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Japan's parliament has enacted a revised imperial succession law, but it notably preserves the centuries-old tradition of male-only succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne. The legislation, passed by the upper house, allows for the adoption of single male distant relatives aged 15 or older back into the imperial family. Their future sons would then be eligible to inherit the throne, a measure intended to secure a continuous male line.

This move comes despite public opinion polls indicating significant support for allowing women to ascend the throne. Surveys by Mainichi Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun have shown over 70 percent of respondents favor female succession. The current law, stemming from an 1889 imperial house law and carried over into the 1947 Imperial Household Law, stipulates that only men can become emperor, and only through the paternal line.

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By the age of 15, a person has grown up breathing the air of freedom.

The new rules also end the practice of women losing their royal status upon marrying a commoner. However, their children remain ineligible to become emperor due to their gender. This legislation passed amidst internal debate within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, with some conservative factions, including former Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, opposing female succession.

Critics argue the bill fails to reflect public sentiment. Seiichiro Murakami, an LDP veteran, deemed it "utterly outrageous" to exclude Princess Aiko, Emperor Naruhito's daughter, from succession. Asahiro Kuni, a member of one of the 11 families that left the imperial register post-WWII, stated he would advise his grandchildren against rejoining the royal family, emphasizing their right to freedom.

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For the conservative camp of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the likes, the overriding goal is to preserve the male-line, male-only.