Washington Post (June 25)
The “Tokyo Olympics just got an important no-confidence vote—from Japan’s emperor.”
The Economist (October 19)
“Constitutionally, the emperor is ‘the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people’. But the imperial cocoon in which he is kept risks making him more of a relic. Much like his father, Emperor Naruhito is relatively informal when touring the country, petting dogs and chatting with schoolchildren.” However, “the royal family has scant leeway to make itself more relevant” as it remains bound by “stifling bureaucracy and ritual.”
Tags: Bureaucracy, Constitution, Emperor, Imperial cocoon, Informal, Naruhito, Relic, Risks, Royal family, Stifling, Symbol, Unity
Washington Post (April 27)
“It was supposed to be a period of joyous national celebration, the Golden Week public holiday, which has been extended this year to celebrate the ascension of a new emperor to the Chrysanthemum Throne.” Instead, many Japanese are “miserable and stressed,” especially those in the service industry who have to work. In fact, recent polls show that “more people were unhappy than were happy with the long break.”
Tags: Ascension, Celebration, Chrysanthemum Throne, Emperor, Golden Week, Japan, Joyous, Miserable, Stressed, Unhappy
