Japan Enacts Imperial House Law Revision Limiting Succession to Paternal Male Line

Japan's parliament enacted a revision to the Imperial House Law on July 17 requiring that only men of paternal lineage can become emperor. The bill passed the lower house the week before and cleared the upper house on July 17. It marks the first amendment to the main text of the law since 1949.

The revisions allow adoption of distant male relatives aged 15 or older to father future heirs. They also permit princesses to keep their royal status after marrying commoners, though their spouses and children would not be accepted as royals. Emperor Naruhito's 24-year-old daughter Princess Aiko remains ineligible to succeed because she is a woman.

First in line is his younger brother Crown Prince Akishino, 60. Second is Prince Hisahito, 19. Third is the emperor's uncle Prince Hitachi, 90. Of the 16 adults in the imperial family, only five are men, and there are no children.

Hisahito is the first male royal baby born in four decades. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and other conservatives have insisted the male bloodline is the only source of the emperor's authority. "It's a declaration to prevent female monarchs ...

And to defend the male-lineage at all costs," said Hideya Kawanishi, a Nagoya University expert on monarchy. The last female emperor was Empress Gosakuramachi, who ruled from 1762 to 1770. Fifty-one members from 11 branch families renounced royal status in 1947 and are at least 36 generations removed from Emperor Naruhito.

" asked Yoshinori Kobayashi, a cartoonist campaigning for Aiko's succession. Princess Mako renounced her royal status in 2021 after marrying a commoner. Five single princesses including Aiko and her cousin Kako, 31, could be affected by the new rules on retaining status.