Lower House Approves Patrilineal Succession through Adoption

The House of Representatives of the Diet passed a bill of revising the Imperial House Law (IHL), which allows adoption of males in the male lines of former imperial families. The law will give the offspring of that adopted male a status to succeed to the throne of the Emperor. Although the bill achieved approval of some opposition parties, the revision cannot be reflecting a unanimous opinion of the legislative branch. 

Receiving “unanimous opinion” from the Diet, Sanae Takaichi Cabinet introduced a maneuver in it. The Diet opinion recommended that female members can stay in the Imperial Family after marriage and the family can adopt male in the male line of former Imperial Family. Although the unanimous opinion of the Diet was for securing members of the Imperial House, the draft included some measures related to succession to the throne of the Emperor.

 

One is to give the son of adopted male a status for succeeding to the throne. In the discussion at the Diet, adoption of male members of former Imperial Family was recognized as a measure for increasing members of the Imperial Family which is shrinking. Takaichi Cabinet added a provision for imperial succession, which was not in the unanimous opinion of the Diet.

 

Another is not to give husband and children of staying female members a status of Imperial Family members. Those children are blocked because they are in the female line of the Imperial Family. It is highly unusual for members of a family to be separated. The draft recognizes only mother as a member of the Imperial Family and father and children cannot join the family.

 

Takaichi Cabinet submitted the draft of revised IHL to the Diet on June 30th. The bill was discussed in the Committee on Rule and Administration of the Lower House for only three hours on July 10th and passed the House with majority approval in Plenary Sittings later the day.

 

It was notable that the top opposition party, Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA), voted yes to the bill. The party had been critical about giving offspring of adopted male a status of succeeding to the throne. After hearing explanation of Chief Cabinet Secretary, Minoru Kihara, in the committee that the revised IHL would not affect or bind future discussion of the Diet, the CRA decided to approve the bill. 

 

Four CRA lawmakers, however, walked out from Plenary Sittings, protesting the decision of their leaders. Japan Communist Party voted no to the bill, arguing that the bill became something totally different from the unanimous opinion of the legislative branch. Even Japan Innovation Party, coalition partner of the Liberal Democratic Party, quibbled with the bill which limited the adoption of male member to fifteen years old or older. It can hardly be said that the bill represents unanimous opinion of the Diet.

 

The bill was sent to the Upper House and expected to pass by the end of current session of the Diet. But adoption has been recognized as a taboo which can cause disruption of imperial lineage. It was proved in Diet discussion that eleven former imperial families that lost royal status in 1947 are 36 to 38 degrees away from reigning Emperor Naruhito. Naruhito and they have the same ancestor 600 years ago. Unleashing this long-forbidden rule in the Imperial House to maintain patrilineal succession may reduce legitimacy of the Emperor.

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