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By law, no woman can become emperor of Japan. And the country, which is the oldest continuous monarchy in the world, is running out of heirs. Japan's parliament has voted to revise the law that governs who can take the throne, but lawmakers have not changed that part, even though people in Japan largely support the idea of a female emperor. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports.
ANTHONY KUHN, BYLINE: The upper house of Parliament voted to revise the Imperial House Law after the lower house approved it last week. The revisions are intended to ensure a stable supply of heirs to the throne. The last young man in line for the throne is the Emperor's nephew, 19-year-old Prince Hisahito. Seiichiro Noboru, a former Japanese diplomat with ties to the imperial family, explains what that means.
SEIICHIRO NOBORU: (Through interpreter) Because he is the only one, there is a widely shared sense of crisis regarding the future survival of the imperial family.
KUHN: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration has proposed two major changes to the Imperial House Law, the first substantial revisions in nearly 80 years. One would allow princesses to stay in the imperial family after they marry. The other would allow the imperial family to adopt male line descendants from former branches of the imperial family. But Seiichiro Noboru says there's a far simpler solution.
NOBORU: (Through interpreter) The crucial point is that if a female emperor were recognized, we wouldn't need to resort to such a complex adoption line.
KUHN: The obvious candidate would be the emperor's 24-year-old daughter, Princess Aiko.
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KUHN: Enthusiastic crowds often turn out for Aiko's public appearances. She majored in Japanese literature in college. She now works full time for the Japanese Red Cross Society. Noboru says Princess Aiko is one reason most Japanese support the idea of female emperors. Polls show 60- to 90% are in favor of it. But Japan's first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, is not among them. In April, she told a ruling party convention...
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PRIME MINISTER SANAE TAKAICHI: (Through interpreter) The unparalleled historic fact that the imperial line has been maintained through the male line for 126 generations is the foundation of the emperor's authority and legitimacy.
KUHN: In fact, over the centuries, Japan has had eight female emperors. But Japan's Meiji government ended that practice in 1889 in line with their vision of a modern patriarchal nation. Noboru, the former diplomat, argues that barring women from the throne today violates constitutional guarantees against gender-based discrimination. And the Constitution, he adds, is clear about where the emperor's authority comes from.
NOBORU: (Through interpreter) What the government is attempting to do clearly runs counter to public opinion. Article I of the Japanese Constitution states that the emperor is the symbol of the nation and that his position is determined by the will of the people.
KUHN: Japan's Constitution gives sovereignty to the people. The emperor is a figurehead. He's supposed to steer clear of political issues. But Emperor Naruhito did weigh in on this one very carefully at a press conference last month.
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NARUHITO: (Through interpreter) I hope the discussions about securing an adequate number of imperial family members can gain the understanding of the people.
KUHN: A supplementary provision to the revised Imperial House Law says the law should be reviewed every 30 years as necessary, which leaves room for possible future discussions about female emperors.
Anthony Kuhn, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF REFUGEE CAMP ALL STARS SONG, "THE SWEETEST THING") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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