Book on C. Prince Akishino, ripples in all directions, review restrictions

 


 On May 11, a unique book compiling

a series of interviews with Crown Prince Akishino over the course of several years was released in Japan. The book, with the slogan "Before being a member of the Imperial Family, one is a human being," written on its obi sash, has caused a stir in various quarters.

 

This book is "Akishino no Miya" (Shogakukan). Journalist Keiji Emori, former Mainichi Shimbun reporter on the Imperial Household, conducted a total of 37 face-to-face interviews with Akishino over a period of 4 years and 7 months from June 2017 to January 2020. The interviews began the month after the news broke that Akishino no Mako, Akishino's eldest daughter, was inofficially engaged to Kei Komuro, and the book describes Akishino's true feelings as a father from then until their marriage in October of last year.

 

According to the book, Akishino's discomfort with the Komuro family was triggered by the Komuro mother and son's response to the reported financial troubles. Kei made a "hidden recording" of a conversation in which Mr. X, the "creditor," told them that they did not have to pay back the money, which he used as an excuse for not having to repay the money himself. Mako also believed Kei's words and was convinced that Komuro family did not have to pay back the money because of the "hidden recording.” However, the "hidden recording" was not a convincing factor to Akishino. News reports at the time revealed that Kei's mother had sent several e-mails to Mr. X requesting a loan, and Akishino no longer believed that the public would be convinced by the fact that the Komuro family had initially asked for the loan, even though there was a favorable recording.

 

Although the book conveys the father's emotions, which are shaken by his daughter's stubborn attitude, it also shows his evasive attitude, saying, "All the financial troubles are the Komuro family's problem,” "the fault lies entirely with the Komuro family." As for whether a background check on the Komuro family was not conducted, the father is also evasive, saying, "It's an era like this..." and "The privacy protection laws are too strict....”

 

Apart from this, many members of the public have suspicions that Kei Komuro's history of studying in New York and Mr. and Mrs. Komuro’s life in New York after their marriage may have been a use of privilege. The fact that Kei, who is not qualified to practice law in Japan, was admitted to Fordham Law School, that he received the Martin Scholarship, which is given only to outstanding students at the university in his first year, and that he received exceptional support for living expenses there from Okuno Law Office, her former employer (the director of the firm, Mr.Okuno, is an old friend of Prince Akishino).  Furthermore, the lifestyle in New York where the Komuro couple lived after their marriage could not possibly be supported by Kei's income as a law clerk alone, and it is likely that support from the state is being provided. The book does not answer those "alleged use of privileges" at all.

 

Furthermore, the fact that Mako, as a member of the imperial family, admitted that she herself had instructed Komuro to "not repay the debt" came as a great shock to the public. This is because it is no wonder that the imperial family was seen as meddling in a financial dispute between private citizens. However, there is no mention of this either, so it is no wonder that the report is seen as a "propaganda book" that only contains what is convenient for Prince Akishino.

 

The review section of the book's Amazon page followed a peculiar course. In a word, it was rough.

 

At this time (May 22), the page has only 20 reviews, with an average of 2.6 out of 5 stars a mediocre rating.  In fact, as of May 20, the average was 1.5, and a large number of low-rated reviews had been posted. By May 21, those low-rated reviews were deleted in large numbers by Amazon, and the current form is believed to have been created.

Currently, when you try to post a review on Amazon, you will receive a message saying, "Sorry, we are unable to accept reviews for this product. Due to several reasons, including an unusual posting situation that has been identified, the posting of reviews for this product has been restricted."

 

One of the lower-rated reviews with one star currently displayed has the following harsh assessment of Prince Akishino himself and the book:

 

“When I actually read the book, I was disappointed to find that he 'doesn't have a clue,' 'blames his son-in-law for everything,' and 'doesn't give a damn about the voice of the people.”

 

“If this book is an attempt to lift up Prince Akishino's family and bring back to them the respect and affection that the people have for the Emperor and his family, I think it is a disaster. At the very least, I was completely disappointed in Akishino and his family after reading this book.”

場所: Japan

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