CRA Approves Adoption of Male Members in Former Imperial Family

The Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA) reached a consensus on ensuring number of the imperial family members and submitted their conclusion to a commission of party representatives in the Diet on May 15th. The discussion on stable imperial succession is supposed to be accelerated with two options: female members remain in the family after marriage and adoption of male members in the paternal line of former family branches. With leadership of conservative Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the discussion is leaning on the right side. 

In the last meeting of the commission a month ago, all the parties except CRA have submitted their opinion. Since then, the CRA continued internal discussion and concluded to approve two options, although some were still negative on adoption of former imperial family members. The CRA expressed its conclusion that adoption of them “can be considered.”

 

When Yoshihiko Noda was the prime minister in 2012, the government wrapped up talking points on imperial succession, recommending establishment of female imperial house. Stability of the imperial family was basically discussed in the context of increasing female members. This option was turned down by Noda’s successor, Shizo Abe.

 

Adoption of male members in the paternal line of former imperial family branches was included in the experts’ report in 2021. This option is recognized as reflecting preference of conservative powers that insists limited imperial succession to male members of paternal lines.

 

With the conclusion of CRA, arguments of all the parties are on the table of the commission. Nine parties out of all thirteen agree or approve staying of married female members and eight parties approve adoption. It is easier for the option of female members to achieve a consensus. But leading parties, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Japan Innovation Party (JIP), have agreed on prioritizing the option of adoption when they formed the leading coalition last October.

 

Even if a female member can stay in the imperial family, it is questionable that her husband and children can join the family. Although wife of imperial family can join the family, the status of spouse and children of female imperial family is still undetermined. While Noda argues that family of female imperial member cannot be separated, conservative parties are opposing to the idea.

 

Recent poll of Asahi Shimbun showed viewpoints of the people on this issue. 65 percent approved the option that female members can stay in the imperial family while 19 percent opposed. Adoption of male members in the paternal line of former imperial family branches was approve by 47 percent of respondents, as 36 percent opposed.

 

The commission is headed by the speakers of both Houses of the Diet. The Speaker of House of Representatives, Eisuke Mori, hopes to revise the Imperial House Law in current session of the Diet, which is scheduled to close on July 17th. However, the discussion over increasing imperial families is far from conclusion, which is required to be a whole consensus of the legislative branch.

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