Japan likely to change law to allow female heirs to the throne
{{date|October 26, 2005}}
[[Image:Flag of Japan.svg|175px|thumb|right|[[w:Flag of Japan|Flag of Japan]]]]
[[w:Japan|Japanese]] media reported that Prime Minister [[w:Junichiro Koizumi|Junichiro Koizumi]] suggested yesterday that the government would submit a draft to the [[w:Diet of Japan|Diet]] to rewrite the Imperial Household Act within the next year. This is in response to a board of experts who have been investigating the succession issue.

The experts' Board on the Imperial Household Act, personally appointed by the Prime Minister, reached an agreement on the issue that an Empress should be accepted.  Implementation of their recommendations would mean that succession to the highest position in Japanese society would occur without a gender bias.

At the present time, the Japanese imperial household has no male member under the age of 20; present law only allows male descendants to ascend to the Chrysanthemum Throne.  The proposed solution would put [[w:Aiko, Princess Toshi|Princess Aiko]], the sole child of [[w:Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan|Crown Prince Naruhito]] and [[w:Masako, Crown Princess of Japan|Crown Princess Masako]] in place as the most likely to inherit the position of monarch, following behind would be [[w:Sayako, Princess Nori|Princess Sayako]] who will leave the Imperial Household due to her planned marriage with a commoner.

<!--Also currently the succession can occur only in the male lineage. And under the current law princesses lose their royal rank, if they marry with a man who doesn't belong to the Imperial Household. Princess Sayako, the daughter of [[w:Emperor Akihito|Emperor Akihito]] therefore will lose her princesshood after her marriage planned in the next November. Experts suggested also to alter those articles and allow a possible succession in female line. As far as hisotrical documents say, no succession along female line occured in the history of Japan.
-->
Present law in Japan defines the succession as favouring male children; the last time the country had an Empress was in 1771, when [[w:Empress Go-Sakuramachi|Empress Go-Sakuramachi]] abdicated to her nephew.
{{wikipediapar|Japanese Imperial succession controversy}}
Despite the fact that there is precedent for an Empress, some scholars have suggested family members who previously broke ties with the recognised royal family following the end of [[w:WWII|World War II]] should be considered for the succession, opening up the field of candidates even more. The group of scholars proposing this solution have stressed that their solution is aimed at maintaining the tradition of a male heir.

== Sources ==

*{{source|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1843953,00.html
|title=Japan paves way for first empress since 1771
|author=
|pub=The Times Online
|date=October 26, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200510260187.html
|title=Panel comes out for letting women ascend throne
|author=
|pub=Asahi (Japan)
|date=October 26, 2005}}
{{Publish}}

{{archive}}
[[Category:Asia]]
[[Category:Japan]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Junichiro Koizumi]]

[[de:Tōkyō: Prinzessin Aiko soll Kaiserin werden können]]
[[es:Expertos aconsejan permitir el ascenso de una mujer al trono japonés]]
[[fr:Japon : des experts suggèrent une modification des règles de succession au trône]]
[[ja:女性・女系天皇容認へ・政府法案提出の見通し]]
[[pt:Especialistas aconselham permitir a ascensão de mulheres ao trono japonês]]
Flag of Japan
Japanese media reported that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi suggested yesterday that the government would submit a draft to the Diet to rewrite the Imperial Household Act within the next year. This is in response to a board of experts who have been investigating the succession issue.

The experts' Board on the Imperial Household Act, personally appointed by the Prime Minister, reached an agreement on the issue that an Empress should be accepted.  Implementation of their recommendations would mean that succession to the highest position in Japanese society would occur without a gender bias.

At the present time, the Japanese imperial household has no male member under the age of 20; present law only allows male descendants to ascend to the Chrysanthemum Throne.  The proposed solution would put Princess Aiko, the sole child of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako in place as the most likely to inherit the position of monarch, following behind would be Princess Sayako who will leave the Imperial Household due to her planned marriage with a commoner.


Present law in Japan defines the succession as favouring male children; the last time the country had an Empress was in 1771, when Empress Go-Sakuramachi abdicated to her nephew.

Despite the fact that there is precedent for an Empress, some scholars have suggested family members who previously broke ties with the recognised royal family following the end of World War II should be considered for the succession, opening up the field of candidates even more. The group of scholars proposing this solution have stressed that their solution is aimed at maintaining the tradition of a male heir.

*


de:Tōkyō: Prinzessin Aiko soll Kaiserin werden können
es:Expertos aconsejan permitir el ascenso de una mujer al trono japonés
fr:Japon : des experts suggèrent une modification des règles de succession au trône
ja:女性・女系天皇容認へ・政府法案提出の見通し
Especialistas aconselham permitir a ascensão de mulheres ao trono japonês
Asia Japan Politics and conflicts Junichiro Koizumi