The issue has become increasingly urgent because Japan’s imperial family has very few male heirs.
Japan’s parliament on Friday approved changes to the country’s imperial succession law, introducing measures aimed at preserving the shrinking royal family but stopping short of allowing women to inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne despite strong public support for such a change.The legislation, passed by a large majority in the upper house, permits unmarried male descendants from former imperial branch families to be adopted back into the imperial household. It also allows female members of the imperial family to retain their royal status after marrying commoners, a privilege that was already available to male royals.However, the revised law leaves unchanged the central provision of the Imperial Household Law of 1947, which allows only men in the male bloodline to become emperor.The issue has become increasingly urgent because Japan’s imperial family has very few male heirs. The future of the monarchy currently rests on Prince Hisahito, the 19-year-old nephew of Emperor Naruhito and the only young male eligible to inherit the throne.If Prince Hisahito does not have a son, the current succession rules would leave Japan without a future heir, raising concerns about the long-term survival of the imperial line. The law also means that Princess Aiko, the 24-year-old daughter of Emperor Naruhito, and Prince Hisahito’s two elder sisters remain barred from succeeding to the throne despite their royal lineage.The legislation was approved after prolonged discussions within the ruling conservative party led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who has opposed allowing female succession.Not everyone within the ruling camp supported that position. Senior Liberal Democratic Party leader Seiichiro Murakami criticised the restriction after the bill cleared the lower house on July 10, calling it “utterly outrageous” that Princess Aiko could not be considered for the throne.The proposal to bring back distant male relatives has also drawn criticism from former members of Japan’s imperial family. Former royal Asahiro Kuni, whose family left the imperial register after the Second World War, questioned whether such a move was practical.”By the age of 15, a person has grown up breathing the air of freedom,” Kuni told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.”I think it would be difficult to adapt to life in the imperial family.””There might be people who want to join the imperial family, but if they understood the hardships of life as a royal member, they probably wouldn’t say such a thing,” he added.Japan’s imperial household currently has 16 members, including only five men. They are retired Emperor Akihito, his younger brother, Emperor Naruhito, Naruhito’s younger brother, and Prince Hisahito.Public opinion, however, appears to favour reform. An Asahi Shimbun survey conducted in May found that 72 per cent of respondents supported changing the law to allow women to ascend the throne.
