Japan¡¯s parliament has failed to reach common ground on a revision of imperial family norms as a succession crisis looms over the future of the household.
Since last year, Lower House speaker Fukushiro Nukaga, together with his deputy and Upper House counterparts, have tried to muster a bipartisan consensus on the imperial rules ¡ª with no notable success.
For months, Liberal Democratic Party chief adviser Taro Aso and Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda ¡ª two former prime ministers ¡ª met behind the scenes in the hopes of fine-tuning an agreement.
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