However, Queen Elizabeth has been the Monarch of the United Kingdom (and other nations) since 1952. Making her the longest serving British monarch, and second longest in the world. Behind King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.
Emperor Akihito of Japan, however, has not been on the Chrysanthemum throne as long as Queen Elizabeth has in the UK. This week sees the 20th aniversary of his accession to the throne.
The Emperor of Japan is, under article 1 of Japan's post-war constitution, the symbolic figurehead of the nation. Something for the public to look up to, and rally around. Like Queen Elizabeth II in Great Britain, he has few political powers, and his role is largely ceremonial. Restricted to swearing in administrations, receiving new ambassadors to Japan, presenting awards of merit, and convening sessions of the Diet (Japan's parliament).
Also, the Imperial household in Japan is managed by a zealous group of conservative civil servants, who take their duty to maintain the household as an honourable institution very seriously. This management is a very, very tough straitjacket for the Imperial family to live in. Indeed, Crown Princess Masako has been on "restricted duties" due to stress. Brought on by the tight rules governing the lives of those within the Imperial household. Rules such as where they can or cannot go for relaxation (no more popping out for a couple of hours of karaoke!), for example. Also, she was under tremendous pressure to give birth to a son. The law in Japan states that the Chrysanthemum Throne can only be ascended to by male members of the family.
This has been cause of great problems with the family recently, since the Emperor has 2 sons, Crown Prince Naruhito, and Prince Akishino. Problem was, the family line effectively ended with Akishino. Huge debate broke forth about changing the law to allow women to ascend to the throne. This would have solved the problem, since the Crown Princess had struggled to give birth, and finally gave birth to their only child, Princess Aiko.
The debate raged in Japan through the media and the parliament, with progressives pushing for a law allowing women to ascend to the throne, whilst hardline conservatives where determined to resist any such move. Indeed, Prime Minister Koizumi stated he would try to introduce legislation to bring about the necessary changes.
However, he had opposition within his own party. For example, in 2006, the then-Trade Minister Takeo Hiranuma declared opposition to the proposal to allow women to ascend to the throne. His (very weak) argument was that the Crown Princes daughter, Princess Aiko might marry a foreigner! Of course, most normal sane people would laugh at that.
The debate was finally suspended for a generation when Prince Akishino, the younger brother of the Crown Prince, and his wife, finally delivered what the conservatives wanted, a son. They had already had 2 girls, Princesses Mako and Kako, and then, in 2006, Prince Hisato was born.
The debate has since died down. But as it stands, the line extends from the Crown Prince, to Prince Hisato, and there it ends. The debate will rise once again. And personally, I hope Japan will be more able to force a change in the law!
Anyway. Back to the Emperor. As a young man, during the war, he was spirited away out of Tokyo. It has been reported that the young Prince was appalled that the Japanese military had resorted to training young men for suicide missions.
After the war, he was tutored by the American, Elizabeth Vining. She educated him in the English language, and "the essence of American democracy."
The Prince was reasonably good at tennis, and it was through the game where he met his future wife. Michiko Soda was the daughter of the owner of a flour milling company. During a mixed doubles game of tennis at a resort in Karuizawa, Nagano, the two metin 1957, and a relationship blossomed. The following year the Imperial Household announced the engagement of the couple. The announcement was greeted with a good deal of happiness by the Japanese and led to them affectionately naming the future Empress, "Mitchy." There followed an explosion of interest. The "Mitchy Boom." Where magazines aimed at women carried photos and articles detailing almost every aspect of her life.
The couple where finally married in 1959.
The Emperor does take his role very seriously, and tries very hard to keep himself a-political. Therefore he does not make too many comments that could be seen as controversial. He is, of course, limited by the Imperial Household and its civil servants, as well as the government, in what he says.
That has not stopped him from expressing his opinion in more gentle tones. He has spoken a lot about the deep sorrow that he and his wife feels for the inhuman acts carried out during the war, and the suffering that the survivors went through, and still do today. Whilst he has not specifically said "Japan" in any of this, the intent of his words are clear.
The Emperor also made headlines in 2005 when they visited the island of Saipan. There, they visited what has become known as "Banzai cliff" where many Japanese, military and civilian alike, jumped to their deaths. At the time during the war, the Americans had landed on the island and where slowly marching inland. The Japanese military took it upon themselves to encourage the local populace to commit suicide to preserve their honour, and prevent themselves from falling into the hands of the "barbarian" Americans. The Emperor and his wife headed to the cliff, and prayed for the souls of the dead.
He has caused moments of light-heartedness too. Where he announced during a news conference for his birthday in 2001, told people he had traced his ancestry back to Korea!
On a more sobering note, recently, he bemoaned the fact that the 60 years of the Showa era have slowly begun to fade from Japan's collective memory. It is his belief that history should be maintained.
The Japanese Emperor has also been dragged into controversy not of his making. President Obama recently undertook a 4 nation trip through Asia. Starting in Japan, then off to Singapore, then back to China, and finally to South Korea.
The controversy came when Obama greeted the Emperor.
So, what is wrong with this picture? Well, apparently the fact that his bow to the Emperor was so deep, and apparently, subservient. In Japan, this bow is seen as being of proper depth to someone of such high honour as the Emperor of Japan. It has been greeted with approving nods amongst many here in Japan, as a sign of the US finally trying to understand its important Asian partner, and its customs. Indeed, due to its long period of isolation, the Japanese have developed their own unique culture. They have arrived at the same destination as the rest of us, just on different tracks.
Whilst there are many in Japan praising Obama for his display of proper etiquette, there are those on the right of politics in the US who are in absolute uproar. Palin blasted him for showing that the US was weak. Whilst Cheney came out and said it was wrong for the President of the United States to bow to the leader of another country, and essentially questioned Obama's manhood.
However, both conveniently forget...
George W Bush holding hands with Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Of course, the right argue that this is OK, as in the Middle East, this sort of thing is a sign of friendship...
And Nixon bowed to Emperor Hirohito. The Emperor that was on the throne at the time Japan attacked the US. Not only that but the bow was IN the US!
All Obama did was fall in line with local custom. It is custom in Japan to bow. The hand shake came much later in Japan. The bow is still a very formal, and most commonly accepted way of greeting each other here. And to make it hard for us foreigners here, there are many different bows. To signify your relationship with the other person, their seniority, their position in relation to you, etc.
To all those who are critical of Obama. Wake up. He is the President of the United States. Clue in the name. President of the United States. Not Japan. Whilst he is the leader of the US, he is still technically covered by the same regulations that cover me as a foreigner here in Japan. Those regulations are waived because of who he is and in the interests of international diplomacy. But they do exist. Should the Japanese choose to, they could make him enter Japan just like the rest of us, and be subject to photographing and fingerprinting. Obama's act shows proper courtesy to the head of the nation of Japan. Especially since Obama is simply a guest on a business trip.
What do the Japanese think of the Emperor? Well, you have a range of opinions. Some want to abolish the Chrysanthemum Throne, and go for a Presidency. A small minority on the other side want to scrap the Diet, and give the Emperor total power. The vast majority are happy with where the Emperor is now.
Another point of interest is that in Japan, there are 2 calendars! 1 is the standard calendar we all recognise in the west. However, in Japan, on official documentation, they use a calendar based on the reign of the Emperors through Japan's history. And since the Japanese Imperial line is the longest unbroken royal line, the calendar goes a long way back!
First of all, it is worth noting that when an Emperor dies, his name will be changed. The last Emperor of Japan was the Emperor Hirohito. The Emperor on the throne during WW2. Many wanted his removal after the war, but the Americans rightly realised that to do so would be to invite some kind of public explosion. Upon his death, however, his name was changed to Emperor Showa. So, the time in Japan during his reign is known as the Showa era. The current Emperor will be known as Heisei upon his death, and now, we are in the Heisei era here in Japan. So, whilst for most things, I was born in 1978, according to official documentation such as my driving licence, I was born in Showa 53!
Well, I could keep going about the Emperor and the family. Problem is, whilst this family lives by a strict set of formal rules, there is plenty going on about which one could write. The Imperial family tries very hard to maintain a balance in its life between a slowly changing Japan, and a strong belief that the Imperial family's function is to preserve the dignity of Japan, preserve a link with Japan's past, maintaining its traditions, preventing them from being lost forever.
The Emperor has maintained a stoic silence as it has gone through some major crises, such as the lack of a male heir. The family has seen Japan rise from the ashes after the war and become the second biggest economy in the world. They have seen Japanese society slowly become more urbanised, and new technologies allow information to flow far further and faster than ever before.
Whatever the future holds, the Japanese royal family will face it with a gentle smile, and a determination to maintain the decorum that they have become famous for.
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