[/floatl]Yomiuri: Kamei suggests Emperor move Imperial residence
Shizuka Kamei, leader of ruling coalition partner the People's New Party, revealed Sunday that he urged the Emperor during a luncheon last Thursday to move the Imperial residence to Kyoto or Hiroshima prefecture. Kamei, who is from Hiroshima Prefecture, is state minister in charge of financial services and postal reform. It is extremely rare for a Cabinet minister to make public the content of a conversation he or she has had with the Emperor. Kamei's revelation came during a TV Asahi program, while he was discussing Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping's recent audience with the Emperor, a meeting that was severely criticized as political exploitation of the Emperor. "I humbly said to the Emperor, 'Why not live in Kyoto or Hiroshima instead of [the former] Edo Castle, which was a symbol of power," Kamei said. Kamei also said he asked the Emperor during the luncheon at the Imperial Palace, "Isn't residing in a castle ill-suited to your position?" He said he broached the topic himself, without prompting from the Emperor. After the program, Kamei told reporters, "The Emperor said he liked Kyoto, but he didn't go on to say he liked Hiroshima"...more...
