Imperial Discussion Resumes

The Diet members will resume their discussion over stable succession to imperial throne as soon as early may. The leading Liberal Democratic Party recently approved that the discussion would be made along with the report of experts’ panel in 2021, in which the experts proposed two options to broaden the category of successors. Although the conservatives in LDP have been reluctant to proceed the discussion, shortage of imperial successors seems to have made them unable to protest. 

“The Imperial Throne shall be succeeded to by a male offspring in the male line belonging to the Imperial Lineage,” says Article 1 of the Imperial Household Law. 

 

After Emperor Akihito abdicated in 2019, there currently are three males in the Imperial House who can succeed to Emperor Naruhito: Fumihito, Crown Prince Akishino; Prince Hisahito of Akishino; and Masahito, Prince Hitachi. As Masahito is 88 years old and Fumihito 58, it is only Hisahito, in the age of 17, who is in a young generation.


The experts’ panel for imperial succession recommended in its report in two possible ways. One is allowing female imperial family members to keep their royal status after marrying commoners. Article 12 of the Imperial Household Law determines that female Imperial Family loses the status of the Imperial Family member status, in case she marries a person other than Emperor or the members of the Imperial Family.

 

Another is allowing men from former branches of the Imperial Family regaining imperial status through adoption by the Imperial Family. Article 9 of the Imperial Household Law says that the Emperor and the members of the Imperial Family may not adopt children. Amendment of the Imperial Household Law will be needed in either option. The panel added an option of including male offspring in the male line belonging to the Imperial Lineage in the Imperial Family by law, if the two options above do not work for increasing members of the Imperial Family.

 

The LDP committee on this issue, headed by Vice-president Taro Aso, approved those two options as realistic. The conservative lawmakers in LDP are not supportive for allowing women and males in the female line to become the Emperor. It is likely that they will uphold allowing men from former branches regaining imperial status through adoption. After LDP reach a conclusion on the issue, the discussion will go to the Diet with participation of all the parties.

 

LDP’s coalition partner, Komeito, Japan Innovation Party and Democratic Party for the People are supportive for the options presented by the experts. Hoping to accelerate the discussion, Constitutional Democratic Party demands early establishment of legal system for the adoption and deliberation for including spouses and children in the recipients of the status of the Imperial Family.

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