After a decade of her life in loyal family, she got exhausted mentally and physically so that she couldn't attend her official duties as usual at last.
_What made her so...?

Her husband, crown prince Naruhito, confessed her predicaments openly on May 2004, adding an obious complaints to her surroundings, i.e., courtiers.

The Japanese loyal family's life is administrated utraconservatively by them, which prevent princess Masako from going abroad, rearing her daughter Aiko like ordinary child, and living according to her belief.

The sudden candid remark of prince Naruhito astonished not only the nation but also his families. His brother Fumihito and his father the emperor Akihito declared their comments respectively on November and December 2004, at the chance of their birthday announcement.

Prince Fumihito opposed that Naruhito should have consulted to his father previously, and that he think they should simply perform their given official duties without complaints.

The emperor Akihito expressed his confusion that he could not fully understand the crown prince's idea.

It seems their ideas are sound which worry about Naruhito's arbitrary statements.
But...nevertheless, I cannnot help feeling more sympathetic to the crown prince and princess.

Masako is a subtle intelligent woman who has a broad international outlook based on her career in foreign ministry and abundant experience of foreign stay.
She may be a symbol of new age in a sense, but ironically her superior nature looks to have something to do with her annoyance.

I think of " luck ".

First, in Japan, now that only a man is permitted succeeding to the throne under the Imperial Family Law since 1889, royal ladies are always expected to produce a male heir.

Masako married late (at age 29) and needed more than 8 years before she got the first only baby "girl" with a experience of miscarriage, while smoothly and early the empress Michiko (married at age 24) got two boys and a girl, princess Kiko (prince Fumihito's wife: married at age 23) got two girls.

Masako was said to be required of the pregnancy of the next child "boy" immediatelly after her delivery by courtiers.
The royal family has no boy since Fumihito's birth in 1965.
The alternation of the Law is considered for a female heir, but it seems still to be a long way.
Masako's burden is much heavier than Michiko or Kiko.

Second, Masako was given only 5 times of oversea trips since her wedding, which is much less than Michiko or Kiko, while she has much more affinity and ability to forein activities.
(The smaller chances are again supposed to relate her duty of making a heir.)

Third, Masako may have more innovative character due to her history than other two loyal ladies.
It could make her more difficult to adapt contentedly to conservative loyal life.

Consequently, we can say Masako was "unlucky", wasn't she?
And Michiko and Kiko were lucky.

And what I think lamentable is, lucky people can often be brutal to unlucky ones neverthless they are not ill-intentioned.

I think unlucky people cannot fight against fate same way as lucky ones. They need another measures to recover.
Therefore, the advices from lucky ones may sometimes be not only in vain, but even hurtful.

Maybe crown prince Naruhito naturally knew that he should cousult to his parents and was willing to do so before his statements, but he couldn't because he anticipated that they will advice him to give up declaring things what he thought he had to say.

A great majority of Japanese nations have sympathy to crown princess Masako who is struggling in this hard situation.
I, as one of "unlucky" persons who load a big illness, strongly pray her recovery and happiness as well.

I have no doubt of the wisenenss of the loyal family members, but somewhat of a reform of the old system will be inevitable.

2004.12.