Japan Parliament Amends Imperial House Law on Succession and Titles

Japan's parliament approved legislation on 17 July 2026 that amends the Imperial House Law for the first time since 1949. The upper house passed the bill on Friday after the lower house cleared it the previous week. The measure allows the imperial family to adopt distant male relatives over age 15 and permits female members to keep their royal status after marrying commoners.

It leaves in place the existing prohibition on female emperors, so Princess Aiko, the only child of the current emperor, remains ineligible to succeed. Current succession places 60-year-old Fumihito, the emperor's younger brother, first in line. His 19-year-old son Prince Hisahito stands second, followed by the emperor's 90-year-old uncle.

Male descendants of 11 former imperial branches removed after the Second World War may now be adopted back under the new rules. Japan maintains the world's oldest continuous hereditary monarchy, with a lineage believed to span more than 2,600 years. Without the changes, the line would end if Prince Hisahito has no male child.

A June 2026 Mainichi Shimbun survey of more than 2,000 people found over 70 percent support for a female emperor. A Kyodo News poll reported 83 percent in favor of allowing a woman to take the throne. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and other conservative leaders have expressed support for maintaining male-only succession.