Japanese Prince Hisahito ne apne 18th birthday per ek badi milestone achieve ki, jo pichle 40 saalon mein pehli baar hai jab kisi male royal family member ne adulthood ko reach kiya ho. Japan ki royal family, jo ek millennium se zyada se rule karti aayi hai, aaj apni existence ko lekar wahi problems face kar rahi hai jo country ki shrinking aur aging population face kar rahi hai.
Prince Hisahito, jo future mein emperor banne wale hai, Emperor Naruhito ke nephew hai. Hisahito ke father, Crown Prince Akishino, 1985 mein last male member the jo adulthood mein enter hue the.
17-member imperial family mein Hisahito sabse youngest male hain, aur ab family mein sirf 4 men bache hai. Yeh situation ek major problem create karti hai kyunki system ke rules ke according women ko succession ki permission nahi hai. Government ab yeh soch rahi hai ke bina women ko rely kiye royal succession ko stable kaise rakha jaaye.
1947 Imperial House Law ke rules ke according sirf male ko hi throne succeed karne ka right hai, aur jo female royal members commoners se shaadi karti hai, unhe apna royal status lose karna padta hai.
Emperor Naruhito ki daughter, Princess Aiko, jo unki wife Masako ki eklauti beti hai, public mein future empress banne ke liye kaafi popular hai. Lekin existing law ke under unhe ye role nahi mil sakta, chahe woh direct line se belong karti ho.
Succession chart thoda complex hai: Naruhito current emperor hain, unke brother Akishino second in line hain, aur Hisahito, Akishino ke son, third in line hain.
Jab Princess Aiko paida hui thi, tab empress ko allow karne ka proposal rakha gaya tha, lekin Hisahito ke 2006 mein paida hone ke baad us proposal ko drop kar diya gaya.
Apne statement mein Hisahito ne kaha, “Is waqt main apne remaining high school time ko cherish karna chahta hoon.” Hisahito ko insects mein kaafi interest hai, aur unhone apne Akasaka estate ke dragonflies par ek academic paper bhi co-author kiya hai.
2022 mein ek government panel ne suggest kiya tha ki women ko royal status retain karne diya jaaye jab woh shaadi karein, taaki imperial family ke declining numbers ko roka ja sake. Saath hi, yeh suggestion bhi diya gaya tha ke male descendants ko now-defunct royal families se adopt kiya jaaye, taaki male lineage continue ho sake. Lekin critics ka maanna hai ki yeh measures kaafi limited honge jab tak male-only succession ka rule exist karta hai. Pre-modern era mein male lineage ko maintain karne ke liye concubines ka sahara liya jata tha, lekin aaj ke zamane mein yeh feasible nahi hai.
