Princess Aiko of Japan, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, turned 24 on Monday as her popularity soars and she takes on a growing role in official events. Her rising prestige has reopened the debate — in a patriarchal and traditionalist society — about the possibility of a woman inheriting the throne, despite the Salic law that governs Japan’s rules of imperial succession.
The discussion is taking place in a country that broke with gender prejudices just over a month ago by electing Sanae Takaichi as Japan’s first female prime minister, when very few believed it was possible. Furthermore, polls show strong public support for the idea that Aiko, or any other woman in the future, could be the successor.
Aiko’s supporters are calling for the change to be made as soon as possible, as a way to safeguard the dynastic line of the world’s oldest reigning monarchy. There is a sense of urgency, with Naruhito’s 19-year-old nephew, Hisahito, now the only male descendant of the younger generation in a dwindling imperial family.
Experts warn that legislative changes would not be easy, given the opposition from conservative members of parliament, who are reluctant to get involved in such a sensitive issue. Takaichi herself — whom many consider reluctant to implement policies aimed at reducing gender inequality — has spoken out in the past against altering the current succession system.
The rules are determined by the Imperial Household Law of 1947. In theory, amending this law — an ordinary law — is less demanding than revising the Constitution. A bill submitted by the government or members of the Diet (the Japanese parliament) and its approval by a simple majority in both houses is sufficient, explains Makoto Okawa, a history professor at Chuo University in Tokyo.
“However, any law concerning the imperial institution carries exceptional weight for the Japanese state, so it is essential to reach a broad national consensus with great care,” Okawa cautions. “Even if a majority of citizens favor reform, the agreement must be forged through deliberations by a panel of experts, bipartisan negotiations, and a special Diet committee.”
The scholar sees significant reform as “almost impossible” with the current ruling coalition, formed by the Liberal Democratic Party of the ultraconservative Takaichi with the support of the minority Innovation Party. “A change of government would probably be necessary, led by opposition parties such as the center-left Constitutional Democratic Party, which has shown itself to be more open to the idea of an empress,” Okawa added via email.
Recent polls, such as one published in May by the Manichi Shimbun newspaper, show that 70% of respondents are in favor of women inheriting the throne. Another poll by the Kyodo news agency in 2024 put support at 90%.
Princess Aiko’s popularity is growing, thanks in part to an increasingly active schedule both at home and abroad. Last year, she graduated from Gakushuin University, where her father and other members of the royal family studied. Since then, she has participated in official duties and worked for the Japanese Red Cross. In June, she accompanied her parents for the first time to Okinawa on a visit to honor those who died in World War II. In August, in Nagasaki, she participated in a wreath-laying ceremony for the victims of the atomic bomb, following in the footsteps of her father, who has always emphasized the importance of conveying the tragedy of the conflict to young people. In November, she made her first official solo trip to Laos.
“Conservatives who oppose an empress, even if they don’t say so explicitly, seem to believe that men are superior to women,” explains Hideya Kawanishi, a professor at Nagoya University and an expert on monarchy, via email. That is precisely why they don’t want the emperor, the symbol of the nation, to be a woman, he adds.
On the other hand, Kawanishi believes it would help establish true gender equality, bringing Japan closer to a European society. “To overcome this opposition, public opinion will likely need to express an even stronger demand for the establishment of an empress.”
The pressure within the royal family to produce sons has left its mark on the consorts. Aiko’s mother, Masako, a Harvard-educated former diplomat, suffered from severe depression that kept her secluded within the palace for more than a decade, a situation stemming in part from the pressure to produce a male heir.
Male emperors are the overwhelming majority in Japanese history, but there have been periods when women ascended the throne: there were six between the end of the sixth and the end of the eighth century; eight in total throughout 10 imperial dynasties. The last, Go-Sakuramachi (1762-1771), reigned more than two and a half centuries ago.
The restriction of succession to males in the paternal line dates back to the Imperial Household Law of 1889, which inspired the current one. Currently, Emperor Naruhito — who is 65 years old and acceded to the throne in 2019 — has only three heirs: the youngest is Prince Hisahito, 19; Naruhito’s brother, Prince Fumihito, is 60; and his uncle, Prince Hitachi, is 90.
Japan is a parliamentary monarchy in which the emperor is a symbol of the state and the unity of the people, with purely ceremonial functions. Several government panels have considered possible reforms. In 2005, a commission of experts called for allowing women to succeed to the throne and the elimination of the rule that only permits descent through the male line. Three years ago, another panel proposed some amendments, such as allowing royal women to retain their titles and public duties when they marry outside the family. However, it suggested not changing the male-line rule, at least until Prince Hisahito becomes emperor.
In 2024, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women did recommend reviewing the succession rules. This generated tremendous controversy in Japan. Historian Okawa believes that Aiko’s accession to the throne could serve as a unifying force, helping to bridge the growing social and political divisions within Japanese society. “At a time when a patriarchal revival seems to be gaining momentum, the symbolic presence of an empress miyabi [a Japanese esthetic concept of elegance] could be a great encouragement to women who continue to suffer discrimination.”
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