Great piece, one might think given Japan's demographic situation the government would be doing everything in its power to encourage an vibrantly fecund extended Imperial family in the hopes of memeing larger families to the general population?
Fascinating. That the objections against female succession in contemporary Japan are based on "tradition" has always struck me as selective thinking, even special pleading, given the existence of at least half a dozen empresses regnant before the 19th century. Apparently, out of Japan's long monarchical history, which you have summarized so deftly, the "tradition" that contemporary conservatives value most is the most recent one, namely from the Meiji era, which, as you say, was heavily influenced by foreign models.
Great piece, one might think given Japan's demographic situation the government would be doing everything in its power to encourage an vibrantly fecund extended Imperial family in the hopes of memeing larger families to the general population?
Fascinating. That the objections against female succession in contemporary Japan are based on "tradition" has always struck me as selective thinking, even special pleading, given the existence of at least half a dozen empresses regnant before the 19th century. Apparently, out of Japan's long monarchical history, which you have summarized so deftly, the "tradition" that contemporary conservatives value most is the most recent one, namely from the Meiji era, which, as you say, was heavily influenced by foreign models.