Aiko, Princess Toshi
Encyclopedia
, born 1 December 2001, is the daughter and only child of the heir apparent to the Japan
ese throne, Crown Prince Naruhito
, and Crown Princess Masako
.
Aiko, the princess's personal name, is written with kanji
character for "love (愛)" and "child (子)" and means "a person who loves others." She also has an imperial
title
, Princess Toshi (敬宮 toshi-no-miya) which means "a person who respects others." This formal title will be dropped if she marries a commoner. The Imperial Household Law
of 1947 abolished the Japanese nobility; and under provisions of this law, the imperial family was streamlined to the descendants of Emperor Taishō
. The laws of succession in Japan exclude females or males through a female line
; if the laws were changed, Aiko would be second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne.
Mencius
. In clause 56 of Li Lou II, Mencius said "One who loves others will be constantly loved by them; one who respects others will be constantly respected by them. (愛人者人恆愛之，敬人者人恆敬之。)"
Kindergarten on April 3, 2006. She graduated from the school on March 15, 2008.
On Princess Aiko's eighth birthday, it was revealed her interests include but are not limited to: writing Kanji
characters, calligraphy
, jump rope
, playing piano
and violin
, and writing poetry
.
has denied reports in the Japanese media that it advised Gakushuin's administration to add drugs to the lunches of Aiko's tormentors to calm them down.
should be changed from the current system of agnatic primogeniture
to absolute primogeniture, which would allow a woman to inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne
instead of a man, even her brother. Although Imperial chronologies include eight empresses regnant in the course of Japanese history, their successors were always selected from amongst the members of the paternal Imperial bloodline, which is why some conservative scholars argue that the women's reigns were temporary and that male-only succession tradition must be maintained in the 21st century. Though Empress Gemmei
was followed on the throne by her daughter, Empress Genshō
, Genshō herself was succeeded by her brother's son, thus keeping the throne in the same agnatic line; both Genshō and Gemmei, as well as all other empresses regnant and emperors, belonged to the same patriline.
A government-appointed panel of experts submitted a report on 25 October 2005, recommending that the Imperial succession law be amended to permit absolute primogeniture. On 20 January 2006, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
used part of his annual keynote speech to address the controversy when he pledged to submit a bill to the Diet
letting women ascend to the throne in order that the imperial throne be continued into the future in a stable manner. Koizumi did not announce a timing for the legislation to be introduced nor did he provide details about the content but he did note that it would be in line with the conclusions of the 2005 government panel.
and his wife Princess Kiko were expecting their third child. On 6 September 2006, at 8:27 a.m. (Japan Standard Time
), Princess Kiko gave birth to a son, Hisahito
, who is third in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne under the current law, after his uncle, the Crown Prince and his father, Prince Akishino. The prince's birth provided the first male heir to be born in the imperial family in 41 years. On 3 January 2007, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that he would drop the proposal to alter the Imperial Household Law. Therefore, it seems unlikely that the succession laws will be changed to allow Princess Aiko to become reigning Empress.
See Japanese Imperial succession controversy
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese throne, Crown Prince Naruhito
Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan
is the eldest son of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, which makes him the heir apparent to the Chrysanthemum Throne of Japan.-Early life and education:...
, and Crown Princess Masako
Masako, Crown Princess of Japan
is the wife of Crown Prince Naruhito, the first son of the Emperor Akihito and the Empress Michiko, and a member of the Imperial House of Japan through marriage.-Early life and education:...
.
Aiko, the princess's personal name, is written with kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
character for "love (愛)" and "child (子)" and means "a person who loves others." She also has an imperial
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
title
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
, Princess Toshi (敬宮 toshi-no-miya) which means "a person who respects others." This formal title will be dropped if she marries a commoner. The Imperial Household Law
Imperial Household Law
is a statute in Japanese law that governs the line of imperial succession, the membership of the imperial family, and several other matters pertaining to the administration of the Imperial Household.-Passage of the Law:...
of 1947 abolished the Japanese nobility; and under provisions of this law, the imperial family was streamlined to the descendants of Emperor Taishō
Emperor Taishō
The was the 123rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 30 July 1912, until his death in 1926.The Emperor’s personal name was . According to Japanese customs, the emperor has no name during his reign and is only called the Emperor...
. The laws of succession in Japan exclude females or males through a female line
Salic law
Salic law was a body of traditional law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the early Middle Ages during the reign of King Clovis I in the 6th century...
; if the laws were changed, Aiko would be second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne.
Name
In a break with tradition, the name was chosen by her parents, instead of by the emperor. It was selected from the teachings of the Chinese philosopherChinese philosophy
Chinese philosophy is philosophy written in the Chinese tradition of thought. The majority of traditional Chinese philosophy originates in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States era, during a period known as the "Hundred Schools of Thought", which was characterized by significant intellectual and...
Mencius
Mencius
Mencius was a Chinese philosopher who was arguably the most famous Confucian after Confucius himself.-Life:Mencius, also known by his birth name Meng Ke or Ko, was born in the State of Zou, now forming the territory of the county-level city of Zoucheng , Shandong province, only thirty kilometres ...
. In clause 56 of Li Lou II, Mencius said "One who loves others will be constantly loved by them; one who respects others will be constantly respected by them. (愛人者人恆愛之，敬人者人恆敬之。)"
Personal life
Princess Aiko began her education at GakushuinGakushuin
The or Peers School is an educational institution founded in Tokyo in 1877, during the Meiji period, for the education of the children of the Japanese aristocracy, though it eventually also opened its doors to the offspring of extremely wealthy commoners...
Kindergarten on April 3, 2006. She graduated from the school on March 15, 2008.
On Princess Aiko's eighth birthday, it was revealed her interests include but are not limited to: writing Kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
characters, calligraphy
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...
, jump rope
Jump rope
Jump rope or skipping rope is the primary tool used in the game of skipping played by children and many young adults, where one or more participants jump over a rope swung so that it passes under their feet and over their heads...
, playing piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, and writing poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
.
Bullying incident
In early March, 2010, Aiko began to stay home from school due to being bullied by her elementary school classmates. Aiko returned to school on a limited basis on May 2, 2010. Since returning, she has attended a limited number of classes accompanied by her mother. The Imperial Household AgencyImperial Household Agency
The is a government agency of Japan in charge of the state matters concerning Japan's imperial family and also keeping the Privy Seal and the State Seal...
has denied reports in the Japanese media that it advised Gakushuin's administration to add drugs to the lunches of Aiko's tormentors to calm them down.
Debate
The birth of Princess Aiko sparked debate in Japan about whether the The Imperial Household Law of 1947Imperial Household Law
is a statute in Japanese law that governs the line of imperial succession, the membership of the imperial family, and several other matters pertaining to the administration of the Imperial Household.-Passage of the Law:...
should be changed from the current system of agnatic primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
to absolute primogeniture, which would allow a woman to inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne
Chrysanthemum Throne
The is the English term used to identify the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term can refer to very specific seating, such as the takamikura throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace....
instead of a man, even her brother. Although Imperial chronologies include eight empresses regnant in the course of Japanese history, their successors were always selected from amongst the members of the paternal Imperial bloodline, which is why some conservative scholars argue that the women's reigns were temporary and that male-only succession tradition must be maintained in the 21st century. Though Empress Gemmei
Empress Gemmei
, also known as Empress Genmyō, was the 43rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Gemmei's reign spanned the years 707 through 715....
was followed on the throne by her daughter, Empress Genshō
Empress Gensho
was the 44th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Genshō's reign spanned the years 715 through 724.In the history of Japan, Genshō was the fifth of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The four female monarchs before Genshō were: Suiko, Kōgyoku/Saimei,...
, Genshō herself was succeeded by her brother's son, thus keeping the throne in the same agnatic line; both Genshō and Gemmei, as well as all other empresses regnant and emperors, belonged to the same patriline.
A government-appointed panel of experts submitted a report on 25 October 2005, recommending that the Imperial succession law be amended to permit absolute primogeniture. On 20 January 2006, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
Junichiro Koizumi
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended.Widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party , he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japan's government debt and the...
used part of his annual keynote speech to address the controversy when he pledged to submit a bill to the Diet
Diet of Japan
The is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...
letting women ascend to the throne in order that the imperial throne be continued into the future in a stable manner. Koizumi did not announce a timing for the legislation to be introduced nor did he provide details about the content but he did note that it would be in line with the conclusions of the 2005 government panel.
Cousin
Proposals to replace agnatic primogeniture were shelved temporarily after it was announced in February 2006 that the Crown Prince's younger brother, Prince AkishinoPrince Akishino
Fumihito, The Prince Akishino is a member of the Japanese imperial family...
and his wife Princess Kiko were expecting their third child. On 6 September 2006, at 8:27 a.m. (Japan Standard Time
Japan Standard Time
Japan Standard Time or JST is the standard timezone of Japan, and is 9 hours ahead of UTC. For example, when it is midnight in UTC, it is 09:00 in Japan Standard Time. There is no daylight saving time, though its introduction has been debated several times. Japan Standard Time is the same as...
), Princess Kiko gave birth to a son, Hisahito
Prince Hisahito of Akishino
is the third child of the Prince and Princess Akishino, and their only son. He is third in line to become Emperor of Japan.Prince Hisahito has two older sisters, Princess Mako of Akishino and Princess Kako of Akishino .- Name :His personal name Hisahito in this case means "serene and virtuous,"...
, who is third in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne under the current law, after his uncle, the Crown Prince and his father, Prince Akishino. The prince's birth provided the first male heir to be born in the imperial family in 41 years. On 3 January 2007, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that he would drop the proposal to alter the Imperial Household Law. Therefore, it seems unlikely that the succession laws will be changed to allow Princess Aiko to become reigning Empress.
See Japanese Imperial succession controversy
Japanese imperial succession controversy
The Japanese imperial succession controversy refers to desires to change the laws of succession to the Japanese Throne, which is currently limited to males of the Japanese imperial family.- Overview :...
.