Japan's Parliament Enacts Male-Only Imperial Succession Law
Japan's parliament approved amendments to the Imperial House Law that restrict succession to male heirs and let princesses keep their royal status after marrying commoners, according to AP News. The legislation, championed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was introduced amid concerns that only three male heirs remain in the imperial line. Critics argued that allowing women to inherit the throne could alleviate the succession crisis, as reported by CNN.
The lower house passed the amendments, which also permit the adoption of distant male relatives, and the upper house later gave its consent, according to AP News and NPR. The final law maintains male-only succession while granting princesses the right to remain members of the imperial family after marriage, PBS noted.
