Bill Grants Imperial Succession Rights to Grandson of Adopted Prince, Opposition Criticizes Departure from Consensus

(Taipei, July 1, 2024, 11:50 AM EST) -- A proposed amendment to Japan's Imperial House Law, finalized by the government on June 30, stipulates that the son of an adopted prince will have the right to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne. However, opposition parties have criticized this move as a departure from the parliamentary consensus compiled last month, which called for a pause in discussions on imperial succession.

Japan's current Imperial House Law stipulates that the imperial 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 is also continuously shrinking due to female members losing their imperial status upon marriage, prompting the government to consider legislative revisions.

The Japanese government yesterday approved an amendment to the Imperial House Law in an extraordinary cabinet meeting, allowing female members of the imperial family to retain their status after marriage and permitting male descendants of former imperial families to become adopted princes.

Jiji Press reported today that Article 1 of the current Imperial House Law states, "The Imperial Throne shall be succeeded to by a male descendant in the male line of the Emperors," while Article 2 stipulates that the order of succession begins with the Emperor's eldest son.

The amendment finalized by the Japanese government yesterday specifies that Article 2 does not apply to the adopted person themselves but does apply to the adopted person's son. This means that while an adopted male in the male line does not have the right to succeed to the throne, if that adopted person later has a son, that son will possess the right to imperial succession.

Regarding the imperial succession system, there has been a long-standing divergence of opinions between the ruling and opposition parties on whether to allow female succession, female emperors, or to maintain male-only succession. The Japanese government's expert panel pointed out that "the immediate priority is to separate the issues of imperial succession and ensuring the number of imperial family members," and therefore, since 2024, the focus of discussions between the ruling and opposition parties has been on securing the number of imperial family members.

Furthermore, the "Legislative Consensus" (parliamentary consensus) compiled by the Speakers and Vice-Speakers of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors in early June only stated that the imperial succession issue "will continue to be examined." The outline and summary of the amendment drafted by the government based on this parliamentary consensus also did not mention imperial succession.

However, the bill ultimately included relevant provisions in the amendment, leading to strong backlash from opposition parties who criticized the move as a "surprise attack."

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Terada explained at a press conference yesterday that the "Legislative Consensus" did not specifically mention the imperial succession rights of an adopted prince's son. Therefore, based on the current imperial succession rules, the adopted prince's son naturally possesses succession qualifications, and he asserted that there were no problems with the amendment process.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government is striving to pass the amendment to the Imperial House Law during the current Diet session. However, whether it can gain the cooperation of the opposition parties and the understanding of the public will be a focal point.

The day after the Speakers and Vice-Speakers of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors compiled the "Legislative Consensus" regarding the amendment of the Imperial House Law on June 10, Emperor Naruhito expressed his views on the issue for the first time. He stated, "I refrain from commenting on the system itself," but at the same time expressed his hope that the relevant measures would "gain the understanding of the public." (Compiled by Yang Wei-ching) 0701