Mr. Xi's audience undermines Emperor's role under Constitution
(From The Japan Times Dec. 17 issue)

要約
天皇陛下の役割を乱す特例会見

The government's decision to let Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping have an exceptional audience with Emperor Akihito on Dec. 15 made many people wonder whether the government, especially Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, has a correct understanding of the constitutional order with regard to the position of the Emperor. It is hard to dispel the impression that China and the government have politically exploited the Emperor, who should be above politics.

The Chinese government's desire for Mr. Xi to gain an audience was strong. In 1995, a rule of protocol was established that a request for an Imperial audience be submitted at least a month in advance, to smooth the Emperor's schedule. Special consideration also must be given to the health of the Emperor, who underwent prostate cancer surgery in 2003. So far this rule has been applied strictly and equally, irrespective of the size of countries represented by visitors or their political weight.

The Foreign Ministry had at first rejected a request from China for Mr. Xi to have an audience with the Emperor because the request failed to meet the one-month deadline. But China insisted that the success of Mr. Xi's visit to Japan would hinge on whether the request was granted.

It has been reported that although Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano asked the Imperial Household Agency on Dec. 7 to arrange the audience, the agency declined, but then accepted the request when it was repeated Dec. 10. Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa, who visited Beijing on Dec. 10 with a delegation of some 600 people to meet President Hu Jintao, has denied trying to influence the government. Mr. Hatoyama said the government's eventual decision was correct.

Imperial Household Agency chief Shingo Uketa expressed concern that involving the Emperor when the nation has an issue with a foreign country would undermine the Emperor's position and role under the Constitution. He is correct. The government should disclose the details of the process that led to Mr. Xi's audience and its stance on the Constitution's stipulations on the role of the Emperor.

天皇陛下と中国の習国家副主席の特例会見は、鳩山首相の憲法認識欠如を疑わせた。政府と中国側の両方が政治に超越すべき天皇を政治利用した印象はぬぐえない。1995年に成立した慣例では、外国要人との会見は1ヵ月前までに正式申請するとされており、天皇陛下の健康への配慮も必要だ。相手国の大小や重要性に関わらずこの慣例は守られてきた。

1ヵ月を切る要請を外務省は当初拒否したが、中国は習氏の訪日成功への協力を求めた。報道によると平野官房長官が宮内庁に打診し拒否されたが、12月10日に再度要請し受け入れられた。

他国との問題に天皇を巻き込むのは憲法上の天皇の役割を乱すという宮内庁長官の発言は正しい。政府は会見の経緯と、天皇の役割に対する考えを明確にすべきだ。