Editorial: Japan’s politicians must not neglect discussions on Imperial succession

Discussions between Japan’s ruling and opposition parties on measures to secure a sufficient number of Imperial Family members to ensure stable succession to the throne have stalled. How long will the government put off an issue that relates to the state of the country?

House of Representatives Speaker Fukushiro Nukaga, who is coordinating the talks, had stated that the parties would aim to reach a consensus during the regular session of the Diet that wrapped up in June, but during an Aug. 7 news conference, he avoided specifying a timeline.

Politicians are discussing one proposal under which female members of the Imperial Family would retain their status after marriage, and another that would allow male descendants of the male line of former Imperial branch families to be adopted into the Imperial Family.

The Imperial House Law states that female members of the Imperial Family who marry outside the family lose their status as members. Japan’s political parties have agreed that there is a need to enable them to remain in the Imperial Family after marriage. Opinions are divided, however, over whether their children and husbands would become members of the Imperial Family.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and others are opposed to making such children and husbands Imperial Family members, but this could pose a problem in terms of the freedom of economic and political activities that members of the public are guaranteed. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, meanwhile, has requested that the proposal to include husbands and children not be ruled out.

The LDP proposal to adopt males from former Imperial branch families into the Imperial Family adheres to the view that successors to the throne should be males of male lineage, but it is hard to say this view has widespread public support. A survey conducted by the Mainichi Shimbun in May found that only 35% of respondents backed this plan.

In the first place, the report from the government expert panel that serves as the foundation for discussions is insufficient, focusing only on measures to secure enough Imperial Family members. A supplementary resolution to a special law on the emperor’s abdication that was passed with support from both the ruling and opposition parties in 2017 calls on the government to consider measures to enable stable succession to the throne.

There are six members of the Imperial Family below Emperor Naruhito’s generation, but among them, Prince Hisahito, the son of Crown Prince Akishino (Fumihito) is the only male who has the right to succeed the throne. If no action is taken, the number of Imperial Family members will only grow smaller.

First, Japan should open the way for female members of the Imperial Family to remain in the family, and let this lead to discussion on whether to allow women to inherit the throne. In a Mainichi opinion poll, 81% of respondents expressed support for allowing women to become emperors.

Article 1 of Japan’s Constitution states that the Emperor’s position will be derived “from the will of the people.” The question is how to ensure the sustainability of the Imperial Family while gaining broad public support.

It is the role of the Diet, composed of representatives of the people, to seek common ground that can win the backing of many citizens. Failure to fulfill this role must be described as political negligence.