It’s quite crazy the taboo they created around the imperial family’s existence, the very few pieces of media that I’ve seen even mentioning them are some WWII ones just to say the Emperor issued the surrender, and the only one I’ve seen actually talking about them is the Barefoot Gen manga. And just like that they are there peacefully enjoying tax-paid 40 servants per person, personal orchestras and castles and shit, and the Japanese don’t even remember they exist because they are not mentioned anywhere.
They’re mentioned quite often in our media.
You mean like the news or fictional works? Because the news yeah I don’t have access to it, but can you mention fiction/pop culture works with the Imperial family?
The news. They’re constantly on it, and it pisses me off because I don’t really give a shit about them tbh. I wish they’d just go away. Now they’re yapping in the parliament about changing the rules to have female heirs or whatever.
In pop culture, almost never.
Thanks for the correction and the context, I thought the taboo was general (in Barefoot Gen movie adaptations they even removed all criticism of the emperor)
You’re totally right about them not showing up in pop culture though! I never see the family mentioned in anime or manga. Maybe the really myth-level old ones from time to time… Oh, and they certainly don’t criticise the family (like I just did) on the newspaper either!
I just wanted to comment that we’re very much aware they’re around but nobody cares nor dares to criticise too loudly in public.
“Okay, but if the Americans demand my resignation, we’re going back to the ‘Child Suicide Bombers’ plan”
