Imperial Household Council
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The Imperial Household Council (皇室会議 Kōshitsu Kaigi?) is a ten-member body to approve the statutory matters on the Imperial House of Japan. The Council was established in 1947, when the current Imperial Household Law took effect.
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[edit] Functions
The Imperial Household Law provides that the Council shall be summoned by the Prime Minister to approve of:
- Marriage of any male member of the Imperial Family (Article X)
- Forfeiture of the Imperial status of a member of the Imperial Family (Articles XI, XIII and XIV)
- Changing of the order of succession of an heir who suffers from incurable disease (Article III)
- Regency (Articles XVI, XVIII and XX)
The Imperial Household Council has been convoked seven times hitherto. At each time, the Council meeting was headed by the Prime Minister and gave a unanimous consent and approval to the agenda.
[edit] Forfeiture of the Imperial status
Fifty-one members lost their Imperial status in 1947 with an approval of the Council.
[edit] Approval of marriage
The Council has discussed and approved of six marriages since its establishment.
| Date of approval | Marriage between |
|---|---|
| 27 November 1958 | Prince Akihito and Michiko Shoda |
| 28 February 1964 | Prince Masahito and Hanako Tsugaru |
| 18 April 1980 | Prince Tomohito and Nobuko Aso |
| 1 August 1984 | Prince Norihito and Hisako Tottori |
| 12 September 1989 | Prince Fumihito and Kiko Kawashima |
| 19 January 1993 | Prince Naruhito and Masako Owada |
No princess of the blood needs a marriage approval unless she marries a member of the Imperial House, because she will automatically become a commoner upon marriage and her husband will never be a member of the Imperial House under the rule of patrilineal succession. Six princesses have married without the Council's approval since it was established.
[edit] Members of the Imperial Household Council
Article XXVIII of the Imperial Household Law provides that the Imperial Household Council shall consist of:
- Prime Minister
- Two members of the Imperial Family
- The Speaker and Vice-Speaker of the House of Representatives
- The President and Vice-President of the House of Councillors
- Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Agency
- Chief Justice and a justice of the Supreme Court
Article XXX of the Imperial Household Law provides that other ten members shall be appointed as reserve members of the Council.
- Minister of State - in most cases, Chief Cabinet Secretary
- Two members of the Imperial Family
- Two members of the House of Representatives
- Two members of the House of Councillors
- An official of the Imperial Household Agency - in most cases, Vice-Grand Steward
- Two justices of the Supreme Court
[edit] Incumbent members of the Council in order of precedence
- Masahito, Prince Hitachi
- Hanako, Princess Hitachi
- Yohei Kono, Speaker of the House of Representatives
- Takahiro Yokomichi, Vice-Speaker of the House of Representatives
- Satsuki Eda, President of the House of Councillors
- Akiko Santo, Vice-President of the House of Councillors
- Yasuo Fukuda, Prime Minister
- Shingo Haketa, Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Agency
- Niro Shimada, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
- Tokiyasu Fujita, justice of the Supreme Court
The reserve members are as follows:
- Yuriko, Princess Mikasa
- Fumihito, Prince Akishino
- Yoshiro Mori, member of the House of Representatives
- Kozo Watanabe, member of the House of Representatives
- Kenji Hirata, member of the House of Councillors
- Hidehisa Otsuji, member of the House of Councillors
- Nobutaka Machimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary
- Noriyuki Kazaoka, Vice-Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Agency
- Tatsuo Kainaka, justice of the Supreme Court
- Tokuji Izumi, justice of the Supreme Court
[edit] Kōzoku Giin (Imperial Representative)
Kōzoku Giin (皇族議員?), literally Imperial Representative, refers to the Imperial Family members elected as members of the Imperial Household Council by mutual election among the adult members of the Imperial Family excluding the Emperor. They vote to elect two reserve members from the Imperial Family in the same way. [1]
| Term of office starts on | Members | Reserve members | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 September 1947 | Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu | Setsuko, Princess Chichibu | Takahito, Prince Mikasa | Kikuko, Princess Takamatsu |
| 16 September 1951 | Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu | Takahito, Prince Mikasa | Setsuko, Princess Chichibu | Atsuko, Princess Yori (until 10 October 1952) |
| (12 October 1952) | Kikuko, Princess Takamatsu | |||
| 16 September 1955 | Setsuko, Princess Chichibu | Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu | Kikuko, Princess Takamatsu | Takahito, Prince Mikasa |
| 16 September 1959 | Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu | Setsuko, Princess Chichibu | Takahito, Prince Mikasa | Kikuko, Princess Takamatsu |
| 16 September 1963 | Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu | Takahito, Prince Mikasa | Yuriko, Princess Mikasa | Akihito, Crown Prince |
| 16 September 1967 | Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu | Takahito, Prince Mikasa | Setsuko, Princess Chichibu | Akihito, Crown Prince |
| 16 September 1971 | Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu | Takahito, Prince Mikasa | Setsuko, Princess Chichibu | Akihito, Crown Prince |
| 16 September 1975 | Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu | Takahito, Prince Mikasa | Setsuko, Princess Chichibu | Akihito, Crown Prince |
| 16 September 1979 | Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu | Takahito, Prince Mikasa | Setsuko, Princess Chichibu | Akihito, Crown Prince |
| 16 September 1983 | Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu (died on 3 February 1987) |
Takahito, Prince Mikasa | Setsuko, Princess Chichibu | Akihito, Crown Prince |
| 16 September 1987 | Takahito, Prince Mikasa | Akihito, Crown Prince (enthroned on 7 January 1989) |
Masahito, Prince Hitachi | Setsuko, Princess Chichibu |
| (5 September 1989) | Masahito, Prince Hitachi | (vacant) | ||
| 16 September 1991 | Takahito, Prince Mikasa | Yuriko, Princess Mikasa | Masahito, Prince Hitachi | Naruhito, Crown Prince |
| 16 September 1995 | Takahito, Prince Mikasa | Yuriko, Princess Mikasa | Masahito, Prince Hitachi | Naruhito, Crown Prince |
| 16 September 1999 | Takahito, Prince Mikasa | Yuriko, Princess Mikasa | Naruhito, Crown Prince | Masahito, Prince Hitachi |
| 16 September 2003 | Takahito, Prince Mikasa | Yuriko, Princess Mikasa | Masahito, Prince Hitachi | Hanako, Princess Hitachi |
| 16 September 2007 | Masahito, Prince Hitachi | Hanako, Princess Hitachi | Yuriko, Princess Mikasa | Fumihito, Prince Akishino |
Princess Yori ceased to be a reserve member of the Council because she got married and became a commoner on 10 October 1952. Princess Takamatsu became a reserve member in replacement for her.
[edit] Recent elections
On 3 September 2003, Prince Mikasa was reelected to his fifteenth consecutive term of office since the Council's establishment. Prince Naruhito was voted out. It was for the first time since 1963 that the crown prince was not elected as a member or reserve member of the Council. [2]
The latest election was carried out on 5 September 2007. Empress Michiko, six princes and nine princesses voted to elect Prince and Princess Hitachi as members of the Council, and Princess Mikasa and Prince Akishino as reserve members. Prince Mikasa was reported to have excused himself for his old age in advance. Crown Prince Naruhito was not elected again while his brother, Prince Akishino was voted in for the first time. The next election will be held in September 2011. [3]
[edit] References
- 【明解要解】「皇室会議」とは？新議員に常陸宮ご夫妻, Sankei Shimbun
- Zusetsu - Koshitsu no Subete, Gakken, 2005, ISBN 4056041652
- ^ 皇室会議議員及び予備議員互選規則
- ^ Mainichi Shimbun Morning Edition, 4 September 2003
- ^ Mainichi Shimbun Morning Edition, 6 September 2007
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- 皇室会議 - Imperial Household Council (Japanese)
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