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Japan holds breath as royal baby due any day now (2001/11/28)

為迎接小太子誕生，日本舉國屏氣凝神 (2001/11/28)

Anticipation is rising across an expectant Japan as the date draws closer for Crown Princess Masako to give birth to a possible, and long-awaited, heir for the world's oldest monarchy.

Masako's first child in more than eight years of marriage is due any day now. The baby, if a boy, will be second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne after his father, Crown Prince Naruhito.

The royal cradle used when Naruhito was a baby has been refurbished, plans are afoot for celebratory parades, and magazines are abuzz with speculation over royal birth dates. Medical staff have been on 24-hour duty at the palace where the royal couple lives since November 20.

Even the country's sober stock market is hoping it will spark a rise as investors get an emotional lift from some rare good news--with baby-related shares expected to be sought after.

Growing anticipation, Preparation

As the day nears, plans for celebrations are being finalized.

A massive parade of people carrying paper lanterns --a traditional celebratory ritual --is set to take place in the rural town in northern Japan from which Masako's family comes.

In Tokyo, books will be set out in front of the Imperial Palace and the separate palace where the parents-to-be reside so ordinary citizens can leave congratulatory messages.

Some of the most intensive preparations are being made by the Japanese media. Some local media firms are even said to be staking out the route the princess will use to get to the hospital.

Heir hopes

According to strict inheritance laws, only boys are entitled to ascend the throne in the world's oldest monarchy. But no males have been born to the imperial family since Naruhito's younger brother, Prince Akishino, was born in 1965.

The shortage of male offspring had prompted discussions earlier this year by politicians of changing the law to allow a female sovereign, as is the case in many European monarchies.

The fact that the question of rewriting the law has not been raised in the past few months has prompted speculation in some quarters that the baby may be a boy.

Busy schedule for baby

Once the baby arrives, it faces a steady parade of rituals, starting with the presentation of a ceremonial samurai sword by the Emperor on the day of its birth or the day after.

A week later, the baby will be ritually bathed in a cedar tub by a courtier while auspicious texts, written in classic Chinese literary style and wishing it good health and fortune, are read aloud. On the same day, its name will be announced.

The parents don't, however, get to name their long-awaited infant. Tradition dictates that duty is reserved for the emperor.

(Agencies)

日本皇太子德仁和太子妃雅子今年10月16日在東京皇宮接見瑞典王儲維多利亞公主時的資料照片，當時雅子已經身懷六甲。

日本太子妃小和田雅子的預產期日益臨近。日本--這個世界上歷史最悠久的君主制國家--即將再添新丁。目前日本國人個個拭目以待，翹首期盼小皇太子的誕生。

這是雅子結婚8年多來的第一個孩子。如果這個孩子是個男孩，他就會成為繼他的父親德仁皇太子之后的第二皇位繼承人。

德仁太子當年使用過的搖籃已經被重新修飾一新，各種慶祝游行活動正在緊鑼密鼓的籌備當中，各種雜志上推測太子妃臨產期的文章簡直是鋪天蓋地。11月20日以來，醫護人員已經在德仁太子夫婦居住的皇宮全天侯命。

甚至連近期一直不景氣的日本股票市場也希望憑借一些看漲的嬰兒產品有關的股票來帶動整個市場，恢復投資者信心。

萬事俱備，翹首以盼

隨著太子妃產期的到來，各種慶祝活動也大多已經準備就緒。

一支手持紙燈籠的大型游行隊伍將要在太子妃雅子的家鄉--日本北部的一個鄉下小鎮舉行慶祝活動，這是日本一項傳統的慶祝儀式。

在東京，工作人員在皇宮以及德仁太子和雅子太子妃--這對準父母居住的宮殿前向人們分發小冊子，以便讓普通百姓們在上面寫下祝福的話語。

日本媒體更是嚴陣以待，據說一些地方媒體公司甚至已經守候在太子妃前往醫院的必經之路上，準備搶到第一手的資料。

皇室香火繼承有望

根據日本嚴格的王位繼承法，只有男孩才能繼承王位。但是自德仁太子的弟弟文仁太子1965出生以來，日本皇室還沒有一個男孩誕生。

由于沒有子嗣來繼承皇位，今年早些時候日本一些政客進行了一次討論，想要改變日本現行的法律，效法歐洲君主國家允許皇室女性繼承王位。

但是在過去的幾個月中，修改繼承法的事情卻無人再提，這不禁引起人們的猜測，認為此次太子妃腹中的胎兒必是男孩無疑。

還未出生，已是百事纏身

這個孩子出生當天或第二天，將舉行天皇授劍儀式，接下來將是各種大型的慶祝游行儀式。

孩子出生一周后，將在一個雪松制成的木盆里由一位大臣為其洗禮，同時會有人大聲誦讀以傳統的中國文體寫成的保佑孩子平安健康的禱文。然后在同一天，皇室就將宣布孩子的名字。

但是，對于這個盼望已久的孩子，德仁太子夫婦卻不能親自給孩子起名字，因為根據日本的傳統，一般都是由天皇為皇室的孩子取名字的。

(中國日報網站譯)

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