政一B 邱科翰 (2-10)

姓名 : 邱科翰

班級 : 政一B

學號 : 07114248

[標題] Emperor Naruhito and Japan's lonely republicans

[內文] Earlier this week, as Japan was preparing to mark the historic abdication of one emperor and the enthronement of the next, a small group of people gathered on the edge of Tokyo.

"Let's not forget the war responsibility of the emperor," the protesters chanted as they marched towards a park.

The group, mostly grey-haired, belong to a small but vocal minority of Japanese people who think the time has come for the age of emperors to end.

Japan claims to have the world's oldest continuing monarchy. According to legends, the royal family are descendants of the sun goddess Amaterasu.

Until the end of World War Two, emperors were seen as living gods.

Han Tennosei Undo Renraku Kai (Anti-Emperor Activities Network), or Hantenren, have been calling for the abolishment of the monarchy for more than three decades.

They say it's the only way for Japan to atone for the wars waged in the name of the emperor in the 1930s and 40s.

"The war hasn't been put to an end properly," Nomura, a Hantenren member, told the BBC. He asked to be referred to only by his surname, for fear of attacks by right-wing groups.

Sitting in the tiny office of the protest group in central Tokyo, Nomura said wartime emperor Hirohito was a war criminal who committed crimes against humanity during World War Two.

"Hirohito had strong interest in the military. He was only afraid of wars with the US and UK because he knew Japan was militarily inferior to them," says Nomura. "He didn't hesitate to wage war in Asia."

After Japan was defeated, Hirohito, who sat on the Chrysanthemum Throne from 1926 to 1989, renounced his divinity.

Under the constitution written by the US, Japan became a constitutional monarchy with the emperor kept on as "symbol of the state" who is forbidden from being involved in politics.

The preservation of the emperor system means Hirohito was never made accountable for his role in the war, says Nomura.

Peace-keeping symbol

In the later years of Hirohito's reign, anti-monarchy feelings were more pronounced. Leftist radicals carried out occasional small attacks on places associated with the emperor.

But his son Akihito, who abdicated this Tuesday because of his age and ill health, succeeded in establishing the royal family as a symbol of peace after coming to the throne in 1989.

Now called Emperor Emeritus, Akihito was 11 when his father announced Japan's defeat on radio - the first time most Japanese had heard his voice.

"Akihito's signature issue was trying to bring closure to the post-war period by trying to heal the lingering wounds from the wartime," says Ken Ruoff, director of the Center for Japanese Studies of Portland State University in the US state of Oregon.

"He did whatever he could to improve relations with countries victimised by Japan."

In 1975, Akihito, still the crown prince at that time, made an unprecedented trip to Okinawa - one of the bloodiest battlefields in Japan where more than 100,000 civilians perished - with his wife Michiko. The royal couple was attacked by activists, but was unharmed.

Akihito also visited war-ravaged countries including China and Indonesia and, though barred from commenting on politics - repeatedly called on his people to remember the horror of war.

Some of the countries worst affected by Japan's wartime atrocities maintain the country has never fully apologised or atoned for its actions, and the period remains deeply controversial.

But domestically, under Emperor Akihito, the royal family has became immensely popular. In polls and surveys, about 70-80% of the people support keeping the monarchy, according to Mr Ruoff.

Dwindling support

In his office in Tokyo, Nomura admits that the group has been losing supporters over the years.

In the 1980s, one rally could attract some 3,000 protesters, but they're having problems attracting new blood.

At Monday's rally, the 80 or so protesters were outnumbered by the hundreds of police deployed to contain them. Few onlookers paid them much attention.

Nomura says it can get lonely fighting for an unpopular goal, but that it's important to educate the public about the problems a monarchy could bring.

"Japan is now in a national identity crisis because the economy is in decline," he said. "The current government led by Shinzo Abe and the right-wing believe that the emperor can lend legitimacy to them."

He plans to continue his activism for another 10 years or so, as long as his health permits.

But he faces an uphill battle. Japan's imperial line goes back more than 2,000 years, and the role of emperor is tightly bound with many aspects of Japanese culture.

A new emperor coming to the throne - with a touching transfer of power from the beloved outgoing monarch - has generated a wave of affection, and has probably put a seal on the republican debate, at least until the throne becomes vacant once more.

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[相關憲法條文]

憲法第 1 條 : 中華民國基於三民主義，為民有民治民享之民主共和國。

憲法第 2 條 : 中華民國之主權屬於國民全體。

憲法第 35 條 : 總統為國家元首，對外代表中華民國。

憲法第 36 條 : 總統統率全國陸海空軍。

憲法第 37 條 : 總統依法公布法律，發布命令，須經行政院院長之副署，或行政院院長及有關部會首長之副署。

憲法第 38 條 : 總統依本憲法之規定，行使締結條約及宣戰、媾和之權。

憲法第 41 條 : 總統依法任免文武官員。

憲法第 44 條 : 總統對於院與院間之爭執，除本憲法有規定者外，得召集有關各院院長會商解決之。

憲法第 53 條 : 行政院為國家最高行政機關。

憲法第 62 條 : 立法院為國家最高立法機關，由人民選舉之立法委員組織之，代表人民行使立法權。

憲法第 63 條 : 立法院有議決法律案、預算案、戒嚴案、大赦案、宣戰案、媾和案、條約案及國家其他重要事項之權。

憲法第 77 條 : 司法院為國家最高司法機關，掌理民事、刑事、行政訴訟之審判及公務員之懲戒。

憲法第 78 條 : 司法院解釋憲法，並有統一解釋法律及命令之權。

憲法第 83 條：考試院為國家最高考試機關，掌理考試、任用、銓敘、考績、級俸、陞遷、保障、褒獎、撫卹、退休、養老等事項。

憲法第 90 條 : 監察院為國家最高監察機關，行使同意、彈劾、糾舉及審計權。

[相關法條]

日本國憲法第 1 條 : The Emperor shall be the symbol of the State and of the unity of the People, deriving his position from the will of the people with whom resides sovereign power.

日本國憲法第 3 條 : The advice and approval of the Cabinet shall be required for all acts of the Emperor in matters of state, and the Cabinet shall be responsible therefor.

日本國憲法第 4 條 : The Emperor shall perform only such acts in matters of state as are provided for in this Constitution and he shall not have powers related to government.

The Emperor may delegate the performance of his acts in matters of state as may be provided by law.

日本國憲法第 6 條 : The Emperor shall appoint the Prime Minister as designated by the Diet.

The Emperor shall appoint the Chief Judge of the Supreme Court as designated by the Cabinet.

日本國憲法第 7 條 : The Emperor, with the advice and approval of the Cabinet, shall perform the following acts in matters of state on behalf of the people:

Promulgation of amendments of the constitution, laws, cabinet orders and treaties.

Convocation of the Diet.

Dissolution of the House of Representatives.

Proclamation of general election of members of the Diet.

Attestation of the appointment and dismissal of Ministers of State and other officials as provided for by law, and of full powers and credentials of Ambassadors and Ministers.

Attestation of general and special amnesty, commutation of punishment, reprieve, and restoration of rights.

Awarding of honors.

Attestation of instruments of ratification and other diplomatic documents as provided for by law.

Receiving foreign ambassadors and ministers.

Performance of ceremonial functions.

日本國憲法第 8 條 : No property can be given to, or received by, the Imperial House, nor can any gifts be made therefrom, without the authorization of the Diet. 

日本國憲法第 41 條 : The Diet shall be the highest organ of state power, and shall be the sole law-making organ of the State.

日本國憲法第 65 條 : Executive power shall be vested in the Cabinet.

日本國憲法第 76 條 : The whole judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court and in such inferior courts as are established by law.

No extraordinary tribunal shall be established, nor shall any organ or agency of the Executive be given final judicial power.

All judges shall be independent in the exercise of their conscience and shall be bound only by this Constitution and the laws.

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心得評論：

Arguably the most important event last week (excluding weekends, when armed conflicts broke out in the Middle East) is the abdication and accession of the Japanese throne. And while Japan proudly owns the oldest continuing monarchy and the oldest ruling house in the world, the role of the emperor has changed throughout times. Once a divinity and sole holder of all sovereign power, the emperor is now purely a figurehead. In fact, the monarch of Japan is, perhaps, the “weakest” monarch in the world, in terms of political power held (which is zero, by the way). This contrasts sharply with the Queen of the United Kingdom, which held considerable power (though in practice never used). This is a direct result of Japan’s defeat, and has always been a centre of controversy, a battleground for the left and the right. 

To me, personally, I don’t think abolishing Japan’s monarchy is a brilliant idea (but then again, I’m not saying it’s entirely bad). Despite the disputes concerning responsibilities of war crimes, the Imperial family costs millions to maintain. From a purely “economic” view, it would seem reasonable, on paper, to abolish the monarchy. But dive deeper beyond the numbers, and one can see the place the emperor holds in Japanese culture. The Imperial House is a living cultural heritage, with great historical significance, one that cannot be measured by statistics alone. Then again, if a monarch enjoys support from 70% of the population, it probably indicates he’s doing fine. As far as foreseeable futures go, I don’t see Japan becoming a republic anytime soon. There is something special about having a “symbol of unity”, a personification of national character. This is something republics cannot easily duplicate.