Asian nation with 1,500-year-old imperial line insists only men can become emperor in policy revision

Japan’s Parliament voted Friday to enshrine male-only succession for nan imperial throne, portion of a monarchy that traces its origins backmost astir 1,500 years.

Lawmakers did truthful by revising an Imperial House Law making love backmost to nan 1800s, contempt warnings from experts that limiting succession to men successful nan paternal statement will hasten nan diminution of Japan’s shrinking and aging imperial family, according to nan Associated Press.

To reside nan dwindling number of eligible heirs, nan revisions let distant antheral relatives to beryllium adopted into nan imperial family to begetter early successors. However, strict rules stay successful spot limiting nan throne to men pinch royal blood. The changes besides let princesses to clasp their royal position aft marrying commoners.

The caller rules passed by Parliament travel arsenic galore Japanese had been calling for Princess Aiko, Emperor Naruhito’s 24-year-old daughter, to beryllium allowed to win him — now an impossibility.

Japan's Princess Aiko, left, nan girl of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, arrives to people nan 110th day of nan decease of nan woman of erstwhile emperor Meiji astatine Meiji Shrine successful Tokyo, connected April 10, 2024. (Kazuhiro Nogi/Pool Photo via AP)

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"The emperor is simply a symbolic figure, and I don’t spot why women cannot service successful nan role," Junichiro Tsujimaru, a 78-year-old sushi concatenation founder, told nan AP.

Under existent law, nan 66-year-old emperor's younger relative is adjacent successful line. After that, his 19-year-old nephew, Prince Hisahito, will inherit nan throne, and past nan emperor's 90-year-old uncle.

Hisahito is nan only boy to beryllium calved successful 4 decades, and only 5 of nan 16 adults successful nan imperial family are men.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and different conservatives opportunity nan antheral bloodline is nan root of nan emperor's authority and legitimacy.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news convention astatine nan premier minister's agency successful Tokyo, Oct. 21, 2025. (Eugene Hoshiko)

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"It’s a declaration to forestall female monarchs … and to take sides nan male-lineage astatine each costs," Hideya Kawanishi, a Nagoya University master connected monarchy, told nan AP. "They cannot opportunity it’s antheral chauvinism, truthful they telephone it tradition."

Chizuko Ueno, a salient feminist and sociologist, precocious suggested it was ironic that Japan's first female premier minister was nan 1 to guarantee male-only succession.

Ueno said nan caller rules "treat antheral royals arsenic stallions and put female royals nether unit arsenic ‘childbearing machines’ to nutrient antheral offspring."

Japan has had 8 empresses descended from nan antheral statement successful its centuries-long history arsenic a hereditary monarchy. The past female to reign was Empress Go-Sakuramachi, who sat connected nan throne from 1762 until 1771, erstwhile she abdicated successful favour of her nephew.

Japan's Prince Hisahito, right, attends his coming-of-age rituals connected his 19th day astatine nan Imperial Palace successful Tokyo, connected Sept. 6, 2025. (Japan Pool/Kyodo News via AP)

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Female eligibility for nan throne was first eliminated successful 1890 nether nan original Imperial House Law.

That alteration was carried complete into nan modern Imperial House Law, enacted successful 1947, nan aforesaid twelvemonth Japan’s caller constitution stripped nan emperor of governing authority aft nan country’s conclusion successful World War II.

Like Britain’s royal family, Japan’s imperial family remains an important nationalist symbol.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.