At midnight tonight, Japanese Emperor Akihito steps down, and Crown Prince Naruhito becomes the new Emperor, Thirty years on the throne-not a bad run.
Banzai! Banzai! Banzai!
(for Naruhito)
I wish Asian monarchies and officialdom would finally step back from outdated English/European formal wear. It looks so out of place.
That said, while I recognize that white has respectful connotations in much of Asia, his wife almost looked like a ghostly spectre, in the photos I’ve seen!
Nobody will notice her at the ceremony…because females apparently aren’t allowed.
I don’t know what the future holds for him, but I’m going to imagine a retirement community buddy comedy with him and Pope Sidious.
Note from Queen Elizabeth II: “Sorry to hear the temp job didn’t work out.”
Note to QE II: “See, mother? That’s how it’s done”. Love, Chuckie.
So now Naruhito takes on the duty of calling Ultraman when Tokyo is threatened by Kaiju.
Susumu Kurobe (Hayata) is still alive and acting. It could happen.
~Max
Here’s a post from a few years ago that touches on the problems that the monarchy might face one day if the Crown Prince’s nephew does not produce any male heirs.
But, did he let the punishment fit the crime, the punishment fit the crime?
I suppose he might have a little list…
My best wishes to the new Japanese Emperor. I hope his wife the Empress, in particular, will have a happier life from now on.
I also hope Japan will finally get around to adopting absolute primogeniture for acceding to the throne.
Something to do with boiling oil…or melted lead. Yes, I’m quite sure melted lead came into it somewhere.
The Royal Family, and thus the Emperor position, is doomed. It is very small and has no allowance for bringing in any new blood while retaining the throne.
And the new guy looks like WWE’s Funaki.
Is it petty of me to be having a bit of enjoyment, knowing that Masako is now the empress and in total control of the court life that they used to bully her for so long?
Guess who’s making the rules now?
Revenge can be sweet! Go, girl!
Agreed; they’ll go extinct unless they allow female succession of some sort, but I don’t see that happening any time soon.
Admiral Halsey rests easy.
So you’re saying everyone has to bow, bow, to his daughter-in-law elect?
I think they will change the succession law out of necessity but I will be surprised if it’s a move to absolute primogeniture–that seems like a bridge too far for such a tradition-bound society. I would bet on either semi-Salic law (like what the House of Romanov had) or, at best, cognatic primogeniture.
Agnatic primogeniture isn’t inherently problematic in terms of heirs, it’s just that Japan’s royal family has had a surprising total paucity of males. Liechtenstein also has agnatic primogeniture and at last count they had a line of at least 53 eligible male heirs.