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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 30 april 2019

Succession this week to shrink Japan's imperial heirs to 2

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Chinese characters means amid intense attention on
KAORI HITOMI a virtuous person, will as- a possible male heir. Hisa-
Associated Press cend the Chrysanthemum hito's birth halted a govern-
TOKYO (AP) — Japan's im- Throne on Wednesday as ment debate on whether
perial family is relatively the 126th emperor in a line to change the succession
small and will shrink further dating to the fifth centu- rules to allow a female em-
in the coming years. Only ry. A historian and a viola peror.
one of Emperor Akihito's player, Naruhito is Japan's ___
four grandchildren is a first emperor-to-be to have PRINCE HISAHITO, 12
male who can ascend to studied abroad and could The only male of Akihito's
the throne. The three prin- expand his role to global is- four grandchildren, Hisa-
cesses likely will lose their sues. He has pledged to in- hito will be second in line to
royal status eventually, herit his father's devotion to the throne when the new
since they are required to peace and compassion for era begins, and there is
do so if they marry com- the people, while exploring nobody left after him. The
moners. Akihito's daughter his own style. male-only succession rules
lost her imperial status after Naruhito married a Har- maintained by the govern-
marrying a local govern- vard-educated former ment and its right-wing sup-
ment official. diplomat, Masako. After porters put him on the spot,
A look at the imperial fam- graduating from Gakush- with heavy pressure to pro-
ily as Akihito abdicates on uin, a private school for duce a male heir. Akihito's
Tuesday: former aristocrats, Naruhito abdication reminded the
___ studied at Oxford University government of a need to
EMPRESS MICHIKO, 84 and authored a paper on resume discussion on how
Akihito's wife, born Michiko the historical Thames River to maintain the royal popu-
Shoda, is the daughter of a water transportation sys- lation and a stable succes-
wealthy businessman who tems. His only child is Prin- sion.
led the Nissin Flour Milling cess Aiko, 17. In this July 7, 2013, file photo, Japanese Empress Michiko watch- ___
es a concert of the Gakushuin university's alumni in which Crown
Co. She graduated from ___ Prince Naruhito plays the viola at Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre in PRINCESS MAKO, 27
the University of the Sa- CROWN PRINCESS MASA- Tokyo. The oldest of Akihito's four
cred Heart with top hon- KO, 55 Associated Press grandchildren and sister of
ors in English literature and Harvard-educated Masa- Hisahito, Mako has been
has written and translated ko Owada had a promising ___ tionately known as prince a target of tabloid cover-
children's books. Michiko future as a diplomat when PRINCESS AIKO, 17 "catfish," his research sub- age due to her boyfriend's
met Akihito at a 1957 tennis she captured Naruhito's The only child of Naruhito ject, Fumihito has visited family debt scandal that
tournament remembered eye at a 1986 tea party. It and Masako would have Thailand a number of times pushed back their planned
as a "love match," and the took Naruhito seven years been next in line to the to study fisheries and the marriage to 2020 amid
couple married two years of waiting, during which throne if born in a gender- domestication of chickens. growing uncertainty. Her
later. Masako studied at Oxford equal nation. But Japan's He met his wife, Kiko, at college classmate and
Michiko was the first com- and refused him twice. She Imperial House Law only Gakushuin University, boyfriend, Kei Komuro, is
moner to marry an emper- finally accepted his pro- allows males to rule. As a where both were students. now studying law at Ford-
or and was part of many posal and the two married child, Aiko enjoyed watch- Contrary to his brother's at- ham University in New York.
changes Akihito brought in 1993. ing sumo and memorized tentive team-player image, ___
to Japan's ancient monar- Despite growing expec- wrestlers' names and ranks. Fumihito is said to be free- PRINCESS KAKO, 24
chy. They broke tradition by tations that she may help Having parents who stud- spirited and outspoken, at The second-oldest of Aki-
raising their three children modernize and internation- ied in Britain, Aiko has par- times critical of his elder hito's grandchildren, Kako
instead of leaving their alize the palace, Masako ticipated in a summer pro- brother. He and Kiko have recently graduated from
care to palace staff. They has largely receded from gram at Eton College. two daughters and a son. International Christian Uni-
traveled around Japan, the public since the early ___ ___ versity in Tokyo, where she
reaching out to those with 2000s after giving birth to PRINCE FUMIHITO, 53 PRINCESS KIKO, 52 studied psychology. She
disabilities or other difficul- daughter Aiko and devel- The younger of Akihito's Kiko, formerly Kiko Kawashi- won't seek a job and is ex-
ties. When the couple met oping stress-induced de- two sons, Fumihito is bet- ma, grew up in the U.S. and pected to take on official
people coping with disas- pression. In 2004, Naruhito ter known as Akishino, his Austria and lived in mod- duties as a member of the
ters, Michiko led the inter- subtly criticized the heat- childhood title, and will be est housing after returning royal family. Kako spent a
actions, typically kneeling ed attention and pressure crown prince during Na- to Japan. She was called year studying performing
on the floor "Heisei style," placed on Masako to pro- ruhito's reign. His future stint the "apartment princess" arts at Leeds University in
named after Akihito's era. duce a boy while depriving will be short, if at all, and when she married Fumihito Britain and enjoys hip-hop
___ her of foreign visits. Naruhi- there is speculation that Fu- in 1990. Twelve years after dancing. She has pub-
CROWN PRINCE NARUHITO, to says Masako is steadily mihito may skip his turn and the couple had their sec- lished photo books as her
59 recovering and hopes to hand it to his 12-year-old ond daughter, Kiko gave looks and fashion gained
Naruhito, whose name in gradually expand her role. son, Prince Hisahito. Affec- birth to Hisahito in 2006 followers.q