Cartoonist Sues Over Imperial Law Seen as Preserving Privilege
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Cartoonist Yoshinori Kobayashi has taken the Japanese government to court over a new law that critics say entrenches hereditary privilege by allowing adoption into former imperial branches, while leaving unequal treatment of princesses and their families in place.
A Tokyo District Court lawsuit filed by cartoonist Yoshinori Kobayashi challenges a recently enacted law that permits the imperial family to adopt unmarried male descendants from former branch families to become future heirs. The legislation, which took effect on Saturday, is presented as a solution to the shortage of male heirs in Japan’s 1,500-year-old monarchy, where the line of succession currently passes from Emperor Naruhito to his younger brother, Crown Prince Akishino, and then to Prince Hisahito, 20, the only other eligible male of their generation.
Under the new rule, male descendants aged 15 or older from former imperial branches—families that lost royal status in 1947—may be adopted into an existing branch, provided the adoption follows an unbroken male line. Four of the eleven former branches remain, each tracing a male-line ancestry to the emperor that diverged roughly 600 years ago.
Kobayashi argues that the law creates a privileged class of "former imperial branch family" and discriminates against other common citizens, violating Article 14 of Japan’s constitution, which guarantees equality regardless of race, creed, sex, social status, or family origin. > "The adoption would introduce a new class system of 'former imperial branch family' in Japan. ... It's a serious problem," Kobayashi said after filing the suit. No trial date has been set.
The law also allows princesses to retain their royal status after marrying commoners, but does not extend that status to their spouses or children, effectively preventing Princess Aiko from succeeding her father. Kobayashi refers to the measure as the "Aiko-sama exclusion law" and is seeking 1 million yen in damages for psychological suffering.