PRINCE’S FUNDING QUERY STIRS ROW OVER FREE SPEECH
Second son of outgoing emperor questions huge public spending on abdication ritual, challenging limits the constitution places on imperial family
A remark by a Japanese prince, who will become first in line to the country’s throne next year, has caused a controversy over how freely imperial family members can speak on contentious matters as the constitution prohibits the head of the family from being involved in politics.
In a rare move, Prince Fumihito, second son of the outgoing Emperor Akihito, questioned the government’s decision to use a massive amount of public money for a ritual last month after the ascension of Crown Prince Naruhito to emperor planned in May next year.
“I wonder whether it is appropriate to cover the highly religious event with state funds,” the prince said at a press conference for his 53rd birthday, baffling bureaucrats of the Imperial Household Agency as well as many experts on Japanese royal family matters.
Major Japanese media outlets provided huge coverage yesterday of the remark and various reactions to it, prompting many in Japan to revisit not only the principle of the separation of state and religion, but the issue of how freely the second son of the emperor can speak in public.
The emperor and his family members have generally refrained from making political remarks as the constitution, compiled after Japan’s surrender in the second world war, stipulates the emperor “shall not have powers related to government”.
The prince had “crossed the line”, an official of the agency said. Another said: “It is hard to understand why [the prince] stuck his nose into the matter of the crown prince who will engage in the rite.”
Akihito, his first son Crown Prince Naruhito and Prince Fumihito regularly give press conferences ahead of their birthdays. But only Fumihito speaks to reporters without prepared texts on hand as a matter of practice, which means his aides and other agency bureaucrats have few opportunities to know in advance what he will say in public.
In 2004, Naruhito questioned the treatment of his ailing wife, Masako, saying at a press conference: “There were developments that were regarded as denying her a career and going against her personality.”
After the remark made headlines and worried the emperor, Fumihito challenged his elder brother, telling reporters the crown prince should have made the remark through consultation with the emperor in advance.
Fumihito proposed Japan discuss setting a retirement age for the emperor at his birthday press conference in 2011, years before the country authorised the abdication of the emperor, who will turn 85 this month.
An official involved in the agency said: “It seems that the prince believes it is a good thing that people know there are differences in the imperial family.”
Koichi Yokota, an expert on the constitution and professor emeritus at Kyushu University, said: “It should not be a problem in light of the constitution if a member of the imperial family makes such a remark.
“The constitution bans the emperor from involvement in government but does not mention royal family members apart from the emperor” in connection with the matter.
But Isao Tokoro, another constitutional expert and professor emeritus at Kyoto Sangyo University, urged Fumihito to be more careful with his remarks.
“I would like him to recognise the weight of the position he will take six months later, and use caution when making remarks, such as consulting with people around him,” Tokoro said.
Masayasu Hosaka, who has written many books on modern Japanese history, said: “I regarded the prince’s remark as a strong message from the imperial family that they want people to think seriously about the principle of separation of state and religion.”