Japan's Lower House approves imperial succession amendment

Japan’s House of Representatives voted on July 10 to pass a revision of the Imperial House Law aimed at preserving the size of the imperial family. The bill allows female members of the imperial family to retain their royal status after marrying commoners and creates a mechanism for adopting male‑line descendants of former princely houses, giving any male children of such adoptees the right to inherit the throne. The amendment was approved by a coalition of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the Japan Innovation Party, and the centrist opposition bloc, while the Communist Party voted against it. The measure now moves to the House of Councillors, where a majority is expected before the current diet session ends on July 17.

Public reaction has been mixed. A nationwide online poll found 66 % support for allowing princesses to stay in the imperial family after marriage, while 41 % backed the adoption of former princely‑house males. Notable commentary has focused on the distance of the adopted males from the current emperor—36 to 38 degrees of kinship—prompting social‑media discussion and criticism from figures such as internet personality Hiroyuki Nishimura. Former prime minister Naoto Kan called the vote “a defeat” for his party. The amendment does not alter the male‑only succession rule, leaving Princess Aiko without a path to the throne.