Emperor Naruhito and Princess Aiko When Her 18th Birthday
愛子さま18歳のお誕生日［出典：宮内庁ホームページ］
https://www.kunaicho.go.jp/activity/activity/02/activity02-r011201ph3.html

以前、「愛子さまが皇太子になれないことを海外の方にも知ってもらおう その①、その②」というブログを公開しました。

今回も英文のブログを書きましたので是非海外の方に紹介して頂きたいです。

今回は皇太子とは何か、そしてなぜ愛子さまが皇太子になれないのかということを、再度簡単ではありますが英語で説明させていただきます。

What is a Kotaishi?

A Kotaishi (皇太子) is an emperor’s child who is fixed to ascend the throne next. The eldest child is to be a Kotaishi when there are many children. It means a crown prince or a crown princess as an imperial heir in English.

This sounds like Princess Aiko can be a Kotaishi, but she can`t.

Why can’t Princess Aiko, who is a child of an emperor, be a Kotaishi?

Japan has Imperial House Law(皇室典範, Koshitsu Tenpan), which sets many rules about Imperial Family in Japan including the system of succession to the throne.

The current law stipulates that the imperial throne of Japan is succeeded to by male descendants in the male line of Imperial Lineage.

(*Male descendants in the male line of Imperial Linage: A descendant who is related to successive emperors by only patrilineal line in Imperial Family. No matter how far the connection to the present emperor is.)

In short, only an emperor’s son, not a daughter, can be a Kotaishi.

Princess Aiko can’t be either a female emperor or a crown princess as an imperial heir because she is just a female , though she is in the male line of Imperial Lineage.

Then, Who is a Kotaishi now? We’ll tell you next time….

Written by Mamegashi (from Aichi)

(文責 愛知県 マメ菓子)