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But the voice that may have the most weight is that of 90-year-old Princess Takamatsunomiya Hikikuko, who is the oldest member of the Imperial family. In the Jan. 22 issue of Fujin Koron, a women’s opinion magazine, she expressed her support for a change of the imperial succession laws.
“In the past, female members of the Imperial family have held the role of emperor,” she wrote. “If we thus take a lesson from the long history of the Japanese, [we will see that] a female emperor is not by any means an unnatural occurrence. This is my very humble opinion.” Princess Takamatsu pointed to England’s past and present queens, Elizabeth I, Elizabeth II, and Victoria, as examples of monarchies outside Japan in which female leaders have flourished, bringing prosperity to their country and people.
Across Asia, commentators also called for change, urging the Japanese government to take the bull by the horns. Kwan Weng Kin wrote in The Straits Times (Jan. 8), “[H]ow much longer can Japan afford to wait before tackling the inevitable succession issue? Crown Princess Masako turns 39 this year, casting doubts as to how many more children she can bear in the future.” 
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