TOKYO: Japan celebrated the coming-of-age of Prince Hisahito with a formal ceremony at the Imperial Palace on Saturday amid growing concerns about the future of the imperial succession.
The 19-year-old nephew of Emperor Naruhito received a traditional black silk and lacquer crown during the elaborate ceremony marking his transition into royal adulthood.
Hisahito expressed gratitude for the honour while acknowledging his new responsibilities as an adult member of the imperial family.
He stands second in line to become emperor after his father under Japan’s current male-only succession rules.
The emperor’s 23-year-old daughter Princess Aiko remains excluded from the line of succession despite widespread public support for changing the tradition.
Recent opinion polls indicate strong public backing for allowing a woman to take the Chrysanthemum Throne in a nation where the imperial line supposedly stretches back 2,600 years.
Japan has debated royal succession reforms for decades with a government panel recommending gender-neutral succession rules as early as 2005.
Hisahito’s birth in 2006 effectively paused those discussions as politicians delayed addressing the underlying issue.
Traditionalists maintain that the unbroken male succession line forms the foundation of Japan and fear major changes would divide the nation.
Modernisation proposals include allowing royal women to maintain their duties after marriage rather than leaving the family entirely.
Conservatives prefer bringing distant male relatives back into the royal household despite uncertainty about their willingness to sacrifice careers and freedom.
Hisahito acknowledged this year that he has not deeply considered his own marriage prospects which historically present significant challenges.
Women marrying into the royal family have faced intense pressure to produce male heirs while becoming constant subjects of public scrutiny and media gossip.
Empress Masako developed stress-related illnesses after joining the household amid pressure to have a son following her career as a diplomat.
Hisahito’s sister Mako developed complex post-traumatic stress disorder from tabloid reporting about her husband’s family before relocating to the United States.
Royal historian Hideya Kawanishi notes that despite public support for reform attention quickly shifts to other issues like inflation after ceremonies conclude.
Politicians become more serious about addressing succession only when public discussion maintains momentum beyond ceremonial events. – AFP
