Earlier this week Japan announced that they are scrapping the plans to change the rules of succession. Without a male heir to the throne - the Crown Prince has only one child, Princess Aiko, and his brother, Prince Akishino, has two daughters (Princess Sayako married a "commoner" and is out) - the Japanese monarchy will end with the present Crown Prince unless Japan allows women to succeed the throne. Reform was under way until it was announced last week that Prince Akishino and his wife are expecting again. The sex of the baby is not known yet but everyone is hoping for a boy.
Suits them right if it's another girl!
Conservatives in Japan also argue that since women are closely associated with blood through menstruation and childbirth, woman cannot ascend the throne since blood is strictly forbidden in sacred places.
Sounds like something Aristotle (or was it Plato?) would have said, who believed that a woman's emotional life and her lack of control over her feelings made her blood boil, forcing her to let it out once a month...
Blood is sacred, not filthy. And besides, it could be useful to have an Emperor who can bleed for 5 days without dying.
ReplyDeleteBritain has been quite well served by its queens. The Elizabeths have both had quite a run of peace and prosperity, for instance.
I bet it's a girl. Hahhahahaha.
It seems that when it comes to the blood line, blood is sacred, but when it's outside the body it's a different matter. Or just plainly in women.
ReplyDeleteGrrr! I do hope they have another girl! Ha!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I did manage to post the list of weird things about me on Sunday :-) Thank you for tagging me!
Princess Masako was an independant smart lady with a whole life ahead of her before her marriage to the crown prince. And then the prince fell in love and wooed her. Now suddenly she's a failure because she hasn't produced a male heir? I hope for Masako's sake it is a BOY. And she regains some of her zest for life back once more. But I do agree, the japs need to realise how their rule of succesion is something worth changing. A change doesn't mean weakness, it means adapting to the situation and moving ahead with the rest of the world.
ReplyDeleteEdina - I agree with you totally!
ReplyDeleteA point of clarification though. It's not Masako who's pregnant but her sister-in-law who already has two girls in the ages of 11 and 13. If it was Masako I'd really for a boy too, for her sake, as she's under a lot of pressure.
aaaah:) Thanks for pointing out the mistake. Such a lot of bother...just to produce a male. That's Asian culture for you.
ReplyDeleteI won't get on my soapbox about this one because I'll write forever if I get started. I get rabid about the stupid things men / various cultures do to women.
ReplyDelete