There have been only eight female monarchs. The last was Empress Gosakuramachi, who ruled from 1762 to 1770.
Japan's parliament has enacted a controversial, male-only succession rule, ensuring that Princess Aiko, the popular daughter of Emperor Naruhito, cannot inherit the throne and solidifying a patriarchal, 19th-century law. Critics, including feminist scholars, condemn the move as a prioritization of tradition over the viability of a shrinking imperial family, effectively treating royal women as "childbearing machines" to ensure male lineage.
TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s parliament on Friday enacted a historic revision to the 19th-century Imperial House Law, reaffirming that only men in the paternal line can ascend to the throne, a move critics warn could hasten the decline of the already shrinking imperial family.
The revisions, which take effect immediately, permit the adoption of distant male relatives to father future heirs and allow princesses to retain their royal status—though not their succession rights—if they marry commoners.
Japan's Princess Aiko, daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, attends the Spring Imperial Garden Party at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo, Japan, April 17 2026. Photo by Franck Robichon/Pool via Reuterss
The changes come as the imperial family faces demographic pressures, with only five of its 16 adult members being men and no children among them. Emperor Naruhito’s 24-year-old daughter, Princess Aiko, remains ineligible to succeed him due to the male-only rule. Instead, the line passes to his younger brother, Crown Prince Akishino, and then to Akishino’s 19-year-old son, Prince Hisahito. After them, the next in line is Naruhito’s 90-year-old uncle.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a conservative, defended the measure, stating that the male bloodline is “the only source of the emperor’s authority and legitimacy.” She called the enactment “deeply moving.”
The revised law also allows the adoption of unmarried male descendants, aged 15 or older, from distant imperial branch families—but only those tracing their lineage through the paternal line. This provision has drawn criticism, with some questioning the feasibility of persuading former royals to re-enter a strictly regulated family life.
Feminist scholar Chizuko Ueno condemned the move as patriarchal, arguing that it treats male royals as “stallions” and female royals as “childbearing machines.” The changes follow decades of debate, including a 2005 proposal to allow female succession, which was abandoned after Hisahito’s birth.
The law also permits five single princesses, including Aiko and her popular cousin Princess Kako, to retain their royal status and duties if they marry commoners, though their spouses and children would not be considered royals. Princess Mako, Aiko’s cousin, renounced her royal status in 2021 to marry a commoner, a decision seen by some as an escape from the imperial family’s rigid constraints.
Japan's Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako wave to well-wishers next to Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko, during a public appearance for New Year celebrations at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan Jan. 2, 2026. Photo by Issei Kato/Reuters
Historians and royal watchers argue the current system is unsustainable in a rapidly aging Japan, where the monarchy has relied historically on concubines to produce male heirs. The new law reinforces a tradition dating back to the 1890 Imperial House Law, which codified male-only succession during Japan’s promotion of patriarchal systems.
Critics say the revisions risk undermining the legacy of Emperor Akihito, who abdicated in 2019 and sought to modernize the monarchy by connecting it more closely to the public. Naruhito has also signaled discomfort with the changes, stating in June that discussions should aim for conclusions “that will gain the understanding of the people.”
In a separate move, Japan on Friday also enacted a controversial law prohibiting the desecration of its national flag, a right-wing agenda item championed by Takaichi. Opponents view the law as an attempt to suppress criticism of the government.
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