Japan's troubled royals put up a brave front

Bungei Shunju ("literary spring and autumn") is arguably Japan's most prestigious monthly magazine. Emblazoned in celebratory red across the cover of its New Year's edition is the rather ominous headline, "The Day the Heisei (Era) Ends."

The eponymous 12-page article was written by Manabu Oshima, a reporter for the Sankei newspaper.

The article focuses on matters of imperial succession, and its timing is hardly surprising. The Emperor, who turned 78 on Dec. 23, was hospitalized for three weeks in November with bronchial pneumonia. A cancer survivor, the increasingly frail monarch nonetheless put in the busiest year of his 23-year reign, making numerous helicopter flights to console survivors in disaster-stricken areas since March 11.

Oshima points out, however, that as long as the current law recognizing only males as imperial heirs remains in effect, when the current Crown Prince becomes Emperor, his former rank will become vacant, since he has no male offspring. (Japan Times)