The Japanese publisher planning to translate a controversial book about Japan’s Crown Princess Masako has vowed not to bow to pressure from the royal household.
Publisher Akira Kitagawa - who has agreed to release Ben Hills’ tome ‘Princess Masako, The Prisoner of The Chrysanthemum Throne’ - was targeted in a vicious article in Japanese weekly magazine Shukan Shincho, which accused him of being a former member of a terrorist organisation.
Japanese daily newspaper Asahi Shimbun also refused to publish an advertisement for the book, saying it was disrespectful to the royal family.
But Kitagawa has e-mailed Hills assuring the Australian journalist that he would still going ahead with the publication, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
The publisher wrote: ‘Just now, two black cars with ultra-nationalistic slogans on them are parking besides the building where my company address is. They are shouting hysterically ‘Stop the publication of Princess Masako’ with huge loud speakers. Policemen are just watching them and let them do as much as they want to do.
‘This is how your book is getting more and more popular in Japan before being published.’ Hills’ book - first released earlier this year - has been a worldwide success, but is yet to be published in Japan. Publishing house Kodansha had originally signed up to translate the book into Japanese, but suddenly pulled out in February, apparently in response to pressure from the royal household.
Hills angered officials with his claims that Masako - a former diplomat now married to Crown Prince Naruhito - is a tragic figure and a victim of bullying by the royal establishment.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry originally sought an apology from Hills and his Australian publisher Random House.
The author refused to apologise, saying: ‘There is nothing to apologise for. In fact, there is only one person in this saga that deserves an apology and that’s Princess Masako.’
© bangshowbiz.biz
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