Empress Masako (Japan)

[Deleted]

The last I really saw anything about Masako was when she got married and was all dressed up in that 200-lb wedding dress. As far as royalty goes, I thought she was a refreshing change from Diana and hoped she would get a lot of media exposure. It's disappointing that the world's most intelligent royal is closeted up from the world.

[Deleted]

From the same article

Three times — in the 6th, 15th and 18th centuries — distant relatives from collateral branches of the imperial family ascended the throne after the main line ran out of male heirs. Eight Empresses have reigned, but all yielded to the male line after death or abdication.

So what's the difference? The Main Line flat lined.

You know genetically speaking, the X chromosome is a full bodied vital chromosome. The Y chromosome is a weakling, mutated, crippled Godzilla and Mothra type mess of a chromosome. Everybody wants an X chromosome and everybody has one. As for the Y chromosome---pretty much expendable. Wake up boys.

[phenobarbara]

I wish there was a way for Masako to go abroad on a "royal engagement" with her daughter and then defect. (no way in hell this could happen, since they don't let her out of her cage and even if she tried, they'd probably have her offed)

[kafka]

There have been some developments on the Masako and succession front. First, Masako went out in public to attend an exhibition co-organized by her husband. While the newspapers were wildly proclaiming it to be a return by the CPss to full duties, a closer reading of the stuff shows no such thing. The doctors ordered a nurse to attend to her at all times and be nearby and she was also quickly exhausted. One article which I posted to my board was interpreted by many people as being slightly ominous, if not creepy, in the way Masako's condition was talked about. She didn't seem better at all and, as a friend of mine said, "this article *reads* like she still has a million mountains to climb which leads me to think there are two possibilites for this: The first that she has *really* lost it and the second that the IHA want to send her really around the twist so Naruhito takes another bride." If anyone is interested, I'll try to go through the stacks to find the article and post here.

A bigger development regards the succession crisis. Anyone who follows the Japanese royal news regularly knows that every month or so, there is an article about the parliamentary panel and how it plans to propose that a female Empress rule as monarch. Each one of these stories is followed, almost like clockwork, by a story about the IHA and what they're doing to stop it. I posted one of the most recent ones here, regarding the IHA's obsession with finding a male to stop Aiko and a female Empress.

Well, guess what? The panel has finally given its proposals and, as expected, it includes the Empress option which was leaked for the past 18 months. BUT.... and this is a big "But".... lo' and behold, the IHA's solution has suddenly found its way onto the interim report. After almost 2 years of blabbing on about how they were going to recommend a female empress, the parliamentary panel has suddenly decided to put forth a SECOND proposal.... male heir adoption. The IHA option.

The IHA option... and just a few weeks after the leak about how the IHA was intent on finding a distant male relative and using adoption to stop the Empress succession option. Funny thing, that timing, no?

To be fair, the adoption thing was something which the IHA had always contemplated but it was never trumpeted about in any serious way, especially by the submissive/controlled/manipulated Japanese media, the way that the story was bandied about last month. That --- in and of itself --- means that the media's handlers (at least as it pertains to the monarchy), the IHA, weren't absolutely certain about it until just recently. But once they settled on that option as the best solution, then they went all out. And look what happened a few weeks later...

My personal opinion: the widespread leaks last month were deliberate, intentional and a message from the IHA about what they wanted. And what the IHA wants, the IHA gets.

And the parliamentary committee certainly seems to have paid attention....

The article on the conflicting proposals is linked below. It's from the Japan Times and is surprisingly candid for them:

Imperial succession proposals in conflict

[brinksteria]

Here it says the Imperial Household Agency operates under the Cabinet Office. So, technically, there should be loads of oversight from the Prime Minister, administrative heads of the Cabinet Office, etc. But, in practice, not so much. Back in the day, the IHA did have ultimate authority over imperial household stuff -- they weren't even bound by the Japanese constitution.

When the Japanese gov't reorganized, I think they just tucked the IHA into a slot in the organizational chart, for convenience sake. In reality, they just let the IHA run roughshod. Maybe they're being sentimental about tradition. And, sadly for Masako, the nervous breakdown of a princess isn't a priority with the gov't at all. It's like that crazy old aunt of yours that's hopelessly out-of-touch & steals your silverware. But you invite her to Thanksgiving anyway & are kinda happy to see her. Even if you think she's ridiculous.

[kafka]

brinksteria said:

When the Japanese gov't reorganized, I think they just tucked the IHA into a slot in the organizational chart, for convenience sake. In reality, they just let the IHA run roughshod.

I don't think they just tucked away the IHA into that slot accidentally or for convenience's sake. I think the IHA was deliberately placed in charge of the Imperial Family to ensure they didn't get out of line. Hirohito was still a figure to be reckoned with and he was deeply resentful of being kept on the periphery. Until the mid 60s, there were still cabinet ministers who would sneak away to tell him what was going on in the government. I think the Allied Powers thought it necessary to have a watchdog set up over the imperial family and the IHA's historic role made them ideal.

The Cabinet didn't (or doesn't) have time to deal with every little thing involving a family with a purely symbolic role and no concrete power at all, so the IHA ended up getting more and more control. Since they're the ones in charge of the purse strings, on a practical and daily level, so their power became even more substantial. When you add in the fact that the IHA controls and limits all access to the Imperial Family, then you get a situation like you have today.

[brinksteria]

That's a great point, Kafka. It was a clever way to keep the old Emperor in check. Take away ALL his former political power. Then have him managed by a group obsessed with ceremony & protocol ... what to wear, how to behave. The would-be emperor of the world then becomes a castrated paper doll.

The re-org I was talking about was the Japanese gov't re-org in 2001, when the Cabinet Office was created. Sorry, I wasn't specific about that at all. It seemed they nudged the IHA lower in the official hierarchy by putting a few more administrative layers between the agency & the prime minister. But it really didn't matter, because the IHA still seems to operate as if beholden to no one.

In any case, I think we're in complete agreement that having the IHA run things lightens the workload of other bureaucrats, who are probably apathetic about it all anyway. I mean, conceivably, there's a Cabinet vice-premier & others who have oversight over the IHA. If they thought Masako's situation was messed up, they could check the IHA. Maybe they did, but not publicly?

[kafka]

I'm so sorry, Brinksteria, I completely misunderstood the time frame you were talking about. I thought you were discussing the initial reorganization of the govt. back in 1946.

I also didn't mean to imply that you were wrong about the govt. not caring too much about Masako's condition. When I was talking about the IHA being left to deal with the daily aspects of things, I was really trying to answer Moldy Tofu's question about how the IHA became so powerful.

I totally agree with you about the IHA being convenient for the govt. but I'm really not sure the PM would ever rebuke them, even privately. IMO, Kozuimi gives lip-service to the idea of a female Empress but he's much more involved with other things. For example, Yasukuni. He's trying to arrange the end of the govt. and the new elections in time to let him attend the Shrine on the 60th anniversary of the war's end, as he promised when first running for power. Then there's also the pesky matter of things like trying to get Japan remilitarized beyond just the National Defense stuff with its constitutionally limited role. So, caring about how the IHA handles things and rebuking them? Not a chance, imo.

I think your example about the crazy aunt is a good one, sad as that is. Except this crazy aunt is stuck away in a prison of sorts, and all because her husband's chromosomes produce girls. Nuts, totally nuts.

BTW, I'm so glad I've found some people to share my Japanese obsession with. Everyone else has reached the point of just patting me on the head and hoping I'll shut up. <G>

[brinksteria]

kafka, it's all good. I took absolutely zero offense. I'm enjoying the chit-chat.

kafka said:

I think your example about the crazy aunt is a good one, sad as that is. Except this crazy aunt is stuck away in a prison of sorts, and all because her husband's chromosomes produce girls. Nuts, totally nuts.

Yikes, no!! I meant to compare the IHA to the crazy aunt .... NOT Masako. Like that's why Japanese gov't officials indulge the IHA, because of the officials' long-held affection for tradition ... they turn a blind-eye to the IHA's abuses ... as if the IHA were their crazy aunt.

::gasp:: Comparing Masako, who's suffering from depression, to a crazy person would've been so wrong of me. I think I'll just quit coming up with tortured analogies for a while (until I can express them more clearly).

Hey, in the mean time, if you come across any "Free Masako!" T-shirts, give a heads-up.

[kafka]

brinksteria said:

Yikes, no!! I meant to compare the IHA to the crazy aunt .... NOT Masako. Like that's why Japanese gov't officials indulge the IHA, because of the officials' long-held affection for tradition ... they turn a blind-eye to the IHA's abuses ... as if the IHA were their crazy aunt.

::gasp:: Comparing Masako, who's suffering from depression, to a crazy person would've been so wrong of me. I think I'll just quit coming up with tortured analogies for a while (until I can express them more clearly).

LOL! No, it's not you. It's obviously *my* continued inability to read things. I thought you were saying that, *to the Japanese Govt.*, Masako was like one of those crazy aunts whom you put up with and are occasionally glad to see. (BTW, I never thought *you* felt she was crazy).

Maybe I should go to bed and hope that my ability to interpret things improves in the morning.

brinksteria said:

Hey, in the mean time, if you come across any "Free Masako!" T-shirts, give a heads-up.

Hey, that's a great idea. I know 4 people who would buy one, myself not included.

In the meantime, I found the article I'd mentioned on on Masako supposedly "improving." Go here. Some of my friends found the discussion a little worrying or creepy because:

(1) the emphasis is on how Masako must be *seen* to be improving, regardless of whether she actually is or not;
(2) she doesn't really sound as though she's better at all; and
(3) the IHA doesn't let the media ask Masako herself how she's doing but, instead, has quotes from govt. officials or aides. It's as though they're scared to have the media come anywhere too close to the princess in case they see something. Or, in case she says something.

Personally, I thought it was much more worrying that the doctors insisted on a nurse to be at her elbow. (That's in another article, not this one.) This was one small, mini excursion which lasted for only a few hours and she needed a nurse hovering by for every minute??!?!?! She didn't need it on prior small outings, so it seems to me as though she's become a *lot* worse.