Japan’s beloved Princess Aiko is often cheered like a pop star.
During a visit to Nagasaki with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, the sound of her name being screamed by well-wishers along the roads overwhelmed the cheers for her parents.
As she turns 24 on Monday, her supporters want to change Japan’s male-only succession law, which prohibits Aiko, the emperor’s only child, from becoming monarch.
Along with frustration that the discussion on succession rules has stalled, there’s a sense of urgency. Japan’s shrinking monarchy is on the brink of extinction. Naruhito’s teenage nephew is the only eligible heir from the younger generation.
This feels so backwards.
It’s always japan. They rushed everything except culture in the race
Well a monarchy is backwards and women not being allowed to become monarch is also backwards… So then we’re looking forward, right?
Crazy to think this family started WW2 with the Nazis and here we are talking about how she should be able to be empress.
The Japanese Imperial family is still in power because the US found them a useful tool for controlling the Japanese population after the war. Also she is not responsible for the sins/crimes of her grandfather.
If the Japanese people wish to idolize her and make her the Empress who are we to deny their wishes?
Agreed on her not being responsible for the sins of her grandfather, but it’s kinda fucked up that her grandfather was allowed to keep ruling after WWII, rather than being replaced by a family member or something.
Blame Douglas McArthur, he came up with the idea of keeping her grandfather as Emperor and he made sure to exclude any evidence that could be used to try him for war crimes.
Japanese conservative monarchists are wild.
Look up the Google Maps reviews of the imperial palace. For some context, the majority of the imperial palace is completely off limits to the general public (in stark contrast to most developed countries), and the royal family does a new years greeting.
The reviews are monarchists unironically saying things like that they travelled for days, lined up for hours, caught a glimpse of one of the royal family, were temporarily transported to heaven, and will dedicate their lives hoping for the forever prosperity of the royal family.
