What happens to illegitimate members of the Japanese royal family?

Question

Two questions really:

1) If a male prince in the Japanese royal family has an illegitimate child, is the child considered royalty? Can they obtain a royal title if their parents marry after their birth?

2) What happens if a male prince marries a non-Shinto and/or non-Japanese woman? Are their children excluded from the royal line if they're not Shinto?

Answer 1

Given that even legitimate members of the Imperial Family become commoners when they legitimately marry (e.g. the current Emperor's only daughter), then I have not doubt that the illegitimate children are certainly not considered members by the more than conservative House of Japan. In the same manner, a Prince that marries "outside" the norm would be removed from the Family and the succession line...

Answer 2

Interesting question but one that maybe impossible to answer. The royal family in Japan is pretty much "controlled" by a branch of the Government that deals exclusively with the family's day to day life from what they eat to what they wear. No one really knows how much "control" they are under but if you believe various rumors and reports then you would believe its a pretty miserable existence (rumors persist that Princess Masako has dealt with depression for years due to this control).



Probably for at least a hundred years or more the Royal family has been kept under strict watch so that there are NO illegitimate children. Sure, accidents happen but you can believe that had there been such a case, it would all be kept a huge secret. My guess is there is NO rule for illegitimate children and there will never be one made. If you look at common Japanese law, when a father dies, his estate is automatically divided up between his surviving wife and children. Illegitimate children CANNOT legally inherit even though they have been acknowledged by the father as being one of his children. If this gives you any indication of how things are at the ground level in Japan, you can imagine how things are at the top.



As for being Shinto, the royal family does participate in a number of events that are Shinto in nature, religion is not a big issue. The Showa Emperor married a commoner and there was no concern as to what religion she was. Then again, most people in Japan are kind of very apathetic when it comes to religion. Lots of people go to a shinto shrine on new years day...not because they are shinto...its just the thing to do....

Answer 3

The daughter of Akihito lost her princely status when she married a commoner which is fine in my opinion because even if she married a prince or a title Japanese nobleman, her future son/s (if she would get at least one) would still not be in line to succeed at all. Let alone daughters if she would ever get at least one.

Answer 4

They have to commit Seppuku, a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment.