In Japan, an issue that ¡°should never be politicized¡± is becoming a political issue. Under current law, only three male members of the imperial family are eligible to succeed to the throne, and the risk that the family could one day cease to exist has begun to seem increasingly real.
For decades, the nation¡¯s government has postponed action. This week, however, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi¡¯s administration approved and submitted a bill to the Diet to revise the Imperial House Law, with the aim of enacting it during the current session and stabilizing the line of succession.
For foreign observers, the debate over amendments to the Imperial House Law may not be easy to understand. From the outside, Japan may appear unchanged regardless of who serves as emperor. After all, in Japan ¡ª a democratic constitutional monarchy ¡ª the emperor, as in other monarchies, is the ¡°symbol of the state and of the unity of the people,¡± a monarch who ¡°reigns but does not rule¡± and holds no political authority. Nevertheless, heated debate is unfolding in Japan with no sign of subsiding.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.