The youngest member of the Japanese royal family has been officially named. Crown Prince Naruhito and his wife Princess Masako’s new baby daughter is to be called Princess Aiko. In an elaborate ceremony during which she was ritually bathed, the new arrival was also given a second name, Toshinomiya, which means “one who respects others” in Japanese.
In a break with tradition, Prince Naruhito and Princess Masako chose their first child’s name themselves. Until now it has been customary for the Emperor to decide upon names for his descendents, without consulting the parents.
It has been a busy week for the seven-day old Princess - she has already been presented with a ceremonial sword, complete with a white silk-lined case embossed with the imperial seal. Aiko apparently slept peacefully during the presentation ceremony, however, which was conducted according to the precepts of the indigenous Shinto religion, of which the imperial household is the chief guardian, and was intended to evoke a sense of the nation’s ancient history.
The Princess’ birth has provoked a debate in Japan over the nature of the country’s laws of succession. There has not been a boy born in the Japanese royal family since Prince Akishino, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko’s younger son was born in 1965. The question now is whether the succession laws should be changed to allow the new member of the family to eventually ascend the Imperial throne.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
