Japan’s beloved Princess Aiko is often cheered like a pop star.
During a visit to Nagasaki with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, the sound of her name being screamed by well-wishers along the roads overwhelmed the cheers for her parents.
As she turns 24 on Monday, her supporters want to change Japan’s male-only succession law, which prohibits Aiko, the emperor’s only child, from becoming monarch.
Along with frustration that the discussion on succession rules has stalled, there’s a sense of urgency. Japan’s shrinking monarchy is on the brink of extinction. Naruhito’s teenage nephew is the only eligible heir from the younger generation.
I can’t speak to Albania, but Austria has a massive amount of tourism and Schönbrunn Palace is the most visited attraction in the country. The Belvedere palaces are up there, too. I think the reason that London, Paris, and Vienna receive so much tourism is related to their being former imperial metropoles rather than anything to do with how current or not the royal family is.