"The King Must Be a Son": Japanese Politicians Reject "People's Princess" and Seek Out a "36th Cousin Son" for the Throne

70% of Japanese Public Support a Queen, but Political Leaders Ignore Sentiment

Throne to Be Passed to “Thirty-Sixth Cousin’s Son”

First Main Revision to Imperial House Law Since 1949

Male-Only Succession Maintained Without Public Deba

In Japan, a revision to the Imperial House Law has granted succession rights to the son of a “36th cousin,” effectively bypassing discussions on female imperial succession.

Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito, is smiling at the coming-of-age ceremony on December 5, 2021. Photo by AP Yonhap News Agency

On July 17, the Japanese House of Councillors (the upper house of parliament) held a plenary session and gave final approval to the revised Imperial House Law, which aims to secure the number of imperial family members. Under the revised law, adopted sons from former imperial branches cannot themselves inherit the throne, but if such an adopted son has a male child, that grandson would then become eligible for imperial succession. With this revision, Japan has now established a legal foundation for adopting males from the former imperial families into the current imperial household to address the shrinking number of royals. This marks the first time since 1949 that the main text of the Imperial House Law, rather than an addendum, has been amended.

The former imperial family members subject to the revised law come from 11 families, commonly referred to as the “former princely houses” (kyu-miya). This means there is now a possibility for a “Cinderella story”—where descendants of those who lost their royal status and lived as ordinary citizens could return as royals. The male-line descendants in these families, who are potential adoptees, are said to be 36th to 38th cousins to the current Emperor Naruhito, sharing a common ancestor from roughly six centuries ago. It is reported that around six individuals meet the criteria set forth by the new rules.

Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito, is now unable to inherit the throne due to the male-line succession requirement of the Imperial House Law.

Local media outlets, including the Mainichi Shimbun, have criticized the political establishment for insisting on a male-line succession principle, despite strong public support for Princess Aiko, the current emperor’s daughter. In public opinion polls conducted last month by the Asahi Shimbun and Mainichi Shimbun, more than 70% of respondents agreed that Japan should allow female emperors, with many pointing out that while the United Kingdom frequently has reigning queens, Japan’s continued ban on female succession is out of step with the times. Recently, Emperor Naruhito himself made a veiled criticism of political developments concerning imperial succession, stating in a public appearance that he hoped “discussions that gain the understanding of the public will take place.”

Previously, in 2024, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) also recommended amending the Imperial House Law, stating that limiting imperial succession to males is incompatible with the principles of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

Nevertheless, the Japanese political establishment pressed ahead with the bill without engaging in substantive debate on the matter, sparking intense criticism. The conservative camp justified the move as an “unavoidable choice to preserve the 2,600-year tradition of male-line succession,” while the progressive camp denounced the effort, arguing that politicians were disregarding the widely supported discussion of allowing a female emperor and instead trying to forcibly reinstate descendants of former royals who have been living as ordinary citizens.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.