Author: Yamaguchi Mari
Associated Press
Tokyo (Associated Press)-Although the number of males in the imperial family has fallen sharply, a government group has retained Japan’s male-only imperial succession system.
The team submitted a report to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on December 22, suggesting ways to ensure that there are enough potential successors, such as adopting single men as potential heirs from some of the 11 now-defunct royal families, and Allow female royals to retain their heirs. Status after marrying a commoner.
Both of these options require amendments to the 1947 Royal Family Act, which largely preserves the values before World War II.
The panel did not discuss whether it is feasible to continue the current male-only succession system.
With the abolition of the royal concubine system, the size of the royal family has dropped to 17. In addition to his 86-year-old uncle, Emperor Naruhito has only two possible successors-his younger brother Akishomiya and his teenage son Hisito, Prince Hitachi.
His only child, a daughter, is not eligible to inherit the throne. According to the current law, if she marries a commoner, such as her cousin Mako, she must leave the family. She married her university lover in November.
According to a report from NHK Public Television, the report stated that now is not the right time to discuss who will replace the still-boy Kyuhito.
Kishida accepted the expert group’s recommendations and thanked it for “a balanced discussion of extremely important and difficult issues involving the National Foundation.”
He said that he will submit the report to Parliament for further consideration.
The discussion of succession to the throne lasted for nearly 20 years.
In 2005, in the face of a possible succession crisis, the panel of experts proposed to allow male and female royals from the matrilineal line to ascend to the throne. But the proposal was strongly opposed by conservatives.
The year after the birth of Kuhito in September 2006, the proposal was rejected by the conservative government of then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe-the birth of the first male royal in 40 years.
