Wednesday, September 6, 2006
Family tree of the Japanese Imperial Family shortly after the birth of the newborn Prince of Akishino.
Princess Kiko
has given birth to a 2,558 gram (5.639 lb) baby boy, on 6 September at 8 h 27 (
Japan Standard Time
). He is the first male baby born in the
Japanese imperial family
since his father in 1965. The baby was delivered with a
Caesarean section
, and will not be named until a ceremony seven days after his birth.
Emperor
Akihito
, currently on a tour of
Hokkaido
, welcomed the birth. A number of traditional rites will take place, including the baby boy being symbolically presented with a sabre.
The boy will be the third in line to succeed to the
Japanese throne
after the
Crown Prince Naruhito
and
Prince Akishino
, father of the child.
The fact that
Crown Princess Masako
wasn't able to have a boy to succeed the throne is thought to have provoked her
depression
and subsequent withdrawal from public activity.
Pressure from the
Imperial Household Agency
for another child was ineffective and therefore
Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi
appointed a panel to find an alternative
succession system
. The panel's recommendation to allow women to inherit the throne was met with fierce criticism from conservatives.
The birth of the baby boy eases the pressure for the reform which about 70% of Japanese favoured but which was postponed
sine die
when the news of the pregnancy came to the public.
Prince Akishino has previously criticized his elder brother for not trying to sire a boy. According to Crown Prince Naruhito this was in order to protect Crown Princess Masako. At the same time, Princess Kiko has become the darling of the media while the Crown Princess has been accused of being "selfish" by some newspapers.
Sources