Japanese Government Passes Imperial House Law Amendment Allowing Female Royals to Remain After Marriage

TOKYO, June 30 (CNA) -- To address the declining number of Japanese imperial family members, the Japanese government today passed an amendment to the Imperial House Law at an extraordinary cabinet meeting. The amendment allows female members of the imperial family to retain their royal status after marriage and permits male descendants of former imperial families to become adopted sons of the imperial family. The government will submit the amendment to the Diet for deliberation, aiming to complete the legislation during the current session.

The current Imperial House Law stipulates that the throne is inherited by males of patrilineal descent. Currently, the only heirs to the throne are Emperor Naruhito's younger brother, Prince Fumihito of Akishino, and Prince Fumihito's son, Prince Hisahito. The imperial family's size has also been shrinking as female members leave the imperial family upon marriage, prompting the government to consider revising the law.

According to NHK, the amendment allows female members of the imperial family to choose to remain in the imperial family after marriage. The bill includes transitional measures stipulating that female members who already possess imperial status at the time the law comes into effect can choose whether to leave the imperial family upon marriage according to their own will. Furthermore, even if they choose to remain in the imperial family after marriage, they will be subject to the Basic Resident Registration Law, similar to ordinary citizens.

Another key point of the amendment is the introduction of an adoption system. The government plans to add a special chapter to the Imperial House Law allowing male descendants of the 11 former princely families who left the imperial family in 1947 to be adopted by imperial family members, provided they are unmarried, have no children, and are at least 15 years old.

However, the bill also clearly states that the adopted male himself will not be eligible to inherit the throne. But if the adopted son later has a son, that son will be eligible to inherit the throne according to the current Imperial House Law.

In addition, the supplementary provisions of the amendment stipulate that the government will review the need for revisions to the system every 30 years, based on changes in the number of imperial family members and the operation of the system.

The Japan Innovation Party had previously questioned the condition that individuals must be at least 15 years old to be adopted. However, after a meeting today with Liberal Democratic Party Vice President Taro Aso and General Council Chairman Takayuki Kobayashi, the party's co-leader, Fumitake Fujita, ultimately agreed to support the submission of the amendment to the Diet.

Fujita stated that the LDP hopes to promote the legislative revision jointly by the ruling and opposition parties to ensure the stable succession of the throne. Although he believes there should be no age limit of 15 for adoption and still has reservations about some provisions, he decided to prioritize the bigger picture and support the bill's advancement, considering that the bill includes a 30-year review mechanism and that maintaining the number of imperial family members and the continuation of the imperial lineage are of great significance.

Kobayashi stated that ensuring the number of imperial family members is an urgent issue facing the Japanese imperial family. All parties have reaffirmed the importance of continuing the imperial lineage. Based on a broad perspective and a sense of mission, he hopes to promote the smooth enactment of the Imperial House Law amendment. (Editor: Chen Cheng-kung) 0630