Tokyo —
With only three heirs eligible to inherit the Kiku title, two of whom are over 60, the imperial family faces a succession crisis.
Japan’s monarchy has maintained a male-only inheritance for centuries, branding a deeply patriarchal society where men dominate other areas of life such as business and politics.
Now, the rule threatens the very survival of the world’s oldest monarchy, which has seen more daughters than sons born in recent decades.
後継者不足を解決するため、政府閣僚らは王室の旧分家を復帰させ、それによって男性後継者の層を拡大することを提案している。 The changes await parliamentary approval.
However, scholars, opposition politicians, and some members of the public are questioning why they do not allow women to inherit the throne.
Various public opinion polls show that most people are tolerant of a female emperor.
Another resident, Kana Sakakura, pointed out that European countries such as Britain have a long history of female monarchs.
However, the cause of female inheritance has received little attention. And Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her ruling Liberal Democratic Party have voiced the fiercest opposition to such changes.
During a parliamentary debate earlier this year, Takaichi said, “It remains appropriate to limit eligibility to male descendants of the imperial line.”
The government’s revised bill, which is expected to be passed this month, does not include a single scenario in which the princess ascends to the throne.彼らが一般人と結婚した場合、彼らの子供たちもそうすることはできないが、王室の縮小を考えるとほぼ確実に起こることだ。
The family is so central to the nation that U.S. Army General Douglas MacArthur, who oversaw Japan’s development immediately after World War II, described the emperor in a telegram as “the symbol that unites all Japanese people,” according to the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Historian. “If we destroy him, the country will collapse.”
In prewar Japan, deciding on a successor was not that difficult.
But everything changed in 1947.日本が戦争で荒廃した経済に対処する中、皇室を縮小し、王室支出を削減するために皇室典範が改正されました。
The latest government proposal would allow the imperial family to “adopt” members of these former branches who are over the age of 15, unmarried, and childless. Their children will be eligible to take the throne.
現在、徳仁天皇（66歳）には広く人気のある愛子内親王の娘がいるが、性別によって法的に王位継承が禁止されている。 The 24-year-old has no children, and even if she had a son, she would not be eligible for the throne.
The third eligible and most likely successor is Prince Akishino’s 19-year-old son, Hisahito, the first adult male member of the royal family in 40 years.
Over the years, the imperial family has shrunk and aged, making it difficult to carry out royal duties. The new bill would also allow a princess to remain in the imperial household and share work after marrying a commoner, although her son would still be ineligible to inherit the throne.
Chuo University’s Okawa said these are only short-term solutions, as they rely heavily on a limited number of male heirs and their sons.
“Those who support the outcome may not see it as a problem, but for people like me who believe that traditional patrilineage should be maintained, this is considered a clear risk,” Tsuneyasu Takeda, a descendant of a former collateral imperial family, told CNN.
Since he is already married, he is not eligible for “adoption” under the proposed bill. Mr. Takeda wants his son to take over the company, but his son may become eligible when he turns 15.
His father was born just months after the 1947 amendments came into force and narrowly missed out on the hereditary title. He has been a vocal advocate for preserving male-only bloodlines and restoring the once royal lineage by writing books, running social media channels, and lecturing at universities.
Takeda said traditions should not be overturned by a “popularity contest.”
“This will shake the very foundations of Japan.”
However, resident Akio Kubota opposed this, pointing out that there were female emperors in the past.
“In today’s world, we have things like gender equality,” he said.
“I find it a bit strange that the role of emperor is the only one inherited by men.”
