2006年9月18日月曜日

Who should be the Emperor?

These years, there is a dispute about Imperial succession in Japan. There are two perspective. One is that allows woman to take over the throne. The other denies woman to accede it. Now imperial house low doesn't allow imperial princess to accede to be a emperor.



Those who argue accession by female often base on principle of the equality of the sexes. Sexual equality is a concept accepted as common sense by Japanese civil society. However, that claim is not logical consistency.



Sexual equality is a human rights issue. On the other hand, Japanese emperor must not go where he want to go. He must not say what he want to say. He must not resign from his imperial throne. For this reason, if they base on sexual equality, they must argue abolition of Emperor system. Japanese emperor isn't guaranteed a human right! Thus, It is impossible to argue human rights and continuation of emperor system at the same time.



We must view this throne issues from the perspective of other, namely it is traditional culture. In fact, there were eight female emperors in history. Thus, I think it is possible that Imperial princess accede to throne. First there was no boy in imperial families. If we hope continuation of emperor system, we have to allow girl to be a emperor. But this issue was freeze up by an imperial prince, who is a son of a Imperial Prince Akishino who is a younger son of the current emperor, was born about ten days ago.

Even If princess Aiko, who is a imperial princess whose father is Crown Prince Naruhito who is a elder son of current emperor Akihito, become a emperor, eventually Princess Aiko must give a way her imperial throne to Satohito who is her cousin. There is no precedent that female emperor's child took over the throne. We call this male-line-succession.



The Picture I attached is a photo of KItain temple in Kawagoe city. The buddhist temple is belonging in Tendai sect professed by mainly descendants of Japanese Emperors.







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