No longer an empire.

December 23 is a holiday in Japan,the Emperor's birthday.
Well, it's not a big celebration to us, we're just happy that we have one more day-off before Christmas. ^_^

About the Emperor and the Imperial Family of Japan, there's one thing I amazed:
Some schools in foreign nations teach that the Emperor of Japan still has a power, an authority.

No.
They've lost power long time ago, even before WWII.
(If my knowledge is correct, last time they got a power was on middle of 19th century.)
The Emperors were controlled, or "used" for the nation, by then powerful people, like then prime minister or then commander in chief.
The Imperial Family is just a national symbol.

I amazed also to some Japanese youth, who don't even know who is the Emperor.
But that's the reality, the Imperial Family isn't important in our life.
(Look, I don't put something like "His Majesty", I'm not that patriotic.)

Anyway, they also contribute in providing heartwarming news, where most of the news we hear are glooming.
Many people were watching the marriage of the Emperor's daughter.
She's now a private citizen, but she's still popular.
The Emperor and Empress visited Saipan, one of the site of a hard fought battle in WWII, to express their condolences to soldiers and civilians was also a good mews.

However, some people are concerned in other place.
The topic they are discussing is if "the Empress" must be approved or not,
since the first child of the Crown Prince is a girl.

Actually, there were 8 Empresses in the history of Japan.
But they were just a "filler" until a male family becomes the Emperor.

"The first child" or "The son", which must be prioritized?
The public opinions are more in favor of the Empress,
But keeping the male line made the Imperial family continued for 17 centuries is also a fact.

This is a difficult topic.
And I don't have much opinion about this.
I'm just glad to be in one of the minor nations in the world which have "national symbol".