Japan has a female prime minister, which seems to have broken through the glass ceiling in Japanese politics. However, Koike is not a fighter against Japan's conservative patriarchal society. Now, she is literally blocking the possibility of women becoming emperors.
The Japanese royal family has long maintained a tradition where only men can inherit the throne. Now, like Japanese society, the royal family is also facing severe problems of high elderly population and low birth rates, with no one to succeed them. Therefore, the Kōshō City government has eagerly passed a new policy: adopting distant male relatives.
The plan angered a considerable number of Japanese officials, commentators, and activists. They argued that there was a simpler solution: allowing women to become emperors. Emperor Naruhito has no sons, but he does have daughters. Polls show that this idea is supported by the general public.
The amendment to the "Imperial Household Regulations" was passed with a majority vote in the plenary session of the Japanese Senate on July 17. This marks the first substantial change to the text of the regulations since their implementation in 1947.
The biggest change in this revision is the allowance for adopting male children from the old royal family, thereby restoring them to royal status. If the adopted son has male offspring, those offspring will inherit the throne, reflecting the High City government’s desire to maintain a “male emperor”. As a compromise, it is also allowed for female royalty to continue maintaining their royal status after marriage.
Except for the ruling party, the Japanese Constitutional Democratic Party and the Komeito Party also voted in favor of the bill. The opposition party in the Japanese House of Representatives, the Liberal Democratic Party, voted against the bill; however, the Japan Communist Party also expressed opposition.
The amendment to “Imperial Models” was initiated for consideration in the House of Representatives on July 10, and was passed by the House on the same day. It was submitted to the Senate for review on the 15th, and was approved by a majority of the ruling party and others during a special committee meeting in the Senate on the 16th.
Currently, there are only 16 members of the Japanese royal family. Emperor Naruhito, who is 66 years old, has only one daughter, Princess Maohiko. Princess Maohiko does not have any inheritance rights and is unmarried. Even if she has sons in the future, she will not have any inheritance rights.
Unlike the UK where there are several different rankings for royal succession, Japan has only three people in the line of succession. The first is Prince Akishino, the 60-year-old younger brother of Emperor Dejima. The second is Prince Naruhito, the 19-year-old son of Prince Akishino. Theoretically, there is also a third person: Prince Masahito, the 90-year-old younger brother of the retired Emperor Akihito.
But before the war, the size of the Japanese royal family was much larger. In addition to the descendants of Emperor Akihito, there was also a so-called Fushimi-miya lineage of royal family members. The Fushimi-miya line dates back to the 15th century and consists of distant relatives of the current imperial family. After the Meiji Restoration, the number of members of the Fushimi-miya lineage increased significantly, with this lineage producing 11 different imperial families.
But all this changed in 1947. The Allied Forces Headquarters in Japan began to completely reform the Japanese national system. At the same time, Japan's economy was in chaos after the war, making it necessary to reduce the number of members of the Imperial Family and cut down on Imperial Family expenses. Eventually, eleven imperial families of the Fushimi-Miyako line were excluded from the Imperial Family and became commoners. These eleven families are thus known as the former imperial families.
Japanese conservative groups and politicians have always strongly advocated that the throne be inherited by male-line descendants, from the perspective of preserving traditions. The expert meeting report compiled by the government in 2021 included provisions such as allowing male-line descendants to be adopted as heirs. This amendment is based on that report. Groups like the 'National Association for Protecting Royal Traditions' support this report and have been calling for its legalization as soon as possible.
However, at the same time, there has been a strong demand for a female emperor among ordinary Japanese people. A poll conducted by The Mainichi Shimbun in June showed that 73% of the respondents supported a female emperor, with only 6% clearly opposing the idea. The Mainichi Shimbun stated that polls over the past 20 years have shown this same trend.
“Almost no discussion on how to ensure transparency.” During the special committee meeting held on the 15th, members of the Democratic Party for Japan raised questions that the government’s lack of adequate discussions concerning the procedures for accepting adopted children was insufficient. Moreover, many members from various parties inquired about this issue from a perspective of gender equality, raising further questions. Democratic Party member Fukushima Rueshi repeatedly asked Director of the Office of the House of Representatives, Moku Norim: “Why can’t there be a female emperor? Not admitting it is discrimination against women.”
The 'Women's Association for Peace and No Military Expansion', represented by former President of the Politics University, Yoko Tanaka, expressed their opposition to the amendment on September 9. Based on the premise that 'the royal family should also be respected as individuals', the group argues that 'whether it is due to being deprived of one's position by the surrounding environment and state from a young age, or due to unreasonable adoptions, these actions violate the Constitution's protection of individual rights and the concept of pursuing happiness.'
The Japanese Pen Society Women Writers Committee (Chairperson: Chiaya Yoshida) issued a statement opposing the amendment on the 7th, stating that "an amendment that insists on male-line heirs to the throne will reinforce gender discrimination and fail to gain widespread understanding among citizens. It should be reconsidered based on the concept of gender equality."
Many changes in European monarchic countries undoubtedly also affected the Japanese people.
In the 1980s and 1990s, several European royal families changed their succession rules from "male primacy" to "firstborn priority". In the Netherlands and Belgium, where Empress Dowager Deirdre had an official visit in June, Princess Amalia (22 years old) and Princess Elisabeth (24 years old) are both first-in-line heirs to the throne.
"When comparing other countries genuinely, you do feel that Japan still exhibits an atmosphere where women are generally not considered for leadership roles in society."
Even the old imperial family, who seem to be beneficiaries of the policy, is not optimistic.
The third son of the last prince of the Kuyu Palace, 81-year-old Kuyu Asakuni, was the 18th in line to the throne. He said that it was only during his elementary school years that he learned from a family servant that his family had originally been part of the royal family.
"In daily life, I never realized that I were a descendant of the Old Palace family. I always thought that the royal family was a world that had nothing to do with me." He also said that he had never heard of or seen any descendants of the Old Palace family gathering together to discuss returning to the royal family.
tHe also said that even if someone suggested that their own children or grandchildren be raised as adopted members of the royal family, “I would advise them not to do so.”
tNagoya University's expert on royal affairs, Nishike Shūzō, stated that such modifications cannot resolve the long-term succession crisis. He pointed out that this issue can be addressed by improving the status of women. The resistance to these measures reflects the biases in Japanese society.
ttDespite societal changes having taken place, there will still be some older-generation men who feel regret when a girl is born," he said. "With the passage of time, the imperial system will become unsustainable."
