Oct. 27, 2021 11:14 pm JST
Posted in: Mako's marriage casts shadow on imperial succession debate See in context
englisc aspyrgend
Prior to genetic testing no child could be totally certain who his father was it had to be taken on trust. Only the mother was certain. So any claims of unbroken succession are purely convenient myths.
The succession of Japanese imperial family is based on lineage, not DNA. It is based on records, Kotofu (皇統譜), about who was one's father and was mother.
What's important is the records (story), not science. There have been always voices in Japanese history questioning validity of the lineage, but those voices have been largely ignored. Because it does not matter. What matters is the transmission of values in telling and retelling of national stories, which formulate a national identity.
