Crown Prince Fumihito, the younger brother of Emperor Naruhito, said ahead of his 59th birthday on Saturday that the opinions of female royal members must be heard as lawmakers consider allowing them to retain their imperial status even after they marry a commoner.The crown prince made the remarks to reporters in Tokyo earlier in the week following an interim report compiled by ruling and opposition parties in September, in which they said such female members should be allowed to keep their imperial status as a way to address the shrinking royal household."At least some responsible official…READ FULL ARTICLE
