Tokyo Weekender July 2016
Breaking the rules of kimono – a new book shatters antiquated views of this traditional garment. Plus: The boys for sale in Shinjuku Ni-chome, best sake of 2017, Japan's new emperor, and what really goes on inside "Terrace House."
Breaking the rules of kimono – a new book shatters antiquated views of this traditional garment. Plus: The boys for sale in Shinjuku Ni-chome, best sake of 2017, Japan's new emperor, and what really goes on inside "Terrace House."
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THE LIFE AND LOVE OF<br />
JAPAN’S NEW EMPEROR<br />
Words by Matthew Hernon<br />
As Emperor Akihito prepares to step down, all eyes are turning towards his son and successor, Crown Prince<br />
Naruhito. Here, we reflect on his relatively down-to-earth upbringing, the freedom he felt while living in England,<br />
and whether his wife, who has battled for years to adjust to palace life, is ready to take on the role of empress<br />
After almost three decades as the ceremonial figurehead<br />
of Japan, Emperor Akihito has been given permission<br />
to step down. The 83-year-old, who has undergone<br />
heart surgery and had treatment for prostate cancer,<br />
no longer feels he can carry out his duties properly. A one-off bill<br />
has been passed by the government allowing him to renounce<br />
the throne. It will be Japan's first abdication in more than two<br />
centuries, with the baton being passed on to his son, Crown Prince<br />
Naruhito. The exact date of the succession has yet to be confirmed,<br />
though reports have suggested it will take place on January 1,<br />
2019. Naruhito will become the 126th emperor in the world's oldest<br />
hereditary monarchy, a line dating back to the 5th century. So,<br />
what do we know about the heir apparent to the Chrysanthemum<br />
Throne? Here’s a look at the life and times of the future emperor.<br />
THE NARU-CHAN CONSTITUTION<br />
The eldest son of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, Naruhito<br />
was born in a makeshift hospital at the palace on February 23,<br />
1960. His mother – the first commoner to marry into the imperial<br />
family – decided to raise Naruhito and his siblings, Prince Akishino<br />
and Sayako Kuroda, herself, even breastfeeding them. While that<br />
may not sound noteworthy, at the time it was considered significant<br />
as the everyday care of royal children had previously been<br />
the duty of wet nurses and maids.