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http://www.japancivilization.org/

Newsletter Vol. 6 Winter 2017

On 28th November 2016, the sixth symposium held by Japanese Civilization Institute took place at Japan University of Economics in
Shibuya, Tokyo under the theme, “What is the Imperial Family to theJapanese people? —revolving around the issue of Emperor Akihito expressing his desire to abdicate.” Four panelists participated including;Japanese historian and Doctor of Law Ikuhiko Hata, journalist specializing in Imperial Household and former member of the Imperial
Household Agency Shinji Yamashita, adjunct lecturer at Kogakkan
University and great-great grandson of the Meiji Emperor Tsuneyasu
Takeda and writer and director of Japanese Civilization Institute Naoki Inose. Our symposium validates the Emperor’s message to the people, the issues regarding Imperial succession and the meaning of theEmperor and the Imperial Family to the Japanese people.
(reprinted from “Shukan Dokushojin,” 6th January, 2017, No. 3171)

Greetings
Ms. Kimiko Tsuzuki—Chairperson of Japanese Civilization InstituteDay to day, mother nature is starting to alter, as we see new buds starting tosprout again. It’s the natural cycle of nature. Similarly, Tsuzuki Gakuen Groupto celebrated its 60th Anniversary last autumn. All the same, it’s still a very
young group.
By the way, when we question which country has the longest history among theapproximately 200 independent countries that exist in the world, I think Japan can be
named. And one thing that is most characteristic about this country’s long history is undeniably the presenceof the Imperial Family and the Emperor.
There are many theories that explain the origin of Japanese history and Japan’s Emperor. When you look at
Kojiki (oldest chronicle of Japan) and Nihon-shoki (second oldest chronicle of Japan), it is said that Japanese
history has been going on for 2000 years or 2700 years. The next in line is Denmark followed by England,so you can see how miraculous Japanese history is.
The theme was chosen for this symposium on this occasion, so that we can think about the Imperial Family
again, as something that belongs to Japanese Civilization. It’s not only the Imperial Family that’s long lastingin Japan, but there are also many other aspects in Japan that last. For example, Japan is extremely good atbuilding long-established companies that last for a few hundred years or sometimes up to a few thousands
years. Some of them are still lasting. Why is this possible?
From a continuity and sustainability point of view, what should we—as people living in this modern world—
keep in mind if we want to pass these cultures down to the next generation? I hope hints that answer thisquestion, arises from the discussion. I hope you enjoy the event until the end. Thank you.

About the groupJapanese Civilization InstituteEstablished in August 2015

Address: 24-5 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0031
Tel :03-5456-8082 Fax:03-5456-8388
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A Report on Our 6th Symposium“What does the Imperial Familymean to the Japanese people?”
The issues surrounding Emperor Akihito’s
desire to abdicate

IkuhikoShinji
Tsuneyasu
vs.
vs.
Hata
Yamashita
TakedaMC

Naoki Inose
The Emperorshares his “feelings”
with the Japanesepeople on TV on
8th August 2016
Inose: Lately there was a most astonishing incident—a car which wascarrying both Princess Kiko Akishino and Prince Hisahito struck another car.
Prince Hisahito is third in line to theJapanese throne after the Crown
Prince and Prince Akishino. Amid
discussions currently underway as towhether the Emperor should or
should not be able to abdicate, andwith both the Crown Prince andPrince Akishino now in their fifties,
10-year-old Prince Hisahito is currently the only member of the Imperial Family who can continue theImperial line into the future. Yet
nonetheless, there was no leading car
assigned to accompany the car inwhich he rode.
If it had been the Emperor or the
Crown Prince, the authorities would

2

have cleared all the cars off the Shuto
Expressway. Does this mean that the
Akishino Family does not receive thesame treatment?
Yamashita: An unmarked Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) patrol car does follow the Akishino
Family when they drive, but yes,
their vehicle is treated as a regularcar. That incident actually involved
six people in all: Princess Kiko,
Prince Hisahito, Prince Hisahito’sfriend and his mother, an Imperial
Household Agency staff person who
was driving, and an Imperial guard
in the front passenger seat. There
were probably three or so policemenin the unmarked MPD patrol car as
well. This is probably a normal assignment if you think of the family
as being part of the “miya-ke” (Collateral branches of the Imperial Family), but the question is: is it correct
to think of the Akishino Family as
being just part of the miya-ke?
Inose: There seem to be about 70
staff working at the Togu Palace,where the Crown Prince and Princess live. How many attend the
Akishino Family?

Ikuhiko Hata

Yamashita: About 20. Normally,
there are less than 10 Imperial Household Agency staff accompanying
members of the miya-ke, so you can
see that it exceeds that number. However, if you compare it with the staffing at the Togu Palace it’s only a third.
In order to understand the reason forthis difference, you have to consider
the way the throne has been passed
down to lineal descendants over the
past 200 years from the 119th Emperor Kokaku to the 125th Emperor
Akihito. There is the fixed idea andsystem that the Crown Prince—whoShinji Yamashita

is next in line to become Emperor—
should always come from the Crown
Prince’s family, and indeed, from theinner-court members of the Imperial
FamilyInose: But now it has all but been
decided that the Imperial line is tobe transferred to the Akishino Family. Have the Imperial Household
Agency and government taken any
measures following this incident?
Yamashita: The Deputy Manager of
the Imperial Household Agency staff
is the former Superintendent-General of the Metropolitan Police. He has
concluded that the incident involving the Akishino Family was “human error.” In other words, he has
no intention of reconsidering the existing security measures.
Inose: It seems to me that the classic
bureaucratic approach of simply glossing over things to avoid trouble and acritical question of how best to confront an important issue, are being
handled at the same low level.
In any case, however, let us now turnto our main theme, the expressed desire of Emperor Akihito to abdicate.
On 8th August, 2016, the Emperor
expressed his “personal feelings” regarding his duties as the “symbol” ofthe state to the Japanese people via
television. Mr. Hata, what are yourfeelings on this? Your personal views
are very welcome.
Hata: The governmental Advisory
Council held a hearing of experts regarding the Emperor’s video message

of 8th August. However, it strikes
me that their opinions were more divided than had been expected. According to one public opinion survey, 90% of the Japanese people simply accept the Emperor’s feelings,
expressing gratitude for his long service and accepting his desire to abdicate as something that is inevitable.
On the other hand, approximately
half of the experts on the panel were
either opposed to or expressed caution regarding the Emperor abdicating. There were opinions voiced that
if the Emperor were allowed to abdicate of his own free will, then there
might be other Emperors in the future who simply refused to assume
the throne, which would jeopardize
the very continuity of the Imperial
Household system. Also, whether it
be by a Special Law or by revising
the Imperial House Law, the factthat the government might act in response to the Emperor’s expressed
will was also perceived as potentiallygoing against the Constitution, which
strictly separates the government andthe Imperial Household. There wereeven opinions voiced that the Emperor’s true duty is to pray for his
people, and that there is no need for
the Emperor to continue to appear in
public at all. These experts suggested
that perhaps the Emperor should be
kept in a closed world.
I myself believe that the Emperor’s
message of 8th August was something he thought out very carefully.
Therefore, I think it is incumbent on
those around him to do their utmost
to respond to the Emperor’s demands.
Assuming they do so, however, opinion is divided on whether it should
be done by passing a Special Law orby revising the existing Imperial
House Law. I personally think that
we should properly revise the Imperial House Law. We should not simply postpone addressing the issue by
promulgating a Special Law that approves abdication for the Emperor
fro this one time only. Nor should
we simply create another Special

Law whenever the issue arises again.
Presently the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has a powerful majority
in the Diet while the Democratic
Party of Japan—the largest opposition party—has also said that it supports revising the Imperial House
Law, so I think the timing is goodfor revision.
Inose: The Abe Cabinet certainly isa stable administration that doesn’t
keep flipping every year or so, as
other administrations have in thepast. So you believe that at this time
we can thoroughly revise the Imperial House Law, do you not, Mr. Hata? And on the other hand, Mr.
Takeda, I believe you feel we should
go with an act that is only valid for ashort period of time?
Takeda: There have actually beenvarious troubles around abdicationin the past as well. One case involved
a retired Emperor who brought disorder to politics, while another Emperor used the timing of his abdication to put pressure on politicians.
There were even powerful politicians
who forced an Emperor to abdicate
against his will. But when we think
about the present Emperor, I see no
problem with him choosing to abdicate. There is no possibility of him
forming a political party and participating in politics, and he has alreadymade an official announcement of
his desire to abdicate, so there his abdication would put no additionalpressure on politics. As we know that
he desires to abdicate, there is noquestion that he is being forced to
do so.
However, once we systemized abdication, there is no denying that there
could be trouble in the future. There
have been countless official discussions on this matter over the last 150
years, but they have always concluded that abdication should not be systemized. I think that adopting a onetime special measure is not about
postponing the issue, but rather issimply being realistic. That’s my opinion.

3

An aging society—regency, revisionof the Imperial
Household Law, or
special measures?

Tsuneyasu Takeda

Inose: What do you think, Mr. Yamashita?
Yamashita: My first impression
when I heard about this was that itwas very typical of our Emperor. The
Emperor strongly believes that, as
has been said, his “status as the symbol of the state and his public duties
cannot exist one without the other.”He regards his performance of his
symbolic role to be accompanied byhis other activities. The Emperor did
not actually use the word “abdication,” but I can understand his feeling that he should abdicate if he canno longer continue to perform his
duties.
I felt as early as 2015 that the timemight come in the near future when
the Emperor would need to makethis kind of decision whether it would
be to place a “sessho” (regent) on thethrone, or appoint a temporary agent
to perform his national duties on hisbehalf. In 2015, at the National Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead,
I was surprised to see the Emperor
make a mistake in the order of theceremony. Also, I have heard that theEmperor asked about a program that
had already concluded immediately
before he delivered the closing address at the Toyama Umizukuri Contest. I think it was these kinds of incidents that led the Emperor to
make the speech he delivered on 8thAugust.

4

Inose: We live today in an aging society. If the Emperor is concernedthat he will not able to accomplish
his national duties and properly serveas the symbol of the state, that shouldcome as no surprise to any of us.
However, I am rather surprised that
the Emperor is so adamantly opposed to appointing a sessho. There
were also members of the Advisory
Council who questioned what would
be wrong with doing so. Article 16of the Imperial Household Law
notes explicitly, “In case the Emperor has not come of age, a Regency
shall be established.” Also, the second paragraph of that section notes
that, “In case the Emperor is affectedwith a serious disease, mentally or
physically, or there is a serious hindrance and is unable to perform his
acts in matters of state, a Regency
shall be instituted by decision of theImperial House Council.” Further,
Article 17 notes that “the first to carry the throne should be the Crown
Prince or the eldest grandson of theEmperor in the line of The Kotaishi,
or Kotaison.”
Perhaps we should add “elderly” ormore specifically, “over 80.” to thecurrent Imperial Household Law.
The aging of Japanese society is going to continue, and I think we needto make that sort of revision accordingly.
Hata: I personally am against naming a sessho, I believe it is incredibly
rude to forcibly apply the condition“affected with an incurable and serious disease, mentally or physically.”
That the Emperor chose to stateclearly in his video message that he isagainst sessho was, I believe, influenced by the experience of his father,
the Emperor Showa. Imperial Prince

Hirohito, who was the Crown Prince
at the time, served as sessho for 5
years from Taisho 10 to Taisho 15.
In Taisho 10, when the 42-year-old
Emperor Taisho read out the Imperial Rescript to appoint him as sessho,
the former Imperial Household Ministry released the “Emperor Goyodaisho” (Emperor’s Health Condition), which made Emperor Taisho’s
health condition open to the public.
The contents were extremely harsh,
declaring that the Emperor was nothealthy enough to continue his duties. I think there can be no doubtthat behind these harsh words lay
the political aims of the elder statesman Aritomo Yamagata, Prime Minister Takashi Hara and Naidaijin(Minister of the Interior) Nobuaki
Makino.
Inose: As Emperor Showa’s healthdeteriorated, he revealed to his attendants that he could not bear seeing
his health condition, including evendiagrams of his body and reports on
his daily blood loss, being printed in
the newspapers. His condition seemed
to be much worse than when Emperor Taisho put a sessho on the throne.
Why, then, didn’t the present Emperor—who was Crown Prince at thetime—assume the role of sessho atthat time?
Takeda: I think that, too, might
have been influenced by Emperor
Showa’s painful experience of having
to serve as sessho. Emperor Taisho
was opposed to Imperial Prince Hi-

Naoki Inoserohito serving as sessho. However,the Emperor’s wishes do not have tobe taken into consideration when asessho is appointed.
Emperor Taisho was not at all happy.
In his book, “Taisho Tenno,” Takeshi
Hara notes that Emperor Taisho wasa clear-headed man. He was civilized
and free-spirited from his days as
Crown Prince, and he felt that the rolemodel the Emperor Showa should follow for politics at the time should not
be his own father, the Emperor Taisho
himself, but rather his grandfather
Emperor Meiji. There’s the well-known“Spyglass Incident”—in which Emperor Taisho is said to have rolled his prepared speech up into a cylinder andpeered through it at the assembly as if
through a spyglass, behavior that madehim seem unintelligent. However, it
could also be suggested that such stories were propaganda.
Yamashita: Emperors are always left
out of the decision to appoint a sessho. However, in the case of a temporary agent taking up the duties ofnational affairs, the Emperor’s wishes
are taken into consideration. The cabinet advises that a temporary agent be
appointed to take up duties of national affairs, and the Emperor approves the recommendation.
Yet there is no requirement to ask
the Emperor regarding a sessho. If
the government cannot confirm of
the Emperor’s intent, it may convene
an Imperial Household Council anddecide on a sessho there. The Showa
Emperor did not have a sessho in his
later years because they were still
able to to confirm his intent against,
even though he was bedridden. Consequently, they only needed to arrange to have a temporary agent takeup his duties of national affairs.
The reason why the present Emperor
is opposed to appointing a sessho ismost likely because he heard about
Emperor Showa’s experience in thatrole. Moreover, the Emperor strongly believes that it is important thathe continue to appear in front of thepeople as the symbol of the state. A

sessho, after all, is not a symbol.
It might be different if there was achance that the Emperor might return to the throne himself at a later
date, but if a sessho is to be in place
until the very end, then it is my belief that the Emperor feels he should
go ahead and directly pass the throne
on to the next generation now.
Hata: My concern is that if the present Emperor abdicates at age 85, theCrown Prince will become Emperor
at age 58. The problem lies in what
follows after that. Prince Akishino—
the next in line of succession—is only five years younger than the Crown
Prince. If the Crown Prince abdicatesat 85, Prince Akishino will become
Emperor at 80. Consequently, Akishino is likely to serve as Emperor for an
extremely short period of time, which
I think could cause many problems. I
believe that the Emperor’s video message was a result of carefully contemplating all these kinds of issues, which
is why I say we shouldn’t hide fromthe hard issues and escape by simply
naming a sessho.
Takeda: The present Emperor is avery sincere person. Even though theImperial Household Agency suggested reducing his public activities, hedeclined their offer. His thinking
was that if he could not maintain his
status as a symbol, then he should
abdicate. On the other hand, Emperor Showa did reduce his public activities as he aged, continued to pray forthe people, and chose to remain on
as Emperor. Is it really all right for us

to select one of these two paths as the“correct” one, and amend the Imperial House Law? What I think weneed now is a flexible system.

The Emperor’s busy
days — Imperial
ceremonies are
considered private
affairs?!
Inose: By the way, I think we doneed to understand as we have this
discussion exactly what it is the Emperor does in specific terms. First ofall, he carries out national affairs as
stated in the Constitution, is thiscorrect?
Yamashita: National affairs are primarily about approving documents
at the Omote Gozasho (the Imperial
office room) and the Imperial Palace.
The only annual ceremony included
under national affairs is the annual
New Year Greeting. Duties such as
the Ceremony of the Presentation ofCredentials—in which newly arrived
foreign ambassadors travel by carriage from Tokyo Station to the Imperial Palace to present their credentials to the Emperor—and attending
the opening ceremony of the Diet,
are known to be public acts related
to national affairs.
Inose: It appears that 28 new ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary visited the Emperor in 2015.
Some years have seen more than 40

5such visits. According to a survey by
the Imperial Household Agency, thenumber of foreign guests and ambassadors in Japan whom the Emperor
met at the age of 74 was 1.6 times
greater than Emperor Showa did thesame age. In the case of his meetings
with Japanese ambassadors before
their departure for new assignments
abroad, the number was 4.6 times
greater. These various increases aredue in part to the growing numberof countries with which Japan has
relations.
Secondly, there is the Emperor’s
public role. The Emperor participates in memorial ceremonies andrites, and attends public events andfestivals as well as going on domestic
tours and making official visits toforeign countries.
Thirdly, under the rubric of “otheractivities,” the Emperor goes on private outings and research trips to art
exhibitions and concerts, not tomention attending and performing
religious ceremonies at the Imperial
Palace.
In 2015 alone, there were 1,047 “na-6tional affairs,” 529 “public affairs,”
and 87 “other activities.” Emperor
Showa had 12 “Gyokokei” (activities
included under “public affairs,” often meaning that the Emperor andthe Empress attend together)” when
he was age 82. The present Emperor
had 128 at the same age.
Yamashita: With or without abdication, the throne will eventually bepassed on. However, the question remains of whether or not the newEmperor should continue to carryout every duty the present Emperor
performs. If he does so, then he will
have no leeway left to do out what isbest for the new era, as Crown
Prince Naruhito himself has said.
This is very worrying. Unless theEmperor himself or the Imperial
Household Agency rearranges theEmperor’s duties, it will be very difficult for the Crown Prince to saythat he will not perform some of theduties his father used to perform
once he becomes Emperor in hisplace.
Inose: Both the Emperor and Empress are very enthusiastic aboutboth their public affairs and their
Imperial ceremonies. Imperial ceremonies have been regarded as private
affairs since State Shinto was abolished following WWII. Yet these ceremonies are not private affairs at all.
They are very hard work indeed.
Takeda: I fully agree. I have heard
from Imperial Prince Tomohito how
very demanding the Imperial ceremonies are. Even in the view of other Imperial Family members, the duties the Emperor bears today areheavy indeed. They say that the way
the Emperor performs his duties as if
they were no burden upon him at allis truly divine.
There are approximately 20 of theserituals held annually. Among them
are “Shihohai” (Prayer to the Four
Quarters, the Japanese Imperial New
Year’s Ceremony) held on New Year’s
Day and “Saitansai” (a Shinto ritual
to mark the beginning of the NewYear)” which is conducted in Heianperiod costumes. Protection against
the cold is not allowed.
There is also the “Niiname-sai” (aceremonial offering of newly-har-vested rice to the deities) held on
November 23rd. This ritual has been
simplified because of the Emperor’s
advanced age, but initially the twohour ceremony was held not once,but twice.
Yamashita: Twice including boththe evening ceremony, which took
place for two hours from 6 p.m., andthe dawn ceremony, which took place
for two hours from 11 p.m., lasting
into the following day. The Emperor
stopped attending the dawn ceremony in Heisei 26 (2014). The ritual required sitting in the “seiza” formal
kneeling position for long hours,
and up until that year he had practiced sitting in seiza while watching
television every year when autumn
drew near.
Takeda: I’ve attended Saitansai inthe past. It begins in the dark, thenit gets chilly, and after awhile you
can feel nothing at all below yourknees!
Inose: Most people are unaware that
Labor Thanksgiving Day on 23rd
November is the day the Niiname-sai
festival takes place. Initially, the rituals were conducted secretly, adding
to the sense of mystery.
Imperial ceremonies are both a mythology and a reality. The unbroken
line of Emperors always existed
through these rituals. It’s not only
about the continuity of blood, butalso about continuously performing
these secret rituals and building upon them along the way.
Until now Imperial successions havecome upon us suddenly, when an
Emperor has passed away, and theera has changed abruptly with it. Allof a sudden, we have found ourselvesfacing a change in our timeline. I
think that, through these repeatedtransformation, we have come to sensea power in the Imperial line that transcends everyday life. However, if weagree now to an abdication, the era
name might change more sensibly inthe future, on January 1st for example.
That’s modern rationalism for you.
Can we really sacrifice our Japanesespirit to modern rationalism?
Yamashita: That’s very true. Historically, Emperors sat behind bamboo
screens and were never to be seen by
the people. The Emperor was a presence who prayed for his country in aclosed environment. But modern
Emperors have come out into thelight. While maintaining the spiritual nature of the invisible, modern
Emperors have revealed their existence as a symbol, cultivating theirrelationship with the country and its
people. As in the Humanity Declaration issued by the Emperor Showa,
connection between the Emperor
and his people today is built on trust
and respect, and not on somethingthat derives from myths and legends.
The present Emperor, I think, is embodying that in his activities. Modern Emperors have come to exist byuniting the invisible of concealed
traditions and rituals with their Gyokokei duties and international goodwill that are visible to us all.
Yet even so, I do agree with what wassaid earlier. We do need to worry
about what Mr. Hata mentioned regarding Prince Akishino’s succession.
Hata: I think that succession at age
80 will be very challenging.. Also,
don’t forget that he will have to abdicate 5 years later.
Inose: It seems from this discussion
that, in the end, we have a kind ofdead end. We need to find the rightway out. It was in order to do that
the Emperor felt he had no choice
but to put his feelings into words,
even though he sensed that there
were going to be issues in the future
if he did so, including Prince Akishino’s short reign.
That said, it will be irresponsible ofus if we don’t take some kind of measures in response, regardless of whatkind of plan we finally do choose.
When you look around the world
today, the kings and queens of the
Benelux countries—Holland, Luxembourg, and Belgium—have abdicated. On the other hand, the kings
and queens of Denmark and Sweden

still continue to serve to the end. Soeven when we look around theglobe, it seems there is no one rightanswer.
Regardless, if the final decision is abdication, we will have to face a brandnew issue: the “gengo” (era name).”Yamashita: The Gengo Law contains only two articles. One reads,“the era name is decided by government ordinances,” and the otherreads, “the era name is modified only
when there is Imperial succession.”If abdication is approved and there is
to be a new Emperor a year later,
how should we treat the era name?
Takeda: From the Meiji Period on,
the era name has changed wheneverthe Emperor has changed. Prior tothat the era name was sometimes
changed when something fortunate
happened, or when natural disasteror famine struck. But because there
was such turmoil during closing daysof the regime of the Tokugawa shogunate, it was finally decided to assign an era name for each Emperor
beginning from the first year of Meiji. Before that, there was no traditionof changing the era name when theEmperor passed away.
Taking that into consideration, andto make an extreme case, we could
simply do away with the system of
having one era name for one Emperor entirely.
Yamashita: We also need to consider
the timing for when to announce thenew era name. If we say yes to an abdication, then we will be able to prepare in advance. There are calendars
and diaries, all these things that willneed to be changed over to the new era
name, so the people will want to know
the new name as soon as possible.
Inose: It’s not just the era name. We
will need to choose the “yukiden”
and “sukiden” (Ceremonial rice
fields) for the “Daijosai” (the first
ceremonial offering of rice by a newly-enthroned Emperor) a year in advance. In the past there has beensome time between the Emperor’s
death and the enthronement cere-7mony for the new Emperor.
Yamashita: At the same time, however, we can’t celebrate until the period of mourning is over. That meansthat there will be a blank of about
two years during which we can’t evendecide on the yukiden and sukiden.
Inose: How, then, should we consider that timing? Also, we will need tothink about the residence of the newEmperor. If Crown Prince Naruhito
becomes Emperor, that means there
will be no Crown Prince. Naturally,
Prince Akishino would then become
Crown Prince, but we will have tosystemize that process, too.
There are multiple problems to besolved, but I personally think that in
the end we will have to revise theImperial Household Law.
Hata: Teams have been formed already at the “kantei” (the prime minister's official residence) these past
few years, and studies have alreadybeen carried out on this issue. The
groundwork has been laid, so all weneed to do is to wait for the politicaldecision to be made. I personallythink that in the era of the new Em-

8peror and Empress, there will be
fewer official affairs. Court rituals,
too, will be simplified, and I expect
there will also be growing opinion infavor of aligning gengo era nameswith the Western calendar.
Yamashita: Regardless of the final
decision, I think that it would be
splendid if the government made afinal decision now. Postpone it foranother ten years or more, and we’ll
find ourselves in a position where wewill need to have a sessho no matter
what, and the debate will be over.
However, while the Emperor systemis encoded in the Constitution andin the Imperial Household Law, I do
not think this system will last if there
is no sense of responsibility on thepart of the state, the people and theImperial Family.. There is some anxiety that once we decide on abdication, there will be Emperors in the
future who will abdicate the throne
arbitrarily. Yet if that is the case, isn’t
it possible that there might also evenbe Emperors who refuse to sign the
documents presented to them by the
Cabinet. The Emperor is a living hu-

man being. Even if the people respect
the Emperor and even if we revise thesystem, if the Imperial Family shouldlose their sense of responsibility it
will all be over. All depends on theImperial Family’s sense of responsibility and mission, and at this moment it is that sense that is solving
every contradiction that arises.
That, I think is the situation we are
in today. What can we do as a state
and as individuals belonging to thatstate so that the Emperor can maintain that sense of responsibility andmission? I am not saying that wemust agree with everything that theEmperor says, but I do strongly believe that this is not just about fixing
the system.
Inose: I expect that for the time being the government will probably
choose to take only temporary measures. If so, then we have not evengotten close to the heart of the problem, and that is simply irresponsible.
But this is where we will have to stop
today.
(reprinted from “Shukan Dokushojin”, 6th January, 2017, No. 3171)

The panelists
Ikuhiko Hata
Japanese historian and Doctor of Law. Born in 1932 in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Hata graduated Tokyo University, Faculty of Law in 1956 and joined the Ministry of Finance. He studied at Harvard
University from 1963 to 1965 and later at Columbia University. He was assigned to the Defense
Agency in 1965 and he served as instructor at National Institution of Defense and lecturer at National Defense Academy of Japan. After resigning his post at the Finance Ministry in 1976, Hata
served as a visiting professor at Princeton University’s graduate school from 1977, followed byprofessor at Takushoku University, Faculty of Economy, Chiba University, Faculty of Law, and Nihon University, Faculty of Law. His books include, “Shōwashi no nazo wo ou (Chasing the Riddlesof Showa History),” out from Bungei Shunju which was awarded the Kikuchi Kan Prize, “Mei to An
no Nomonhan-Senshi (General Analysis of the Nomonhan War)” out from PHP Institute which wasawarded the Mainichi Shuppan Bunka Ward and “Ianfu Mondai no Kessan (Settlement of the Issueof Comfort Women),” published in 2016 and others.

Shinji Yamashita
A journalist specializing in Imperial Household, and a former member of the Imperial Household
Agency. Born in 1956 in Osaka. Yamashita graduated Kansai University. For 23 years, he worked
at the Press Office of the Imperial Household Agency, handling Imperial Household press conferences and press related work. After leaving the Imperial Household Agency in 2001, he served as
an executive at a publishing company before establishing Time Leader Japan Co. in 2004. After
creating his own business, he started working as a journalist specializing in the Imperial Family
including editor-in-chief for the “Koshitsu Techo (Imperial Notebook).” His present activities include supervising for the television show “Koshitsu no Mado (Window of the Imperial Family)” (BSJapan) and commentating on various mediums related to the Imperial Family.

Tsuneyasu Takeda
Author and adjunct lecturer at Kogakkan University. Born in 1975 as a member of former Imperial Family Takeda. Great-great grandson of Emperor Meiji. Takeda graduated Keio University,
Faculty of Law, specializing in Constitutional Law and History. In 2006, he was awarded the 15th
Shichihei Yamamoto Award for his book “Katararenakatta Kozoku-tachi no Shinjitsu (The Untold
Truth of the Imperial Family)” out from Shogakukan. He has written multiple books including,“Nihon wa Naze Sekai de Ichiban Ninki ga Arunoka (Why Japan is the most Popular Country in
the World)” and “Gendai go Kojiki (Modern Language Kojiki).” Takeda holds over 200 talks a year,
including Takeda Study Group which he holds at 17 venues nationwide.

Naoki Inose
Author. Born in 1946. In 1986, he received Souichi Ooya Nonfiction Award for his book “Mikado-no
Shozo (Portrait of Emperor).” In 1996, he received Bungeishunju Readers’ Award for his book “Nipponkoku
no Kenkyu (A Report on Japan).” From then on, he actively worked toward abolishing and privatizing
government-affiliated corporations. In June 2002, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi appoints Inose
as member of Promotion Committee for the Privatization of the Four Highway-Related Public Corporations. He included the story of the battle in his books, “Doro no Kenryoku (Authority of theRoad, Bunshunbunko)” and “Doro no Ketchaku (Settlement of the Road, Bunshunbunko).” In October, 2006, Inose served as Research Professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology and in June, 2007,
he served as Vice Governor of Tokyo. He served as Tokyo governor from December 2012 to December 2013.

Translation: Ayako Karino
9Japanese Civilization Institute 2017 7th Symposium
From Sengoku Era (age of civil wars) to the Edo Period (1603-1868), Japan shifted from times of riots topeaceful order. Although, Edo Period was run by a feudal system, it developed a highly established market
socialism, which merged well with Western modernization after the Black Ships of Perry arrived.
Please enjoy a heated discussion with historian Michifumi Isoda and director of Japanese Civilization Institute,
Naoki Inose.
▶ Panel discussion:“A study on Edo period’s Innovation after‘Naotora,’ with historian Michifumi Isoda”—a look into the reformist’s family tree
Naoki Inose

Michifumi Isoda

Writer and director ofJapanese Civilization Institutehistorian×
Date: February 7th 2017, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. (doors
scheduled to open at 6:30 p.m.)
Venue: J apan University of Economics, Tokyo
Shibuya Campus Hall (the hall seats 100
people)Address: 2
 5-17, Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Traditional Crafts
Online Site

How to attend: a pply through the site below:
http://www.japancivilization.org/
Contact: J apanese Civilization Institute03-5456-8082
Address: 2
 4-5 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku,
Tokyo 150-0031

Worldwide：https://shops.japancivilization.org
Japanese：http://japancivil.shop9.makeshop.jp

Messages from Director
Japanese Civilization Institute has been introducing and selling traditional crafts of Japan.
Although it is said that there is approximately 1,200 types of traditional crafts in Japan, its
production is declining. As part of our activities, we hope to discover valuable traditional crafts
spread across the nation, enjoy Japanese craftsmanship and its beauty inherited over the
centuries, and develop it with you.

Tsumami Kanzashi(Crepe)Folding Screen(half size)

Folding Screen(full size)

KYO-YAKI
Earthenware

Japanese Bamboo
Basket Tokyotrad

Odoshi Samurai Armor

Contact：Japanese Civilization Institute24-5 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0031 Phone : 03-5456-8082 Mail : info@japancivilization.org