Princess Masako gives birth to girl

By Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writer

Japan's Crown Princess Masako gave birth to a girl today, NHK television reported, raising profound questions about royal succession for the world's oldest monarchy.

Jane Kurahara and Tatsumi Hayashi are volunteer workers at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii. Kurahara said she was relieved the crown princess had given birth. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Recent calls by Japan's prime minister to allow women to ascend to the throne only served to fuel widespread speculation in Japan that Masako, 37, was expecting a girl.

Many older Japanese Americans in Hawai'i — and some younger ones — were pulling for the princess, her child and the rest of the royal family.

"Of course, we're interested," said Kathy Inkinen, a sansei, or third-generation, Japanese American from Nu'uanu. "The emperor, his heirs and the whole family are incredibly interesting. It's Japanese heritage."

Dori Lynn Hirata-Fujimori, the 1993 Cherry Blossom queen, sympathizes with Masako because of all of the attention that has been focused on her pregnancy, especially after Masako miscarried two years ago.

"That was really sad," Hirata-Fujimori said. "There's been an awful lot of pressure on her."

Sharon Minichiello, director of the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of Hawai'i, has seen Japanese Americans in Hawai'i swept up by royal fever before, most recently during the 1999 visit of Princess Sayako, daughter of Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.

"My God, the outpouring of attention from the local Japanese Americans was unbelievable," said Minichiello, who was the master of ceremonies at the princess' final event, which was attended by 1,300 people, most of them Japanese Americans.

"It wasn't just the older nisei (second-generation Japanese Americans)," Minichiello said. "There were sansei, college students, fourth-, fifth-generation Japanese."

The Japanese Consulate in Hawai'i has been monitoring Japanese media Web sites and was awaiting official word from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Tokyo.

Probably two days after the birth, the Japanese Consulate will open its doors to allow Japanese nationals, Japanese Americans and anyone else to sign a book offering their best wishes for the royal family, said Ikuhiko Ono, consultant in charge of public information.

Masako, who was schooled at Harvard, gave up her career as a diplomat eight years ago to marry Naruhito. Almost instantly, she came under intense pressure to produce a child, especially a male heir to the throne. Masako's miscarriage was often blamed on intense media pressure.

Yesterday, her motorcade passed through the gates of Tokyo's Imperial Palace under the glare of television cameras and to the cheers of well-wishers.

The world's oldest monarchy has strict rules of protocol regarding royal gender, dating back to the Meiji era that started in 1868.

Only male heirs are allowed to rule. The wives of the emperor and crown prince are required to walk three steps behind their husbands. Japanese commentators have wondered whether the husband of the empress would have to follow suit.

"It will certainly intensify the debate on whether to change the law to allow a female to ascend to the throne," Minichiello said. "Otherwise, there would have to be a long debate and discussion about who would be next in line."

None of the politics in Japan concerns Jane Kurahara, a 70-year-old sansei. Like many other Japanese Americans, she didn't care whether Masako's baby was a boy or girl.

"I'm just so relieved she's having a baby," Kurahara said. "There's been so much anxiety."

Barbara Yuriko Ishida could sum up her feelings in just one word.

"The Japanese say omedeto," Ishida said. "It means happiness. Happiness for everyone in the family, happiness for the whole country."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8085.