As 15th wedding anniversary nears, royal couple yet to attain 'imperial diplomacy'

Friday 06th June, 06:57 AM JST

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TPOJ at 11:54 AM JST - 6th June

But the Imperial House Law stipulates that only male heirs can succeed to the imperial throne, putting pressure on Crown Princess Masako.

It's stuff like this that makes people think of Japan as a bunch of 12th century minds in (borrowed) 22nd century clothing.

Like NagoyaGaijin said, she's not the deciding factor: gender is determined by the sperm, not the egg. This has been common knowledge for how many years? It's quite literally household knowledge on the level of knowing smoking causes cancer, or that computers need electricity. Yet here we are, in 2008, reading about how the Princess is under pressure to "produce" a male heir.

I love Japan, I genuinely do, but stuff like this makes it difficult to admire the place sometimes.

cry me a river. whining aristocrats I dont need

They're human, just like you, and just as vulnerable to pressure. If they fail at their job, they have the weight of Japanese society on them. If you fail, someone doesn't know how to ask for no cheese on their hamburger. Lighten up.
TPOJ at 12:00 PM JST - 6th June

Gah. "21st" century. Typed too fast :P
greensatindress at 12:13 PM JST - 6th June

Anyway, if she really intended to use her diplomatic skills abroad, why didn't she just marry a diplomat?
ADK99 at 12:40 PM JST - 6th June

Greensatindress, that's about as sexist as the whole royal family nonsense - if she wanted to use her diplomatic skills abroad why didn't she BECOME (or continue her career as) a diplomat is surely the appropriate question.
greensatindress at 12:55 PM JST - 6th June

I was being tongue-in-cheek
Tatanka at 03:36 PM JST - 6th June

I think she was promised things (or lied to) to persuade her to marry whats-his-face.
ADK99 at 04:09 PM JST - 6th June

Ah, then my apologies!
TPOJ at 11:43 PM JST - 6th June

*If they fail at their job, they have the weight of Japanese society on them.

not true either, if you kept up with the real world you'd know that the majority of japanese society doesnt care less about them*

Good Lord. OK, pay attention:

First off, "doesn't care less" is ludicrously bad English. I'm not a grammar nazi, but damn.

Second, society is not just the public. Society is the people they move with, the royal family, etc. It is also the media.

And as we all know, the media never covers Princess Masako. Never see her picture anywhere, certainly not in the papers, and most definitely not on the flyers that adorn the Saikyo line that I surely hallucinated into existence earlier today.
usaexpat at 12:10 AM JST - 7th June

Sound like another famous princess who found royal life wasn't all it was cracked up to be? I'm not sure why she married into the royal family in the first place seems like a waste of talent.
lipscombe at 05:54 PM JST - 7th June

and work in mcdonalds apparently
lipscombe at 05:56 PM JST - 7th June

First off, "doesn't care less" is ludicrously bad English. I'm not a grammar nazi, but damn

hahahaha yes you are
lipscombe at 05:58 PM JST - 7th June

she knew what she was getting into, she has a better standard of living than 99.9% of the rest of the planet thus has no right at all to complain or have people feel sorry for her, AT ALL
Sarge at 06:04 PM JST - 7th June

"The crown princess, 44, was diagnosed in July 2004 as suffering from adjustment disorder"

I know a lot of people who suffer from that.
Loki520 at 06:41 PM JST - 7th June

Yea, he promised her that she would be able to take her diplomacy to a whole new level as a royal. And then the guardians of the royal family slapped him silly and have done everything they can to prevent it.

"Princess Masako, Prisoner of the Crsyantheum Throne", and I know I really miffed that spelling, sorry, is a really good book that talks about the royals and their handlers.

It can pretty much wrapped up like this: Doesn't matter what they want to do/eat/go/see/visit/travel/sit/say/look at, etc... they don't get to do anything until the handlers have APPROVED it. Not just reviewed it, but flat out approved it. And they don't, apparently, approve very much that they thing is a "personal" request.

And she married into the family because Mr. Royal wouldn't leave her alone. His handlers said NO. Everyone except his mother said NO. Even Masako. She eventually caved in, and has been on a mental downhill since then.
Sparkjack at 03:31 PM JST - 9th June

I realize the prince wants a male heir, but she's 44. Frankly the one thing this society does weird is gender relations. I mean they get a lot right when it comes to society, respect where respect is due (too much respect sometimes, but in the US it's lacking so much and more often given to those who don't deserve it as opposed to those that do), community, spending money to have fun when fun can be had, not going into huge debt during all of that.

But the gender thing, man it's weird. I really can't be seen with any female friends without someone immediately thinking "new girlfriend?" C'mon people.