So apparently there's a bit more controversy going on within Japan's royal family. For those not familiar with the structure, Japan has an emperor in a similar fashion to the way England has a queen-- he performs only a few duties, and those are very closely monitored by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.
Currently, Japan's emperor is Emperor Akihito. Now, Akihito has three children: Crown Prince Naruhito, Prince Akishino, and Sayoko, who lost her Princess title when she married into a commoner family. Naruhito and his wife Masako have had a very difficult time producing the next generation's heir; the two have only one child, a daughter named Aiko who was born in 2001. Women are currently excluded from Japan's succession laws-- so unless Naruhito were to change the law when he becomes emperor, the next-gen heir would be the son of his younger brother Akishino, Prince Hisahito. So you can see the conflict, right?
Right. So lately it seems that Emperor Akihito has been ill lately (some say due to his strained relationship with Naruhito), which has gotten the people of Japan talking about the possibilities of the succession once more. The result? This hilariously awful animation to the tune of The Lion King's “I Just Can't Wait To Be King.”
For those of you who mandate a closer relationship to anime/manga: The Lion King is a barely-disguised homage to Osamu Tezuka's Kimba the White Lion. So there!
