WP: Expectant Princess Has Japan Hoping for Fairy Tale Ending

[kskiska]

TOKYO, Feb. 7 -- What's the only thing better than a princess? For some in Japan, the answer became as clear as a glass slipper on Tuesday -- a possible prince.

After decades of girls, girls, girls, the Imperial Household Agency stunned the nation on Tuesday by confirming rumors that 39-year-old Princess Kiko, wife of Emperor Akihito's second son, Prince Akishino, is pregnant -- reportedly by about six weeks. The news came as the Japanese government was putting the final touches on a historic bill that would allow females to ascend the 2,000-year-old Chrysanthemum Throne.

The mere possibility of a long-awaited male heir is a fairy tale come true for conservatives here who bitterly oppose female succession. In Tokyo political circles, passage of the bill to break open the world's oldest male-dominated monarchy suddenly no longer looked so likely.

If the baby is a boy, he will be the first male born into Japan's royal family since Akishino in 1965. His birth, many here say, could quash a growing movement to let 4-year-old Princess Aiko, the only child of Crown Prince Naruhito and his wife, Princess Masako, ascend the throne after her father as a reigning empress.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/07/AR2006020700478.html

[Botany]

1. Wow a women in Japan is going to have a baby.

Call me when I could give a rip.

Royalty; East, West, North, or South bunch of junk.

I don't buy into kings or queens or woodland fairies, or flying carpets or warlocks or .....
pure junk!

[blue neen]

2. "Imperial Household Agency"

In Washington that's known as the NSA.

[Triana]

3. Gee. Another mysogenist patriarchy...*yawn*

If there was some news about dismantling some of these patriarchal strongholds - including in the US, now THAT would be some news. Otherwise, it's patriarchal business as usual, denigrate females and women and relegate them to second-class citizen status in all of society.

Yadda, yadda yadda...same here as there etc. Poo. :pileofshiticonhere: (we need a pile of poop icon!)

[CottonBear]

4. Japan's culture & society is very different than the western world.

The Crown Princess has suffered great mental distress because of the pressure to produce a male heir. (She has a little girl.)

If her sister-in-law has a boy and thus relieves her pain, that will be good.

[Solon]

5. Then again, she shouldn't have been put under stess to begin with...

Male sperm decides the sex of the baby, not the female egg, so the pressure should be on the Prince, not her. Besides which, while royalty looks nice on film, and is great as a plot device, I can't wait for the major Monarchies of the world to dissolve, hopefully non-violently. Look at Great Britian, I don't know about you, but considering the skepticism of many there, I doubt that monarchy will last a further 2 generations, and unlike past ones, there will not be another dynasty to replace it.

[Spinzonner]

9. Oh yeah ?

Why have her eggs been discriminating against his Y-chromosone sperm for fertilization ?

:-)

[Darth_Kitten]

12. The monarchy in Great Britain is not the true one anyways....

after they sidelined the true succession (wouldn't allow Catholics on the throne). :D I wouldn't mind seeing them go.

[LisaL]

6. Maybe they should just get into 21st century and give up

their chauvinistic ways?

[Art_from_Ark]

7. Japan is very much in the 21st century in most things that matter

Only a few ultra conservatives are going to get their knickers in a knot if this new baby isn't a boy.

[CottonBear]

8. True, The government is moving to allow the little princess to succeed

to the throne after the Crown Prince. Her mother, Princess Masako, is Harvard educated, multi-lingual diplomat by training and (former profession). She turned down the Crown Princes' proposal at least twice. Perhaps she would have been happier NOT as the Crown Princess.

Here's an interesting message board about Asian royals:
http://members.boardhost.com/Asianroyal/index.html

[Darth_Kitten]

11. And just who was causing her the mental distress?

Japan's culture and society. Shame on them.

[CTyankee]

10. Betcha they had one of those doctors

who separates the sperm to get the desired sex and then artificially inseminates the woman.

[LibertyLover]

13. Japan had several reigning empresses in its history.

This "Salic Law" thing is relatively recent. They should go back to tradition and allow females to assume the Chrysanthemum throne in their own right.

[DainBramaged]

14. Wonder if she can cook or clean (yawn) another baby machine

From the society that brought you karaoke comes the story of a Princess, who's only goal in life is to produce a male child for no one in particular to get excited about.

I think I need to see if I have some bread to toast, need to eat today.:sarcasm: