Discussion on Imperial Succession Delays

The discussion on stable succession to the throne is expected to be accelerated in current session of the Diet. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Japan Innovation Party (JIP) have reached a deal in their agreement for forming a leading coalition last October. They determined to revise Imperial House Law in the ordinary session of the Diet this year. It is focused how parties in the Diet will discuss this issue in current session. 

“The Imperial Throne shall be succeeded by a male offspring in the male line belonging to the Imperial Lineage,” says Article 1 of Imperial House Law. Concerning decline of number of “male offspring” in Imperial House, how to make imperial succession stable became one of the most important political agenda. The experts on this issue reported two options in 2021: allowing female members of the imperial family to retain their status after marriage and adopting male members from the paternal line of former imperial family branches.

 

Upholding conservative cause that the imperial throne should be maintained in the male line, the LDP and JIP strongly support the latter recommendation of the experts. Their agreement last October says that both parties would expect amendment of Imperial House Law in 2026 ordinary session of the Diet, putting the first priority on the idea of adopting male members from paternal line of imperial family branches.

 

The LDP-JIP agreement describes that the Imperial Throne has always been succeeded in the male line without exception and requires no change in the order of succession. Currently, Crown Prince Akishino is in the top position to succeed Emperor Naruhito and his son, Prince Hisahito, is at the second. Naruhito does not have a son and his only child is Princess Aiko.

 

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wrongly argued at Upper House budget committee on February 27th that the experts’ report had concluded that the imperial throne should be maintained by a male in paternal line. She dismissed possibility of Princess Aiko to ascend to the throne in the same committee on March 17, arguing that it would rather destabilize imperial succession of throne. Takaichi admitted that there is an example of female emperor in Japan in the past.

However, discussion in the opposition parties is different. There is an argument that adoption of male members may violate the Constitution of Japan. “All of the people are equal under the law and there shall be no discrimination in political, economic or social relations because of race, creed, sex, social status or family origin,” says Article 14 of the constitution. If a man from paternal line of imperial branches does not want to be adopted, it may be a discrimination based on his family origin.

 

Another point is the status of spouse and children of female members of the imperial family who retains the status of imperial family. The conservatives do not want to give status of imperial house member to the family of female member. Some members of Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA) argue that the husbands and the children of female imperial members should have the status of imperial family. The leader of CRA, Jun-ya Ogawa, told that he wanted to see a female emperor before he would die, and retracted it later.

 

The both Houses of the Diet is going to wrap up a consensus of parties. The speakers of both Houses are willing to resume this discussion in April. However, they postponed the conclusion last June, due to the difference of opinion among the parties. While the LDP, which has a supermajority in the Lower House and does not in the Upper House, hopes to pass the bill to revise Imperial House Law by the end of current special session of the Diet, the opposition parties have not concluded their idea on this issue so far.

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