Japan's royals face an uncertain future. The country's rising generation shows little interest, and time to produce a male heir is fast running out, reports Julian Ryall
On the face of it, they are the typical Japanese family. Dad is rarely seen out of a suit, mum worries about the three kids - the last of whom, their only daughter, married last year and finally left the nest - while the eldest son is apparently having problems in his marriage.
They are not, however, the same as other households.
The family is the heir to a dynasty that traces its history back more than 2,000 years and is the direct descendant of the Sun goddess Amaterasu. Throughout, the imperial family has survived military dictatorship, social revolution and countless natural disasters, yet its fate has never been more in question than it is today.
And while the modern Japanese family can at least face up to the realities of sibling rivalry, divorce, stress and the problems of raising children, the imperial family does not have that luxury. Older Japanese still see them as akin to higher mortals, and they are expected to be above such ordinary concerns. They smile, wave, attend worthy events and are generally benevolent. Consequently, the public holds the family in high esteem. They do not, under any circumstances, have crises.
At least they never used to.