Ruling and opposition parties will soon start debate on key imperial succession issues.
The central question is how to secure a sufficient number of imperial family members and ensure stable succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne.
While there seem to be signs of consensus forming on some issues, there are apparently deep-rooted differences among parties on others.
The question of imperial succession is related to an important national institution defined by the Constitution. The ruling camp must not push through its proposals on the strength of numbers without securing a broad public consensus.
The report produced by the government’s expert panel on the matter at the end of 2021 serves as a basis for the discussions.
The report warned about the possibility that the imperial family tree could wither away after the generation of Prince Hisahito, the 17-year-old nephew of Emperor Naruhito and the only young male member of the imperial family, who is second in line to the throne after his father, Crown Prince Fumihito, the younger brother of Naruhito.
The report suggested two proposals. One would allow female members of the imperial household to retain their status regardless of marriage. The other would allow males from former branches of the imperial family to regain their imperial status through adoption, a measure that is currently not permitted.
Asahi Shimbun editorials have criticized the panel’s proposals, arguing they betray a fixation on the idea that only males of the patrilineal lineage should be allowed to succeed to the throne and are unlikely to be widely understood or accepted by the public.
The same can be said for opinions published by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and some opposition blocs, which have deemed the report “reasonable.”
With regard to the first proposal, even if female members of the family are allowed to retain their imperial status after marriage, their spouses or children would not be allowed to join the imperial family.
The proponents of the proposal claim this rule is to ensure that they will maintain their rights and duties as ordinary citizens. But this is clearly designed to kill the proposal to allow a male child of the female line of the imperial family to succeed to the throne.
On the other hand, under the adoption approach, male children of newly adopted imperial family members would be granted imperial succession rights.
However, these ideas are out of step with public sentiment.
A 2019 poll conducted by mail by The Asahi Shimbun showed 74 percent of the respondents expressed support for allowing emperors of the maternal line, significantly outweighing the 21 percent who favor maintaining the male line succession system.
A recent mail survey by Kyodo News produced similar results.
Changing the current succession order for Crown Prince Fumihito and Prince Hisahito is not feasible. However, it is highly questionable whether continuing to strictly adhere to male line succession after Hisahito will represent the “will of the people.”
Asahi editorials have long expressed doubts about the second proposal, which would return individuals who have lived as private citizens for more than 70 years to the imperial family. Even if this idea is adopted, it would not eliminate the intense pressure to produce male heirs, which has been straining imperial family members.
The notion of maintaining bloodlines through male descendants under monogamy has its limits, as history teaches us.
Despite the LDP’s slogan, “The imperial family is the foundation of the nation,” it seems doubtful that the ruling party is seriously considering the system’s sustainability.
Both proposals would significantly impact the life planning of the imperial family and the individuals involved. It is also necessary to ensure that there are no coercive actions regarding imperial registry departure, retention or adoption.
The symbolic emperor system can only exist with the support of the people with whom resides sovereign power. Discussions must proceed based on this fundamental principle.
--The Asahi Shimbun, May 7
EDITORIAL: Public opinion vital to resolving thorny imperial succession issue
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07.05.2024
Ruling and opposition parties will soon start debate on key imperial succession issues.
The central question is how to secure a sufficient number of imperial family members and ensure stable succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne.
While there seem to be signs of consensus forming on some issues, there are apparently deep-rooted differences among parties on others.
The question of imperial succession is related to an important national institution defined by the Constitution. The ruling camp must not push through its proposals on the strength of numbers without securing a broad public consensus.
The report produced by the government’s expert panel on the matter at the end of 2021 serves as a basis for the discussions.
The report warned about the possibility that the imperial family tree could wither away after the generation of Prince Hisahito, the 17-year-old nephew of Emperor Naruhito and the only young male member of the imperial family, who is second in line to the throne after his father, Crown Prince........
© The Asahi Shimbun
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