Monday, September 25, 2017, 15:00 - 16:00
"Imperial Family Purse"
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation
The recent betrothal of Emperor Akihito's eldest grandchild, Princess Mako, and his own plan to abdicate have shed light on how the world's oldest monarchy is struggling with the constraints of tradition.
The princess, 25, vows she is ready to give up her royal status upon her marriage to a former university classmate, possibly in 2018. The Imperial Family Law, which was instituted when Japan restored the imperial authority in 1868 and was revamped after World War II, bars women from succeeding the Chrysanthemum throne and strips them of their royal status if they marry a commoner. Amid worries over royal succession, calls for lifting these restrictions have persisted for years – but temporarily calmed down when Mako's little brother was born in 2006 as the first boy for the imperial household in four decades.
Last year the 83-year-old emperor ruffled the feathers of traditionalists when, out of health concerns, he offered to abdicate "while alive," a step unprecedented in post-feudal Japan. Amid debate about the pros and cons, the country's parliament passed a one-off bill in June to allow him to step down in the coming years.
The FCCJ has invited royal watcher Yohei Mori to speak on the future of the imperial family, especially the status of female members and the post-abdication life of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.
Mori, a journalism professor at Tokyo's Seijo University and a former royal correspondent for the Mainichi newspaper, gained nationwide attention in 2003 when he published "The Imperial Family Purse," which offered a rare glimpse into the finances of the cloistered household. A graduate of Kyoto University, he worked for the Mainichi from 1990-1998 and served as the Washington correspondent for Okinawa's Ryukyu Shimpo after obtaining a master's degree in international relations from the International University of Japan in 2000. A frequent commentator on royal affairs, Mori has been teaching at Seijo since 2005.
Please reserve in advance, 3211-3161 or on the website (still & TV cameras inclusive). Reservations and cancellations are not complete without confirmation.
Professional Activities Committee
