Japan enshrines male-only succession for the shrinking imperial family

Key Points:

• Japan’s parliament revised the 19th-century Imperial House Law to insist that only men of paternal lineage can become emperor, raising concerns about the shrinking and aging imperial family’s future.
• The revision allows adoption of distant male relatives to father future heirs and permits princesses to retain royal status after marrying commoners, but excludes women from succession, sparking protests over gender discrimination.
• Emperor Naruhito’s daughter, Princess Aiko, who is popular with the public, remains ineligible to succeed due to the male-only succession rule, which places the line of succession on the emperor’s brother, nephew, and elderly uncle.
• Critics argue the male-only system is outdated and unsustainable, with former royals reluctant to rejoin the strict imperial family, while some experts and former Emperor Akihito express support for female succession.
• The law change coincided with the enactment of a controversial flag desecration law, seen by opponents as an attempt to suppress dissent and consolidate conservative government agendas.