Japan’s beloved Princess Aiko is often cheered like a pop star.
During a visit to Nagasaki with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, the sound of her name being screamed by well-wishers along the roads overwhelmed the cheers for her parents.
As she turns 24 on Monday, her supporters want to change Japan’s male-only succession law, which prohibits Aiko, the emperor’s only child, from becoming monarch.
Along with frustration that the discussion on succession rules has stalled, there’s a sense of urgency. Japan’s shrinking monarchy is on the brink of extinction. Naruhito’s teenage nephew is the only eligible heir from the younger generation.
Whilst I agree in principle (since hereditary monarchies are inherently anti-meritocratic), there is actually a strong argument for constitutional and apolitical figurehead monarchs (i.e mostly powerless). They serve as something of an antidote to cults of personality and can also act as a uniting force in times of crisis.
They also print money from tourism. That usually the real reason to keep them around.
The French got rid of their monarchy, and yet Versailles gets more visitors than Buckingham palace.
Do they? It’s not like the palaces and fancy hats just vanish if you abolish the institution. The tourists will come anyway, there’s no king in the Versailles palace and it’s still a major tourist attraction.
But France feels like an exception though. I wouldn’t say tourists are flocking to Albania or Austria to see the relics of their monarchies like people do with France.
There’s a real appeal behind having an active monarchy in place, even if it’s just symbolic. Take the UK as an example of this. One of the bigger draws to the country is that you get see all these monarchy related things places that are still occupied and used by a real royal family that has real historical depth and influence.
There are better ways to counter a cult of personality than a cult of divine providence.