Japan has approved major changes to its imperial succession system, but women are still barred from becoming emperor.
The Japanese parliament has passed a bill that updates the country’s royal succession rules. The new law allows female members of the imperial family to keep their royal status after marrying commoners. It also permits the adoption of distant male relatives from former imperial branches to help expand the shrinking royal family.
However, the reforms do not change the long-standing rule that only men can inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne. This means Princess Aiko, the only child of Emperor Naruhito, remains ineligible to become Japan’s next monarch.
Concerns over the future of the monarchy
Japan’s imperial family has only three eligible male heirs, raising concerns about the future of the world’s oldest hereditary monarchy. The latest reforms mark the biggest revision to the Imperial House Law since 1949.
Public opinion strongly favours allowing female emperors, with recent surveys showing that more than 70% of Japanese respondents support changing the succession law.
The updated royal succession rules are expected to strengthen the imperial family’s public role while leaving the male-only line of succession unchanged.
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