No Girls Allowed - Japan to drop woman monarch plan

"Japan will drop plans to allow women to inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne following the birth last year of a long-awaited male heir, a news report said Wednesday.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to ditch recommendations by a government panel in 2005 that an emperor's first child — boy or girl — should accede the throne, according to a report by the daily Sankei Shimbun.

The reform was designed to defuse a looming succession crisis for the royal family, which had produced no male heir in four decades.

But the plan provoked an uproar among many politicians and scholars (i.e. Conservatives), who argued it would end centuries of tradition. Opponents (i.e Conservatives) even suggested bringing back concubines to help provide male descendants to increase candidates for the throne."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070103/ap_on_re_as/japan_imperial_succession

This really shouldn't be a problem. Especially not today.

poor little boy though..

Monarchy is so... 19th century..

Decrying the lack of equal representation for women in the institution of monarchy makes my brain hurt.