The empress trapped in a gilded cage
As Japan celebrated its new ruling couple last week, there were hopes the ‘invisible princess’ will finally find freedom. Danielle Demetriou reports from Tokyo
Japan opened a fresh chapter in its history last week as it welcomed a new emperor and empress to the Chrysanthemum throne. The accession of the new Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako not only marked the start of a new era called Reiwa, but also sparked hopes for a changing role for women in Japan – which, despite its hi-tech trappings, remains a deeply traditional society.
But the challenges the new imperial couple face in transforming the world’s oldest hereditary monarchy are monumental, as became clear on day one. Strict traditions meant the 55-year-old Empress was banned from attending Wednesday’s accession ceremony, and so didn’t witness her husband formalising his succession (unless, like most of the nation, she watched it on TV). All female family members were also excluded.
The absence of female royals offered a glimpse into the archaic workings of the imperial family, which, while purely symbolic in function, is highly respected. Since being stripped of power following Japan’s World War Two defeat, the monarchy remains bound by ancient rituals. Women are unable to take the throne, thanks to male-only succession laws, and face leaving the family upon marrying a commoner.
Now, all that could change after Naruhito’s father, Emperor Akihito, ended his 30-year reign in what marked Japan’s first abdication in two centuries. At 85, he said he felt unable to fulfil the role because of his age and declining health.
In succeeding him, his son and daughterin-law embody a new breed of royals. Both Naruhito and his wife Masako are multilingual, were educated overseas and are passionate about modern-day issues, from global warming to child poverty.
Empress Masako, in particular, was seen as a breath of fresh air when she married into the imperial family in 1993. The former high-flying diplomat is as smart as she is well-travelled. Then Masako Owada, she met Prince Naruhito at a tea party held for a Spanish princess in Tokyo.
But despite her husband’s support, the challenges she went on to face in the imperial household were immense – above all, the pressure to produce a male heir. Six years after marrying, she suffered a widely reported miscarriage and started withdrawing from public life, being dubbed the ‘invisible princess’. Although she finally had a child in 2002 – a daughter, Aiko, now 17 – the palace declared she was suffering from a stress-related ‘adjustment disorder’ as she stayed out of the public eye.
The nation breathed a sigh of relief when the succession crisis was resolved as Naruhito’s younger brother welcomed a baby boy, Prince Hisahito, now 12. But Japan’s conservative government is still reluctant to even discuss the issue of male-only succession – let alone amend it.
Meanwhile, Masako’s plight has been seen as emblematic of the role of women in Japan. The country ranked 110th out of 149 countries for gender equality in a recent World Economic Forum survey, with the country’s long office hours and insistence that childcare is a woman’s responsibility proving a lethal combination that’s kept women from climbing the career ladder.
Today, with Empress Masako at the apex of the imperial family, many hope now will be the time she can step out of her gilded cage and shine, after years of enduring court traditions. Her struggles to produce a male heir may even trigger reform to the archaic succession laws – not only a practical move for the family’s survival, but a step towards better gender balance across Japan.
Now, more than ever, is the time for Japan to have a strong, modern, female figurehead – and, fingers crossed, Empress Masako will be allowed to blossom into her new role.