early, she's only six weeks. Most of the time, announcements would be made in the last three months where the least amount of problems could surface.
I disagree with the whole test tube choosing the genger thing. Maybe it's possible, but I think it was announced this early to prevent the Japanese Prime Minister from going ahead with changing the law to allow females to take the throne. Junichiro Koizumi is stepping down this fall and he's the primary backing of the law, most members of his party don't like it and likely won't follow through. Already there's talk of this being shelved until they know the gender of Kiko's baby (through Koizumi denies this, thankfully). By the time Kiko's baby is born, Koizumi would have stepped down and the law may not be changed.
Meh. Just change the law. Stubborn people. I feel so sorry for Naruhito, Masako and Aiko.