Succession crisis has been averted; Japan’s Princess Kiko has a boy

[AliceInWonderland]

How sexist and silly though!
Japan’s Princess Kiko has a boy
Succession crisis has been averted; baby’s gender had been guarded secret
The Associated Press


Updated: 4:55 p.m. PT Sept 5, 2006
TOKYO - Japan's Princess Kiko has given birth to a boy.

The princess entered the operating room Wednesday to deliver her third child, as the nation anxiously awaited word on whether the imperial family would have its first male heir in four decades.

The 39-year-old princess, wife of Prince Akishino, the emperor's second-eldest son, was hospitalized on Aug. 16 in expectation of Wednesday's planned Caesarean section. Kiko entered the delivery room shortly after 8 a.m. (2300 GMT), Kyodo News said.

The gender of the baby has been a closely guarded palace secret, though Japanese tabloids have speculated the child will be a boy, giving the country's male-only succession system a respite from a looming succession crunch.

“I’m hoping for a healthy baby. This is such happy news,” Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told reporters late Tuesday at his official residence. “It would be even better if this makes young people want to have more babies,” he added, in reference to Japan’s declining birth rate.

Much is riding on the gender of the infant, which will have a major impact on a heated debate over whether the 1947 imperial succession law should be changed to allow a female to assume the throne for the first time in centuries. Japan’s royal family, whose roots reach back at least 1,400 years, has not produced a male heir since 1965, and many fear a succession crisis unless the law is changed.

Crown Prince Naruhito — the eldest son of Emperor Akihito — and Crown Princess Masako have a daughter, Aiko, 4, but no sons. Kiko, 39, and Naruhito’s younger brother, Akishino, have two daughters.

Public support runs high for putting Aiko on the throne, and a special panel last year recommended consideration of changing the law. The idea was backed by Koizumi.

Conservatives, however, mounted a counterattack, saying a change would damage Japan’s unique imperial tradition.

Divisive debate dropped over pregnancy
The divisive debate was suddenly dropped in February when Kiko announced she was pregnant with her third child and Koizumi shelved the proposal. The birth of a girl could put the issue right back into the spotlight. The birth of a boy, however, would be a boon to conservatives.

The royal family hasn’t said if they already know the gender of the child.

“I am hoping for the birth of a boy,” Justice Minister Seiken Sugiura bluntly stated to reporters Tuesday morning. “I am praying for a safe delivery.”

All the attention is having a spin-off effect on the economy. Shares of baby and maternity product makers shot up in February after Kiko’s pregnancy announcement, and they have climbed steadily since the palace announced the delivery would take place in early September.

Stock prices of Pigeon Corp., Japan’s largest maternity and baby products maker, have risen more than 35 percent since the beginning of the year and closed at an all-time high of $17.80 per share Monday before dipping slightly on Tuesday.

“The birth of Princess Kiko’s baby is definitely good news for our industry,” said Pigeon spokeswoman Yuko Arikawa. “We are hoping that the royal baby would encourage young couples to have their own children as well.”

The heightened baby talk comes as Japan is consumed by debate over how to remedy the country’s slumping birthrate. Japanese women now have a record-low average of 1.25 babies in their lifetime, and the population started dropping for the first time last year. Many fear the trend will lead to labor shortages, a damaged economy and failing pension and health care systems.

© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14680667/


umm thats interesting; i wish certain ppl in the US would stop spewing babies all over the place sucking up other ppl's tax payments! But omg I like totally forgot Japan even had a royal family Stoopid American!

[Lobelia]

I saw this in the news and thought THANK GAWD, because otherwise, that poor woman would have disembowed herself in the town square.

[Elisa]

These monarchies are so ridiculous. No wonder this poor woman has been mentally tortured since she became Princess.

I can't even imagine the public outcry had she given birth to another girl. Parish the thought!

[A*O]

These monarchies are so ridiculous. No wonder this poor woman has been mentally tortured since she became Princess.

I can't even imagine the public outcry had she given birth to another girl. Parish the thought!

Different Princess. The wife of the Crown Prince (heir to the throne) is Crown Princess Masako who was a high-flying diplomat before she married into the stiffling confines of the Japanese royal family and has had depression/mental problems ever since. She's had only one child, a girl, which has added to her problems because it's all about having boys.

Princess Kiko, who just had a son, is the wife of the Crown Prince's brother (are you keeping up,) so the new baby is the future emperor's nephew. The line of succession is therefore secure, but it will move 'sideways'.

[mella]

What a great role model for modern Japan . Yes I know. It's all about tradition but I don't get it . What makes a boy better than a girl?

[Sojiita]

Beside the whole ridiculousness of monarchies.."...giving the country's male-only succession system ..." -this is pretty sad given how Japan is in most ways a progressive and respected nation.