The Newest Imperial Chrysanthemum

In case you don’t keep up on international fluff news (you know, the happy stuff that doesn’t involve people shooting at each other or blowing each other up), you may not know that Japan just breathed a huge sigh of relief because an heir to the Japanese Imperial Throne was born on September 6th.

While this may seem like a trivial thing in today’s modern era, where kings and emperors are just so passe, but in this case it is a big deal.

This is the first male heir born in over forty years to an imperial line that has been in place for over 1,500 years. The historian in me is thrilled, the feminist in me is a bit disappointed. The Japanese imperial line was almost faced with accepting the first female heir to the throne. Que Sera, Sera.

An interesting little factoid is that this little bundle of joy was born to the Chrysanthemum Throne three days before Kiku-no Sekku, the Chrysanthemum Festival. Chrysanthemums are also the national flower of Japan. I’d say that this is a sign or there is one heck of an insistent PR department driving the marketing and sexual relations of the Imperial family.

In Japan and many other parts of Asia, chrysanthemums are viewed as sacred plants. I, in my own garden, also view them as sacred plants. They are my Fall saviors. I have to admit at this late stage of summer, if it weren’t for the exuberance of mums, my yard would look a bit bereft. I am thanking the powers that be that I have mums to make my Autumn look that much prettier.

So, in light of all of this, all I can say is “Long live the Chrysanthemum Throne!” and long may my chrysanthemums bloom in my garden, hopefully for as long as the Chrysanthemum Throne reigns.