Japan's Imperial Family: Its Role And Meaning In Modern Japan

Contemporary Review, Sept, 1999 by Raymond Lamont-Brown

More radical in thought is the second pressure group which wishes to reverse Japan's current position completely and go back to the pre-war status wherein the country was the nationalistic 'Land of the Gods'. Within this group are those who believe that Japan has nothing to be ashamed of concerning their behaviour in World War II and they jockey for the reinstatement of the Koshitsu tenpan, the strict rules relating to attitude to and function of the Imperial Family. They also wish to have the old national holidays reinstated along with certain state shrines. Among the shrines is the Yasukuni-jinja which contains Japan's foremost war memorial. Since 1959 the names of Japan's war criminals have been inscribed at the shrine's rolls of honour, and this group wishes more to be made of 'Japan's glorious military past' to invigorate the country's national pride.

In terms of national holidays, the country's 'Foundation Day' was reinstated in 1967 to commemorate the founding of Japan by the mythical Jimmu in 660 BC. The 'Emperor's Birthday' (23 December) is also a prominent national holiday as is November's 'Labour Day' which coincides with the Sun Goddess ritual.

The third pressure group has less influence but is voluble in its demands to remove all imperial ceremonial activity which they say violates the constitution and propitiates militarism linked with state religion. The group includes such as the left-wing Chukaku-ha.

Public critics of the Japanese monarchy are in a minority, yet include religious groups, left-wing associations and groups of survivors of World War Two. 'Royal bashing' has not been a consistent Japanese press sport mainly because the Imperial Household Agency has not encouraged the public to be curious about the Imperial Family or expansive in press handouts. The Imperial Household Agency retain a tight reign on the compliant Japanese press corps, allowing only a small group of vetted correspondents access to the Kyujo. The function of the corps is to reproduce (without comment) the press releases of the Imperial Household Agency 'newsroom'. Thus Japan has no horde of paparazzi dogging imperial footsteps.

For a while the American 'laid back' approach to life encountered during the (largely US) Occupation of Japan (28 August 1945-28 April 1952), forced protocol to slip and Emperor Hirohito was photographed more than he had ever been before and was even pressured to sign autographs. Eventually the 'Chrysanthemum Curtain' descended once more and any thoughts of the Imperial Family taking on aspects of a 'Scandinavian monarchy' were quashed.

As the 1990s have evolved prominent Japanese publications like the Sunday Mainichi and the Shukan Bunshun have run a critical eye over the Imperial Family accusing them of 'spite, trivia, wanton-waste and self-importance'. A resentment has grown over the lack of co-operation from the Imperial Household Agency and their insistence that all questions for the Imperial Family (for rare press conferences) be kenson shite (humbly) submitted in advance for seikaku-na (accurate) answers. Certain publications countered by 'attacking' Empress Michiko dubbing her a petulant shutome (mother-in-law) who henpecks her husband. The monthly publication Takarajima 30 went full tilt at the Empress and her supposed demanding nature. They averred: 'The Empress has a hysterical side, her shrill voice can often be heard around the palace and she once rebuked a chamberlain for an hour for a minor misdemeanour'. The comments, anti others, were taken to heart and the Empress (through the Imperial Household Agency) issued an unprecedented public plea for 'forgiveness'.