Japan Adopts Imperial Succession Reform, Barring Female Emperors

Japan's parliament has enacted a reform to its imperial succession law, a move that sidesteps the contentious issue of female succession. While the revised law allows for the return of distant, unmarried male relatives over 15 years old into the imperial fold through adoption, it explicitly maintains the centuries-old tradition that only males can ascend to the Chrysanthemum Throne. This decision comes despite public opinion polls indicating significant support for allowing women to become emperor.

The future of Japan's imperial family, which traces its lineage back to the sun goddess Amaterasu, currently hinges on 19-year-old Prince Hisahito, Emperor Naruhito's nephew. With Emperor Naruhito, 66, having no other male heirs, and Prince Hisahito not yet married and without a son, the imperial line faces a potential extinction under current rules. The new law attempts to address this by enabling the adoption of male relatives, a measure that has drawn skepticism from some former imperial family members.

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it is quite scandalous to exclude the possibility of Princess Aiko becoming emperor.

Asahiro Kuni, 81, a former imperial family member, expressed doubts about the feasibility of adopting distant male relatives. He suggested that individuals, having grown up with freedom, might find it difficult to adapt to the strictures of imperial life. The law also permits women to retain their royal status after marrying a commoner, a provision already extended to men, but this does not extend to the throne itself.

The legislation passed after considerable debate within the ruling conservative party, notably with Sanae Takaichi, Japan's first female prime minister, opposing female succession. Seiichiro Murakami, a veteran member of the Liberal Democratic Party, had previously called the exclusion of Princess Aiko, Emperor Naruhito's popular 24-year-old daughter, from succession "scandalous."

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At the age of 15, a person has grown up breathing the air of freedom. I think it would be difficult to adapt to life within the imperial family.