Japan Is Running Out of Royals. Are More Men the Answer?

Article excerpt

Japan's parliament is considering a proposal to allow the imperial family to adopt distant male relatives, a move aimed at securing the succession after decades of declining births among royals. The plan reflects deep anxiety about the future of the world's oldest monarchy: only two male heirs remain in line after the current emperor and his son. Yet the debate has revived a long-simmering question in Japanese society: why not simply allow women to ascend the throne? The adoption strategy would preserve the male-only succession rule that has governed the imperial family for centuries, but critics argue it sidesteps a more straightforward solution that public opinion increasingly favors.