Parliament Backs Male-Line Succession
Japan's parliament on Friday enacted a historic revision to the 19th-century Imperial House Law, reinforcing the principle that only men from the paternal bloodline can become emperor. The legislation also allows distant male-line imperial relatives to be adopted into the royal family to father future heirs, while permitting princesses to retain their royal status after marrying commoners.
The changes have intensified concerns among royal watchers and constitutional experts, who argue they fail to address the imperial family's shrinking and ageing membership. Instead, they say the revisions further entrench a male-only succession system that could threaten the monarchy's long-term future, the Associated Press reports.
Emperor Naruhito's 24-year-old daughter, Princess Aiko, remains ineligible to succeed because she is a woman, despite her popularity among the public. Under the succession rules, the throne would pass to the emperor's younger brother, Crown Prince Akishino, followed by Akishino's 19-year-old son, Prince Hisahito. Next in line is the emperor's 90-year-old uncle, Prince Hitachi.
Only five of the 16 adult members of the imperial family are men, and there are no children. Hisahito is the first male royal born in four decades.
Debate Over Tradition and Gender Equality
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and other conservatives argue that preserving the male bloodline is fundamental to the monarchy.
"It's the only source of the emperor's authority and legitimacy," they maintain, making it the basis of the revised law.
Under the Imperial House Law, an emperor's mother may be a commoner, as is the case with Emperor Naruhito, but only sons born to men of imperial blood are eligible to inherit the throne.
Hideya Kawanishi, a monarchy expert at Nagoya University, criticised the legislation.
"It's a declaration to prevent female monarchs ... and to defend the male-lineage at all costs. They cannot say it's male chauvinism, so they call it tradition."
Japan has had eight female monarchs in its history, the last being Empress Gosakuramachi, who ruled from 1762 to 1770. However, paternal-line male succession was formally established in the 1890 Imperial House Law during Japan's promotion of patriarchal institutions and was largely retained in the current 1947 law.
The revisions have triggered protests from those who believe the government is using the legislation to permanently exclude Princess Aiko from the throne and reinforce discrimination against women.
Referring to Takaichi, feminist scholar Chizuko Ueno wrote:
"It's very ironic that the first female prime minister herself is the leading proponent of the obsession with male-succession."
She also argued that the measures:
"treat male royals as stallions and put female royals under pressure as childbearing machines' to produce male offspring".
Pressure on the Imperial Family
The succession debate has long weighed heavily on the imperial family. Following Princess Aiko's birth, Empress Masako, a Harvard-educated former diplomat, developed a stress-induced mental condition amid criticism over not producing a male heir.
Former Imperial Household Agency chief Shingo Haketa warned that the monarchy after Hisahito is "extremely unstable" because of the male-only succession system and the rule requiring princesses who marry commoners to leave the imperial family.
Historians argue that the current system is no longer sustainable, particularly as Japan faces a rapidly ageing and declining population. They note that male-only succession functioned in earlier centuries because concubines produced nearly half of Japan's emperors until the practice ended about a century ago under Emperor Taisho.
A proposal to permit female monarchs was considered in 2005 but was abandoned after Prince Hisahito's birth.
One of the most controversial provisions in the new law allows unmarried male descendants, aged 15 or older, from former imperial branch families of paternal lineage to be adopted into the royal family.
According to Imperial Household Agency official Yoshimi Ogata, 51 members from 11 branch families lost their royal status in 1947 as part of post-war reforms. They are at least 36 generations removed from Emperor Naruhito, having descended from a common male-line ancestor about 600 years ago.
Critics question the logic of reviving such distant relatives instead of allowing Princess Aiko to inherit the throne.
"Who wants the son of an adoptee who nobody knows to be emperor instead of Aiko?" asked Yoshinori Kobayashi, a cartoonist campaigning for Aiko's succession.
Former royal Asahiro Kuni also doubted whether descendants of former imperial families would be willing to return.
"I wonder if anyone would raise a hand."
"I imagine many people, by age 15, have some idea about their future. It's cruel to tell them ... to change the course of their life."
Kuni, whose family relinquished royal status in 1947, said he would advise his relatives to decline any invitation to rejoin the imperial family.
"You are asked to sacrifice your life for the happiness of the people. I can't tell my family to choose such a difficult life."
He also expressed support for female monarchs.
Public Support for Aiko and Wider Concerns
Princess Aiko remains one of the most popular members of the imperial family. Five unmarried princesses, including Aiko and her cousin Princess Kako, could benefit from the revised law allowing them to retain royal status after marrying commoners, although their spouses and children would not become royals.
Aiko's cousin Mako gave up her royal status after marrying a commoner and moved to New York, a decision widely viewed as an attempt to escape the restrictions of imperial life. Ueno has urged the remaining princesses to follow her example.
Kawanishi warned that Prince Hisahito, any adopted male heirs and their future wives would face immense pressure to produce sons.
"The emperor is a symbolic figure, and I don't see why women cannot serve in the role," said 78-year-old Junichiro Tsujimaru, founder of a sushi chain.
Yoshio Iwase, also 78, said:
"I think it's fine because there used to be female emperors in the past."
Some also fear the legislation could undermine the legacy of former Emperor Akihito, who sought to modernise the monarchy and bring it closer to the public before abdicating in 2019.
Akihito has reportedly supported Aiko's succession. While he never directly endorsed the 2005 proposal for female monarchs, he said female royals played an important role in the monarchy and that its purpose was to work for the happiness of the people, remarks widely interpreted as support for women ascending the throne.
In June, Emperor Naruhito said he hoped discussions on the reforms would produce a conclusion that "will gain understanding of the people", a comment palace observers viewed as a subtle expression of concern.
Separately, Japan on Friday enacted a controversial law banning desecration of the national flag, another key policy championed by Takaichi. Critics argue the measure is intended to discourage public dissent and suppress criticism of her government.
