Japan is looking for a way out of a problem that has long overshadowed the imperial family. Its number continues to shrink, while the number of male heirs is increasingly limited. However, the solution prepared by the government still maintains the old tradition. Women can remain members of the imperial family after marriage, but the path to the throne is still closed.
Launching a report by Kyodo News, quoted Wednesday, July 1, the Japanese government has submitted a draft revision of the Imperial Household Law to parliament. The bill opens the possibility of adopting men from former branches of the imperial family who lost their status after World War II. At the same time, the imperial family's daughters who marry ordinary citizens will still be able to maintain their imperial status.
The situation is like a large family whose members continue to decrease. Residents want to be added, but the rules about who can be an heir remain unchanged.
The Japanese monarchy, known as the world's oldest hereditary monarchy, still maintains a succession system based on the father's line. This means that only male descendants of the male line are entitled to be heirs to the throne. The tradition is still maintained by conservative groups, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Takaichi, Japan's first female prime minister, stressed the need to maintain the continuity of the imperial family did not mean changing the succession rules.
"The unparalleled historical fact that the imperial line has been maintained through the male line for 126 generations is the foundation of the emperor's authority and legitimacy," Takaichi said, as quoted by Kyodo News.
Currently, Emperor Naruhito, 66, has only three potential heirs. They are his younger brother, Crown Prince Fumihito, 60, his nephew, Prince Hisahito, 19, and his uncle, Prince Hitachi, 90.
Through the bill, men from the male line of the former branch of the imperial family can be adopted provided they are at least 15 years old, unmarried, and have no children. Those who are adopted do not immediately obtain the right to succession. However, their descendants can later become heirs to the throne.
Here the direction of government policy begins to be seen. Japan does not pave the way for Princess Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito, to replace her father. Instead, the government is preparing the possibility of an heir from the male descendants of the branch family who have been separated from the imperial family since 1947.
A total of 11 former branches of the imperial family still have the same ancestry as Emperor Naruhito. The lineage relationship is traced back to about 600 years ago. In the current rules, blood relations from the male line are still considered more qualified than the emperor's biological daughter.
The number of members of the imperial family has indeed continued to shrink since 1947. At that time, as many as 51 members of 11 branches of the imperial family lost their status so that the number of members decreased from 67 to 16 people. This figure had increased to 26 after the birth of Princess Kako in 1994, but now it has returned to 16 people.
Another reason is the marriage rules. If a male member marries, his wife and children automatically become part of the imperial family. In contrast, female members who marry ordinary citizens must leave the imperial family. This rule will be changed through a law revision.
If the revision is passed, the daughters of the imperial family can continue to carry out official duties after marriage. However, their husbands and children remain ordinary citizens and are not members of the imperial family.
The new rules will apply to Princess Aiko, 24, Princess Kako, 31, Princess Akiko, 44, Princess Yoko, 42, and Princess Tsuguko, 40.
A senior official at the Imperial Household Agency said their status would be somewhere between not being fully equal to imperial family members, but not fully ordinary citizens either.
The bill approved by the Takaichi Cabinet is the result of discussions between the ruling and opposition parties. However, a number of opposition members assessed that the government ignored the agreement that had previously been built in parliament. They also criticized the rules that make the husbands and children of imperial family princesses remain ordinary citizens.
Behind the debate, there is concern among conservatives that changing the rules could pave the way for an emperor from a female lineage. In fact, throughout Japanese history, there have been eight women who have ruled in 10 reigns, including Empress Suiko and Empress Jito. However, they all ascended the throne through the father's lineage.
Therefore, Princess Aiko until now still does not have the right to succeed.
A number of monarchies have already changed the rules. England, for example, has implemented a system since 2013 that gives equal rights to the eldest child regardless of gender. Sweden and Norway have also abandoned a succession system that only prioritizes men.
Takaichi judged that it was not the time to discuss the possibility of changing the rules after the generation of Prince Hisahito. However, public opinion seems to be different. A Kyodo News survey in May showed that 83 percent of respondents supported the possibility of Japan having a female emperor.
The bill also regulates the evaluation of the imperial family system every 30 years if necessary. However, other challenges still loom. Those who will be adopted into the imperial family must leave the lives and careers they have built.
An employee at one of the branches of the imperial family questioned whether anyone would really be willing to make such a decision in order to become part of the imperial family.
The bill also regulates the review of the imperial family system every 30 years if necessary. However, other challenges still loom. Those who are adopted into the imperial family must leave the careers and lives they have built. An employee at one of the branches of the imperial family questioned whether anyone would really be willing to make such a big decision.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
