Prince Tomohito the Alcoholic

In Japan, the 61 year old cousin of Emperor Akihito broke the taboo and starting admitting publicly that he’s a drunk.

The thing about drinking in Japan is that you never admit there’s a problem. Shameful matters aren’t usually discussed openly. So it’s been a shock to the nation that a royal prince has done so. And for me, this story is a classic.

One of the main reasons he cited for his drinking problem was the stress caused by the controversy over whether the imperial laws would change to allow a female emperor. Someone didn’t have a boy like she was supposed to.