Stable Imperial Succession: Debate the Issue without Excluding Female or Maternal-line Emperor

Editorial

14:55 JST, April 16, 2026

It must be the desire of many of the people to ensure the continuation of the Imperial family into the future. The ruling and opposition parties must thoroughly discuss practical, concrete measures to achieve this.

Discussions between the ruling and opposition parties to consider measures for a stable Imperial succession have resumed for the first time in a year.

The number of people in the Imperial family, which was 26 about 30 years ago, has now declined to 16. Of these, there are only three paternal-line male descendants who are eligible to succeed the throne, and the only heir in the generation below the Emperor is Prince Hisahito, 19, the son of Crown Prince Akishino, 60.

Under the current Imperial House Law, if Prince Hisahito marries and does not have a son, the Imperial lineage will come to an end. Urgent action is needed.

The two proposals presented by a government expert panel in 2021 are currently the focus of discussions between the ruling and opposition parties.

One proposal is for female members of the Imperial family to retain their status even after marriage. The other one involves bringing paternal-line male offspring from the 11 former Imperial family branches — who lost their Imperial status after the end of World War II — into the Imperial family as adopted children.

During the discussions between the ruling and opposition parties, the Liberal Democratic Party, the Japan Innovation Party, the Democratic Party for the People and another party have supported the adoption proposal. This proposal envisions granting the right of succession to the throne to any male children born after the adoption process is completed.

In contrast, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan is cautious about the adoption proposal and has advocated for the proposal allowing female members to retain their Imperial status after marriage, with their husbands and children becoming members of the Imperial family. The Centrist Reform Alliance has not expressed a clear position.

The LDP attaches importance to the history of the Imperial throne being inherited through the paternal line. However, in the face of a crisis in the Imperial lineage, the most important thing is its continuation.

The reason Imperial family members are beloved by the public is because they have stood by the people through such actions as visits to disaster-stricken areas.

Could the public support the idea of the sudden return to the Imperial family of former Imperial family branch members who have lived as ordinary citizens for 80 years, and the assumption that any sons born thereafter will become emperors?

It would defeat the purpose if, by clinging too rigidly to the succession of male offspring in the paternal line, the Imperial family were to become detached from the sentiments of the people. The spirit of the Constitution, which stipulates that the Emperor’s position is based on “the will of the people,” must not be forgotten. In the Diet discussions, it is important to secure the consensus of as many parties as possible.

Basically, the expert panel report, giving consideration to the intentions of the administration of then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, does not envision a female or maternal-line emperor. However, the Constitution merely stipulates that the Imperial throne is “dynastic.” For many years, the government interpretation has been that a female or maternal-line emperor is allowed constitutionally.

Political parties should not be bound by the two proposals in the report of the expert panel. Based on the assumption of not changing the current order of succession to the throne, they should discuss the issue by giving top priority to the continuation of the Imperial lineage without excluding a future female or maternal-line emperor.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 16, 2026)