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, born December 1, 2001, is the first child of Their Imperial Highnesses Crown Prince Naruhito, heir apparent to the Japanese throne, and Crown Princess Masako.
Aiko, the princess's personal name, is written with kanji character for "love" and "child" and means "a person who loves others." She also has a imperial title, Princess Toshi (敬宮 ''toshi no miya'') which means "a person who respects others." This formal title will be dropped if she marries a commoner, which is likely to happen as the nobility was abolished and the imperial family was streamlined to the descendants of Emperor Taishō in 1947.
In a break with tradition, the name was chosen by her parents, instead of by the emperor. It was selected from the teaching of the Chinese philosopher Mencius. It reads "A person who loves others will be loved by others, and a person who respects others will always be respected by others."
In 2005 Princess Toshi began her education at the National Children's Castle in Tokyo. She enjoyed doing pottery, rhythmic gymnastics, and gardening inside the Togu Palace with Princess Masako.
Princess Toshi (or Princess Aiko, as she is more widely known) began her formal education at the Gakushuin Kindergarten, Tokyo, in April 2006.
An avid sumo fan, she attended her first basho in September 2006 with her parents.

Contents

Throne

Debate

Cousin

External links

Throne

Debate

The birth of Princess Aiko sparked lively debate in Japan about whether the ''The Imperial Household Law of 1947'' should be changed from the current system of agnatic primogeniture (male-only) to equal primogeniture, which would allow a woman to inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne over other men, even her brothers.
A government-appointed panel of experts submitted a report on October 25 2005, recommending that the Imperial succession law be amended to permit equal primogeniture. On January 20 2006, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi used part of his annual keynote speech to address the controversy when he pledged to submit a bill to the Diet letting women ascend to the throne in order that the imperial throne be continued into the future in a stable manner. Koizumi did not announce a timing for the legislation to be introduced nor did he provide details about the content but he did note that it would be in line with the conclusions of the 2005 government panel.

Cousin

Proposals to change the male-only law of imperial succession were shelved temporarily after it was announced in February 2006 that the Crown Prince's younger brother, Prince Akishino and his wife Princess Kiko were expecting their third child. On September 6 2006, at 8:27 a.m. (Japan Standard Time), Princess Kiko gave birth to a son, Hisahito, who is third in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne under the current law, after his uncle, the Crown Prince and his father, Prince Akishino. The prince's birth not only provides the first male heir to be born in the imperial family in 41 years, but will likely discourage the proposals suggesting female succession.
See Japanese Imperial succession controversy.

External links

★ Kunaicho | Press Conference by Their Imperial Highness The Crown Prince and Crown Princess After the Birth of Her Imperial Highness Princess Aiko

★ Kunaicho | Press on the Occasion of the First Birthday of Her Imperial Highness Princess Aiko

★ BBC News | Japan's new princess meets the public