Without allowing women to ascend to the throne.. Japan amends the rules of succession to the throne

Today, the Japanese Parliament approved a historic amendment to the Imperial Family Law issued in the nineteenth century, confirming that only men descended from the patrilineal line have the right to ascend the throne, in a move that raised fears of deepening the crisis of the shrinking number of members of the imperial family.

The amendment includes allowing men from distant paternal relatives of the imperial family to be adopted to produce future heirs, in addition to allowing princesses to retain their royal status after marrying members of the common people, according to the Associated Press.

Experts and observers believe that these measures may threaten the future of the imperial institution that has existed for about 1,500 years, because they exclude women from inheriting the throne despite the shrinking number of males within the family.

Under current succession rules, the throne passes to the emperor’s younger brother, Crown Prince Akishino, then to his nephew, Prince Hisahito (19 years old), followed by Prince Hitachi, the emperor’s uncle, who is 90 years old.

Hisahito is the first male child born into the imperial family in 4 decades, as there are currently only 5 men out of 16 adult members in the imperial family, and there are no other children.

The Imperial Family Law stipulates that only the children of men descended from the imperial line are entitled to inherit the throne, even if their mothers are commoners, as is the case with the current emperor.

The new amendment aims to preserve the continuity of the male line by allowing adoption by unmarried men aged 15 or older by distant imperial relatives descending through the patrilineal line.

The law also allows princesses who marry commoners to retain their royal status and continue performing official duties, but their spouses and children will not be considered members of the imperial family.

Hideya Kawanishi, a monarchy expert at Nagoya University, said the law represents “a declaration to prevent women from accessing the throne and to defend the male line at all costs,” adding that the government describes it as a preservation of tradition to avoid accusations of discrimination against women.

The amendment sparked protests from opponents who believe that it aims to exclude Princess Aiko from inheriting the throne, and establishes a patriarchal system that discriminates against women.

Prominent feminist researcher Chizuko Ueno criticized Prime Minister Takaichi, considering it ironic that the first woman to head the government was the biggest advocate of restricting the succession to men.

Experts warn that the continuation of the male-only succession system makes the future of the imperial family “extremely fragile,” especially as its members grow older and their number declines.

Historians have pointed out that the system was viable in the past because emperors had children with concubines, a tradition that ended about 100 years ago during the reign of Emperor Taishō.

In 2005, the government proposed allowing women to ascend to the throne, but the project was canceled after the birth of Prince Hisahito.

One of the most controversial provisions of the law allows for the reintegration of men from branches of an empire that lost royal status in 1947 after World War II to ease the financial burden on the state.

These relatives are separated from the current emperor by at least 36 generations, as they descend from a common ancestor who lived about 600 years ago.

Opponents believe that the government is making exceptional efforts to ensure that males continue to inherit the throne, while they question the feasibility of preferring the descendants of distant relatives over Princess Aiko, who enjoys wide popular support.

Princess Aiko is one of the most popular members of the Imperial Family thanks to her close-minded personality.

Many Japanese confirm that her accession to the throne will be a natural matter, pointing out that Japan has known 8 empresses in its history, the last of whom is Empress Gosakuramachi, who ruled between 1762 and 1770.

Media reports also indicate that former Emperor Akihito supports Aiko’s succession, while current Emperor Naruhito called for a solution that would be understood by the Japanese people.