The following is from the serial column of Ms. Yoshiko Sakurai, who brings the weekly Shincho released on January 6 to a successful conclusion.
This article also proves that she is a national treasure, a supreme national treasure defined by Saicho.
Hasten the return of the former imperial family to the imperial register through the adoption system.
This year, the fourth year of Japan's reunification with the Soviet Union, the international situation will become even more difficult.
President Xi Jinping will consolidate his position as Emperor for life in China.
In the United States, President Biden will lose his majority in the House and Senate in the midterm elections.
Russia will effectively become China's junior partner, while President Putin will take a hard-line stance both at home and abroad.
Whether under the coercive pressure of China or Russia or affected by the retreat of the United States, Japan will have to survive in a turbulent international society.
What is important is to transform Japan's uniqueness into strength.
We need to be aware that our strength lies not in a borrowed Japan but in the values nurtured by hundreds of generations of our ancestors who have lived and passed on their lives in the Japanese archipelago.
The accumulation of Japan's uniqueness is its national character.
By cherishing our national character, we can be more Japanese, more like Japan, and walk our own path without wavering.
And above all, we can become more robust.
The first and foremost aspect of Japan's national character is its history as a country with an imperial family of one generation.
It is the most outstanding characteristic that no other country has, and it is like a treasure.
In China, for example, various ethnic groups with different histories, languages, and religions established dynasties one after another.
After centuries of prosperity, they all perished in vain.
President Xi Jinping is proud of China's 5,000-year history. Still, it is nothing but the accumulation of the cruel and ruthless Ekisei revolution, which bled the previous dynasties to death and endangered a significant number of people.
In contrast to China, Japan has nurtured a gentle culture that values each and every individual.
The Imperial Family is the foundation of Japan's national character.
However, the current situation surrounding the Imperial Family is not necessarily secure.
The reason for this is that the U.S. occupation policy forced the 11 Imperial families to leave the Imperial Family, regardless of the will of the Japanese people.
Since then, 75 years have passed.
The remaining members of the Imperial Family have given birth to many children.
At present, however, the only young male member of the family is HIsahito.
Since the female members of the Imperial Family leave the Imperial Register upon marriage, there may be no more members of the Imperial Family in the next few decades, that is, when HIsahito, now 15, comes of age and ascends to the throne.
Prime Minister Kishida's Responsibility
Overcoming this situation has long been a challenge for the Japanese nation.
On December 22 last year, a panel of experts compiled a report on this subject.
The contents were very well written.
Let me introduce it again.
First of all, the report states that the succession to the throne must not be allowed to continue unabated with His Majesty the Emperor and His Imperial Highness Prince Hisahito.
Until His Majesty the 126th, the throne has been passed down through the male line without exception.
The conclusion on the right is a straightforward argument based on this history.
As for the succession of the throne to Hisahito, the report said that "the time is not ripe for concrete discussions" on the line of the throne to the generation younger than Prince Eugene. As mentioned above, Hisahito's accession to the throne is some decades away.
It will be even further in the future when it comes to succession.
It is obvious that there is no need to discuss the issue of the succession to the throne now.
However, the Mainichi Shimbun, in a December 23 "in-depth" article on this point, argued that "measures to succeed to the throne have been postponed.
The report did not "postpone" the succession to the throne.
By clearly stating that the succession to the throne has been appropriately decided up to Hisahito, the report clearly indicated that there would be no accession to the throne of His Imperial Highness Prince Aiko, which has surfaced from time to time.
It is a precise road map and should be highly evaluated.
The report also gives a clear answer on another challenge, how to deal with the decline in the number of imperial families.
There are three ways to deal with this issue:
- The female members of the Imperial Family should retain their status as members of the Imperial Family after marriage.
- The male members of the Imperial Family should be allowed to adopt children and become members of the Imperial Family.
- The male members of the Imperial Family should be allowed to become members of the Imperial Family directly.
This article continues.
