Why Does Japan Still Have an Emperor?

Japan’s royal family is often forgotten about in the west. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of you watching didn’t know that Japan actually still has an emperor, but indeed… they do… it’s this man, Emperor Naruhito.

Naruhito ascended to the throne in May of 2019 after his father Emperor Akihito abdicated from the throne. These men are the official heads of state of the third most influential economy in the world, and while their powers are almost entirely ceremonial, however their living standards are anything but. 

The immediate royal family has over 1,000 staff working for them directly. 

This roster includes basic essentials like, you know… gardeners, chefs, plumbers, chauffeurs, secretaries, security personnel not to mention 47 servants PER ROYAL!

But this enormous staff also extends to things like wardrobe managers, royal farmers that farm the family’s food, 4 doctors constantly on standby, a silkworm breeder to make sure the family is always decked out in the finest threads, Shinto advisers, and 30 archaeologists tasks specifically to look after the tombs of the family. 

Beyond just the manpower the Japanese Royal family claims some pretty pricey real estate. If you think the white house or Buckingham palace are ritzy, they have nothing on the Japanese Royal Palace in Tokyo. 

Sprawled out over 379 acres in the heart of the largest city in the world, this royal residence was once more valuable than all of the real estate in California combined. Nowadays it’s worth about as much as two and a half San Francisco townhouses but that’s a whole other issue. 

This estate, along with dozens of other lavish estates dotted around the country and over the planet cost a lot to maintain, and that’s why the government of Japan gives the family 11.83 Billion yen (or around 110 million American dollars) every year to keep everything up to a royal standard. 

This is ON TOP of a personal expense account of 324 million yen or 2.9 Million USD’s for every member of the direct royal family as well as a 269 million yen for every member of the extended family. 

This is taxpayers money which is all going to fund the ridiculously lavish lifestyle of a huge family that hasn’t actually played an active role in managing the country since world war two, and even back then their job performance wasn’t what I would call stellar. 

So it’s time to learn how money works to makes sense of how this family justifies their unbelievable operating expenses in a country that has not seen sustained economic growth in nearly three centuries. 

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Buxone Out Of The Box September 28, 2021