Crown Prince offers apology

Crown Prince Naruhito has offered a public apology for saying last year that there had been moves in the Imperial household that "denied" Crown Princess Masako's career and personality.

Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako watch a bunraku performance Tuesday at the National Theater in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.

The outspoken remarks generated enough speculation and tension to constitute a feud in the normally unflappable royal family.

In a news conference Monday at the Imperial Palace prior to his 45th birthday Wednesday, the Crown Prince said: "I made the remarks out of hope that people would be made aware of the situation Masako was in. Nonetheless, I feel sorry for causing trouble for both the Emperor and the Empress over the remarks.

"I have caused concern among the people as well."

The apology is widely seen as an attempt to allay tension in the Imperial family and its aides, and to put an end to the saga. The remarks generated speculation that the family rift was somehow connected to Princess Masako's then deteriorating health, which was referred to as an "adjustment disorder."

Regarding the public's various views on the issue, he said: "Everyone has his own different thoughts and ideas, and in every family likewise there are differences in view between generations. But I believe understanding (about such differences) naturally deepens by way of continuing discussions."

He also said his father advised him before the conference to "frankly speak" about his own ideas.

Last May, the Crown Prince dropped what many considered a bombshell during a press conference in which he spoke about the health of Crown Princess Masako.

"It is true that there were developments that denied Masako's career as a diplomat as well as her personality," he said.

He also said his wife, a former diplomat, "has completely exhausted herself" in trying to adapt to life in the Imperial family since their marriage in June 1993.

The Crown Princess, 41, has been diagnosed as suffering from a so-called adjustment disorder caused by stress arising from her status and busy schedule, the Imperial Household Agency said earlier.

The Crown Prince said Monday she is now on the way to recovery and making active efforts at building her physical and mental energy. But he also added that she is still experiencing physical ups and downs and that her doctor believes she needs more time to recover.

Regarding the Crown Prince's remarks, Emperor Akihito said in December: "I was very surprised. I have since listened to the Crown Prince . . . But there are still some things that I have not fully understood yet." The written message was released on the occasion of the Emperor's birthday that month.

Prince Akishino, the Crown Prince's younger brother, indirectly criticized the Crown Prince in November for making the remarks without consulting the Emperor, saying at a news conference for his birthday, "I myself was surprised at the remarks in no small measure."

The agency itself said in May that the issue is "sensitive and complicated."

The Crown prince's comment triggered speculation among the media, analysts and the public that his wife was having a nervous breakdown due to pressure to produce a male heir, given the fact that no male heir has been born in the past 40 years.

The lack of male successors in the Imperial family has increasingly exposed 3-year-old Princess Aiko, the only child of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, to public attention as a possible future reigning empress, for which the Imperial House Law would need to be revised.

The government has set up a panel of experts to discuss the issue of whether to revise the law to allow a female to ascend the throne of the world's oldest hereditary monarchy perpetuated through a predominantly male line.

On the succession issue, Crown Prince Naruhito told the news conference Monday, "I would like to withhold any comments."