Japan Relaxes Imperial Succession Rules, Keeps Female Ban
Japan relaxes royal succession rules β but ban on female emperors remains
Japan's parliament has approved legislation to relax imperial succession rules as concerns grow over the shrinking size of the imperial family. The bill, passed by the upper house Friday, permits the imperial family to adopt distant male relatives over 15 years old and allows women to retain royal status after marrying outside the family.
However, the law maintains the longstanding ban on female succession to the throne, despite widespread public support for a female emperor. This means Princess Aiko, the current emperor's only child, remains ineligible to become empress. The legislation will proceed through final legal procedures before taking effect.
Japan maintains the world's oldest continuous hereditary monarchy, with a lineage spanning more than 2,600 years. The current line of succession includes the emperor's 60-year-old brother Fumihito, his 19-year-old son Prince Hisahito, and the emperor's 90-year-old uncle.