Japan's monarchy wrestles with idea of happiness
International Herald Tribune / Aug 09
TOKYO When the Imperial Household Agency announced recently that Princess Masako was receiving therapy for depression and anxiety, it was the first time in the long, long history of Japan's monarchy that there was royal recognition of something most take for granted: personal happiness.
Until then, the issue of personal happiness or unhappiness had never been officially broached, irrelevant as it was in a mind-set that placed the survival of the Chrysanthemum Throne above everything else....
