Japan's parliament has approved a landmark bill relaxing imperial succession rules, marking the most significant overhaul to the country's royal system in decades. The legislation, passed by the upper house on Friday after clearing the lower house last week, represents the first amendment to the main text of the Imperial House Law since 1949.
The changes come amid growing concern over the shrinking size of the imperial family, which traces its lineage back more than 2,600 years as the world's oldest continuous hereditary monarchy.
What the New Law Changes
Under the new provisions, the imperial family gains two key tools. First, it can now adopt distant male relatives who are over the age of 15. Specifically, male descendants from 11 former imperial branches — families that were stripped of their royal status following the Second World War — become eligible for adoption back into the fold.
Second, women who marry outside the imperial family will now be permitted to retain their royal status, a shift from previous rules that required them to relinquish their titles upon marriage.
The bill will move through final legal procedures before the changes formally take effect.
Female Emperor Ban Persists Despite Public Support
Despite these reforms, the legislation does not alter the law prohibiting women from ascending the Chrysanthemum Throne. This means Princess Aiko, the only child of the current emperor, remains ineligible to succeed.
The exclusion persists even though public opinion strongly favors change. A June survey conducted by the newspaper Mainichi Shimbun, which gathered responses from more than 2,000 participants, found that over 70% supported the idea of a female emperor. A separate poll by Kyodo News recorded an even higher figure, with 83% of respondents in favor of allowing a woman to take the throne.