Japan's parliament has approved changes to the Imperial House Law aimed at addressing the shrinking size of the imperial family while preserving the country's centuries-old male-only succession system.
The changes allow princesses to retain their royal status after marriage and permit the adoption of distant paternal-line royal relatives, but do not allow women to inherit the throne.
Lawmakers approved the revisions on Friday after years of debate over the future of the imperial family, whose declining membership has raised concerns about the monarchy's long-term sustainability. Japan's Constitution defines the emperor as "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people", making the future of the imperial family a sensitive constitutional issue.
The legislation retains the rule that only men from the paternal imperial line can become emperor, despite opinion polls showing strong public support for allowing female succession.
"It’s a declaration to prevent female monarchs ... and to defend the male-lineage at all costs," Hideya Kawanishi, a monarchy expert at Nagoya University, said.
Under the revised law, princesses who marry commoners will be allowed to retain their royal status, reversing a rule that has steadily reduced the number of working royals.
The legislation also permits the adoption of distant male relatives from the paternal imperial line in an effort to secure future heirs.
However, the reforms do not change Japan's succession rules, meaning Emperor Naruhito's daughter, Princess Aiko, remains ineligible to inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne because she is a woman. Under the Imperial House Law of 1947, only males in the paternal line are eligible to inherit the throne.
The current line of succession remains Crown Prince Akishino, Prince Hisahito and Prince Hitachi.
Japan's imperial family now has fewer than 20 members, with only a small number of male heirs remaining.
Supporters of the reforms argue that preserving the paternal bloodline is essential to maintaining the legitimacy of the world's oldest hereditary monarchy.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and other conservative lawmakers have maintained that the uninterrupted male lineage remains "the only source of the emperor's authority and legitimacy".
Critics argue the measures fail to address the monarchy's long-term demographic challenges and instead reinforce a patriarchal system.
Historians note that Japan has had eight reigning empresses throughout its history, although none established a hereditary female line.
Public opinion polls have consistently shown broad support for allowing women to inherit the throne, but successive governments have declined to amend the succession law.
The debate has become increasingly urgent as Japan faces an ageing population and a shrinking imperial household, raising questions about the institution's long-term stability.
As leaders from across Eurasia gather in Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, the...
Iran has reached an understanding with Oman on transit arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz, but the waterway will remain closed until the U.S...
The death toll from last week's catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet rose to 750 on Sunday, with 3,044 people s...
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused U.S. government and Israel-aligned actors of manipulating energy markets to promote the war with Iran.
Iran has reached an understanding with Oman on transit arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz, but the waterway will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils its commitments, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Saturday.
Russian strikes on the Kyiv region overnight killed 37 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. Zelenskyy added that the Ukrainian capital was under "virtually nonstop attack" from drones.
At least 37 people were killed after a Russian drone strike hit an ammunition depot in the Kyiv region, triggering powerful secondary explosions President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday, vowing to punish suspected negligence in the second such incident in two months.
Icelanders will vote on Saturday, 29 August, on whether to resume negotiations with the European Union, in a referendum that could reopen the country’s long-debated membership question.
As leaders from across Eurasia gather in Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, the meeting is bringing together countries with very different interests, from China and Russia to India, Iran and Azerbaijan.
The death toll from last week's catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet rose to 750 on Sunday, with 3,044 people still missing, as fresh rainfall pushed up river levels and forced rescuers to move to higher ground.
At least 37 people were killed after a Russian drone strike hit an ammunition depot in the Kyiv region, triggering powerful secondary explosions President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday, vowing to punish suspected negligence in the second such incident in two months.
Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are set to convene the first high-level meeting under their newly established Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, marking an early step in efforts to deepen military and security cooperation among the three countries.
In Nepal's Chitwan district, a region better known for its forests, wildlife and pilgrimage sites, authorities are carrying out mass burials for hundreds of victims of the country's devastating glacier-triggered floods as the scale of the disaster continues to unfold.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment