Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Japan's ruling party may open way for woman to reign
Reuters Tokyo, November 17
Japan's ruling party wants to revise the Constitution to make it possible for a woman to ascend the throne and to officially designate the emperor head of state, according to a draft proposal released on Wednesday.
Under present law, only males can succeed to the throne and the postwar Constitution defines the emperor as a national symbol, a way of maintaining the institution but stripping it of political authority.
Until the end of World War Two, Japan's sovereign was revered as a living god and was the central figure in a state Shinto religion that helped mobilise the population in the war effort.
The current heir to the throne, Crown Prince Naruhito, and his wife, Princess Masako, have only a daughter, two-year-old Aiko. No boys have been born into any branch of the Imperial family for nearly 40 years.
Few Japanese seem to oppose the idea of a reigning empress, but some analysts said that officially designating the emperor head of state could prove more controversial.
"Of course it would not be a big change, but you can say that this might strengthen nationalism in a number of areas," said Muneyuki Shindo, a politics professor at Chiba University.
According to an initial draft of revisions drawn up by a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) panel, inheritance would be dynastic, regardless of gender.
The emperor would be the "head of state of Japan, a symbol of Japanese history, tradition, culture and unity", the draft says.
The US-drafted Constitution that took effect in 1947 states that the emperor "shall be the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people".
The LDP plans to finalise the outline next month and announce a final draft of revisions in November 2005, the 50th anniversary of the conservative party's founding, media said.
Debate has mounted recently over Japan's succession law, with proponents of change saying it should be brought into line with modern laws on gender equality and noting that most European monarchies allow succession by both sexes.
Royal watchers also say that pressure on Princess Masako to bear a male child may be one cause of a stress-related disorder that sent her into seclusion for almost a year.
The crown prince's younger brother, Akishino, was the last male born into the Imperial family, in 1965. Akishino's children are both girls.
Recent surveys have shown that some 80 per cent of Japanese do not object to the idea of a ruling empress, but designating the emperor head of state might suggest to some that he has been given more power, an uncomfortable reminder of the past.
Shindo said that while the revision in many ways simply clarified the role of the emperor, who already acts as head of state for ceremonial functions such as receiving new ambassadors to Japan, it could symbolise broader trends some find worrying.
"You can't deny the fact of a nationalist ideology," he said, citing moves such as the directive issued last year by the Tokyo city government that high school teachers must stand and sing the national anthem, which some see as unwelcome forced patriotism.
"As for changing the succession rules, given the current situation, the emperor system could be in danger unless women can take the throne," he added. "It has nothing to do with gender equality."
© HT Media Ltd. 2004.