＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49) on X
(Reference) Original article in Japanese
・眞子さんと小室圭さんの結婚会見は一方的自己主張の茶番。皇室への親愛感急低下
<Added April 15, 2022> Kei Komuro failed the New York bar exam for the second time.
While a lawyer in that state could earn over 20 million yen annually, he failed the exam, meaning his current assistant-type job will only bring in around 6 million yen per year. This is a precarious income in the US, where the cost of living is high.
Princess Mako has already secured employment at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, showing signs of contributing to the household finances. It’s speculated that Komuro might live in New York on Princess Mako’s spouse visa. However, this arrangement would mean Komuro wouldn’t be able to work, leaving him unemployed. Some online comments suggest he’s definitely a kept man.
<Added 2021/10/27> The wedding press conference of Princess Mako and Kei Komuro was a farce of one-sided self-assertion.
The wedding press conference of Princess Mako and Kei Komuro, held after submitting their marriage registration on October 26th, was like a farce of one-sided self-assertion that disregarded the people. I believe this caused a sharp decline in the public’s respect and affection for the Imperial Family.
The press conference was extremely unusual, beginning with the two reading a statement together, with no question-and-answer session; questions were answered in writing (by distributing written responses).
I felt that Princess Mako and Kei Komuro’s attitude at this press conference further widened the gap between the public and the Imperial Family, creating a significant rift.
Attention is focused on the “marriage press conference” between Princess Mako, the eldest daughter of Prince Akishino, and Kei Komuro, who are scheduled to submit their marriage registration on October 26th and hold a press conference on the same day.
The Imperial Household Agency has apparently been striving to create a situation that “many citizens will accept and be happy with,” as desired by Prince Akishino and the Emperor, but it is difficult to say that things are going smoothly.
1. The Mother’s Financial Problems
(1) Financial Problems with Former Fiancé
The main reason for the current attention is likely the unresolved financial problems between Kei Komuro’s mother and her former fiancé.
(2) Criminal Charges for “Fraudulent Receipt of Survivor’s Pension” and “Fraudulent Receipt of Sickness and Injury Allowance”
In addition, there is the issue of Kei Komuro’s mother being criminally charged with alleged “fraudulent receipt of survivor’s pension” and “fraudulent receipt of sickness and injury allowance.”
There are also suspicions that Kei Komuro may have known about these “fraudulent receipts.”
This is based on a complaint filed by journalist Joichiro Shinohara on October 6th, and its fate has been closely watched online. On October 12th, Shinohara updated his YouTube channel, reporting that “the complaint has been returned by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office.”
Mr. Shinohara filed a complaint against Ms. Kayo for fraud, alleging that she had illegally received survivor’s pension and sickness benefits.
According to Mr. Shinohara, the complaint returned by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office was not rejected but “returned.” He said he was told that the complaint lacked specific facts and evidence regarding the elements of the crime, and that the facts of the complaint were not sufficiently identified.
However, since the complaint was not rejected, Mr. Shinohara seems to be considering reapplying.
2. An Unusual Marriage for a Member of the Imperial Family
This marriage is unusual for a member of the Imperial Family, with some media outlets even harshly criticizing it as an “elopement.”
These include the fact that “no wedding ceremony was held,” the “decline of the 140 million yen lump sum payment” given upon leaving the Imperial Family, and Princess Mako’s “disclosure of her complex PTSD.”
It seems there’s a possibility that the “Choken-no-Gi” ceremony, where Princess Mako expresses her gratitude and farewell to the Emperor and Empress, may not take place.
3. Reasons for the widespread public backlash
I recall that there was absolutely no public backlash when the Emperor Emeritus’s eldest daughter, Sayako Kuroda, got married. However, Princess Mako’s marriage seems to have had problems from the start, and without those being resolved, other problems have arisen, creating a complicated and messy situation.
Beyond just the mother’s financial issues, the handling of this issue has also shaken confidence in Kei Komuro’s character and integrity.
The “excessive security measures using a large amount of taxpayer money” for Mr. and Mrs. Komuro are also contributing to the backlash.
4. Do not repeat the irresponsible way Emperor Showa answered questions about “war responsibility” at his press conference.
While I don’t know what kind of press conference Princess Mako and Kei Komuro’s “marriage press conference” will be, I can never forget the irresponsible way Emperor Showa answered questions about the “atomic bombings” and “war responsibility” at his press conference in 1975.
<Statement regarding the atomic bombing of Hiroshima>
(At an official press conference hosted by the Japan National Press Club on October 31, 1975, when asked about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima)
While I regret the dropping of the atomic bomb, given that it was wartime, I feel sorry for the citizens of Hiroshima, but I believe it was unavoidable. (Naturally, this statement drew protests from atomic bomb survivor groups.)
記者会見で戦争責任と原爆投下について語る昭和天皇 – ニコニコ動画 (nicovideo.jp)
<Statements regarding one’s own war responsibility>
(When asked about his own war responsibility at an official press conference hosted by the Japan National Press Club on October 31, 1975)
I don’t have much experience studying that kind of literary nuance, so I can’t really answer that question.
These words hardly seem to come from the Emperor, who was once the supreme commander with the authority to lead both the Army and Navy, and the ultimate authority figure, the “Grand Marshal.”
Hearing this statement from Emperor Showa, I believe the souls of the common people who were conscripted with a single “red paper” and died fighting for the Emperor, and the student soldiers who ultimately died in vain in kamikaze attacks, cannot find peace. This excludes those who evaded military service, of course…
A certain royal journalist states the following:
The Imperial Household Agency wants to send off Princess Mako in a manner befitting a member of the imperial family. Therefore, this press conference will likely proceed in the same manner as previous wedding press conferences for other members of the imperial family. It seems that the number of journalists allowed to attend will be quite limited.
The content will likely consist of a series of questions prepared in advance by some journalists, to which the Imperial Household Agency will read pre-prepared answers. Questions unfavorable to Mr. Komuro, such as those concerning Ms. Kayo’s financial troubles or allegations of Mr. Komuro’s falsified background, will be filtered out beforehand and treated as if they never happened. In short, it will be a press conference characterized by complete silence.
It remains to be seen whether “tough questions” will be posed to Kei Komuro and Princess Mako at this press conference. However, as the above-mentioned royal journalist predicts, I believe there is no point in holding a press conference that is merely a “farce” without any “tough questions.”
Furthermore, if Kei Komuro gives an “irresponsible answer,” it is inevitable that he will provoke further public backlash.
5. Decline in Public Trust in the Imperial Family and the Imperial Household
Looking at the recent discussions on the “imperial succession issue,” such as the “acceptance of female emperors” and the “restoration of former imperial families to the imperial family,” it seems that the premise is that “the imperial family must be preserved.”
Also, the conflict over imperial succession between the Imperial family, which includes Princess Aiko, and the Akishino family, which includes Prince Hisahito, is reminiscent of past succession disputes within the imperial family.
First of all, there was the “alternating succession of the two imperial lines” during the “Northern and Southern Courts period,” and there’s even a theory that “Emperor Meiji was assassinated immediately after his enthronement and replaced by Toranosuke Omuro from Choshu.” Therefore, the notions that “the Emperor is sacred and inviolable,” “the imperial line is unbroken for all eternity,” and “the Imperial family is the oldest royal family in the world” are complete fabrications created by the Meiji government.
Since the “Emperor system” is an anachronistic class system that persisted due to the convenience of GHQ’s occupation, it may be an extreme view, but if there are no successors, there should be no problem in amending the constitution through a national referendum to abolish it.