In a twist that shakes the foundations of the planet’s longest-lasting monarchy, the Japanese Parliament is moving steadily to close the door of the throne to women. The Lower House gave the green light to a modification of the Imperial Law that, if ratified by the Upper House, will consolidate female exclusion in the succession of the Yamato dynasty, with more than 2,600 years of uninterrupted history.
The initiative, driven by the conservative government of Sanae Takaichi, seeks to resolve the succession crisis threatening the continuity of the Imperial House. With only three eligible members for the throne, and just one male in the youngest generation, Prince Hisahito, pressure to reform the law had intensified. However, the chosen solution is not gender equality, but the adoption of male descendants from ancient imperial branches.
According to the approved project, women will be allowed to remain in the imperial family after marrying commoners, something that until now forced them to leave the House and lose all their rights. But that concession comes at a price: they will never be able to ascend to the throne, even if they are in the line of succession. Adopted males, for their part, will not be able to reign, but their male children will.
The most emblematic case is that of Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako. For years she was seen as the possible first reigning empress, but the birth of her cousin Hisahito in 2006 buried that hope. Now, the reform legally enshrines what nature had already decided.
Recent history is marked by the exile of women who dared to marry for love. Princess Mako, the emperor’s cousin, married a commoner in 2021 and was expelled from the royal family, moving to New York without the possibility of seeing her relatives. With the new law, situations like hers will change: princesses will be able to keep their status and reside in the palace, but their children will never inherit the throne.
The reform, which still must be approved by the Upper House, has generated intense debate in Japanese society. While the most traditional sectors celebrate the preservation of the male line, critics and feminist groups denounce institutionalized discrimination that condemns women to a secondary role in the country’s most emblematic institution.
With this measure, Japan distances itself from other modern monarchies that have allowed female succession, such as the British or Spanish. The Yamato dynasty, which boasts of being the oldest in the world, chooses to fortify its tradition rather than adapt to the times.
Para mí Japón hizo bien en blindar el trono a las minas. Las feministas lloran pero la tradición es tradición. La dinastía más antigua del mundo no se va a arruinar por caprichos modernos. Viva el Emperador y que se jodan los progres de mierda. Firmado: ElAmigoDelSolNaciente
Para mí esto huele a feudalismo rancio. Blindar el trono a las mujeres es machismo puro, la dinastía más antigua se cae a pedazos y ellos prefieren un varón inútil antes que una reina con huevos. Me parece patético, un curro de conservadores. ¡Revolución ya!