Secrecy and intrigue in Japan’s royal family
During his current trip to Asia, President Obama will meet with a variety of leaders and diplomats. He will also meet two members of Japan’s royal family: Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. The fiercely private royal family has long been surrounded by secrecy and rumors. We talk to John Burnham Schwartz, best-selling novelist and screenwriter. He is author of “The Commoner,” which is a novel loosely based on the lives of some members of the Japanese royal family.
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