Spray Chrysanthemums (Spray Mums) & Imperial System スプレーマム（スプレー菊）と皇室制度

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Almost all flowers are gone but these bright yellow ones. They're spray chrysanthemums or more commonly known as spray mums. 

Chrysanthemums are the symbol of Japanese imperial family, and as some of you may know, the former Princess Mako married her college sweetheart Kei Komuro last week despite challenges, such as her parents' (i.e., Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko)'s opposition and the criticism about Komuro's handling of his mother's financial problem. I found their marriage interesting because it's exposed a couple of issues for the family; can or do the members of the imperial family have human rights; and should Japan keep maintaining the imperial system? 

The first question is relatively easy to answer. The imperial family members can and do have such rights. They're human beings and the fact that Mako was born into the imperial family should have nothing to do with her right to marry someone she loves and any other human rights. The thing is, however, that some Japanese are unaware that obstructing their marriage is a human right violation. Even some say that Mako has no right to marry freely because she's a member of the imperial family, and her dependence on taxpayers' money obligates her to seek some kind of approval or support from the public for her marriage.  

And that's what makes the second question far more important. If Japanese people (not all but many) believe that way, what is Japan going to do? Is the country going to maintain the imperial system, which deprives the family members of the right to live the lives they choose?

Japan has started discussing again how the imperial system should be, e.g., whether to allow women to succeed to the throne or expand the family to include the former imperial branches, but that's not the point. Japan now should discuss whether to keep this inhumane system. And my proposal is to abolish the imperial system not now, but after the members have disappeared through attrition.

Chrysanthemums are native to East Asia, but have been cultivated in the U.S. to produce multiple flowers on a stem, then coming back to Japan as spray mums. Things change, and the imperial system is just one such thing.       

Spray chrysanthemums スプレーマム

Spray mums スプレー菊

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最近近所で花を見かけることがめっきり減りました。スプレー菊の黄色が鮮やかです。

菊といえば皇室。そして皇室といえば眞子さん。物議をかもしています。皇族だから、税金を使ってるからと結婚に反対する方がいらっしゃるようですが、人権違反だということに気付いてらっしゃるのでしょうか。あえて言いますが眞子さんは人間です。

なので本質はそこではない。問題は「皇室制度を維持すべきか否か」です。人を人として認めない制度は非人間的だと思います。なので個人的にはいずれ廃止でいいと思います。皇位継承者が減ってもそのままにしておけばいずれ消滅します。その時に廃止すればいいのではないでしょうか。

スプレー菊は、中国や日本の菊が米国に渡り、改良され、日本に戻ってきたものです。菊も変わり、他の事物も変わる、皇室制度も変わっていくべきものの一つなんだと思います。

ちなみにスプレー菊の「スプレー」は「スプレー缶」の意味ではなく、「枝分かれしている、一本の茎に複数の花が付く」という意味です。

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