Tokyo International News Agency

Amid recent revisions to the Imperial House Law, concerns and diverse opinions have emerged from various quarters, suggesting that "public understanding"—the foundation of the symbolic Emperor system—is being shaken. The true meaning of the words "public understanding," which His Majesty the Emperor has long sought, and the political movements surrounding it have sparked major discussions on social media. According to reports, regarding the government and ruling party's amendment procedures and legislative advancement, aides have leaked criticisms such as "it was pushed through too hastily" and voiced doubts about whether sufficient debate and national consensus-building are lacking. While opinion polls show high support for accepting a reigning empress, the swift passage of an amendment prioritizing the preservation of the imperial lineage through the traditional male-only line has drawn successive critical comments on social media. Public perception ...

A recent public opinion poll has revealed a sharp decline in the approval rating for the cabinet of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, with the disapproval rating exceeding the approval rating for the first time. Approximately six months after a major victory in the House of Representatives election, significant attention is now focused on the future of her administration's governance. A "Reversal" in Approval and Disapproval Ratings According to the latest poll conducted by the Mainichi Shimbun, the approval rating for the Takaichi Cabinet plummeted by 10 percentage points from 51% in the previous survey to 41%. Meanwhile, the disapproval rating rose by 9 percentage points from 35% to 44%, marking the first "reversal" where disapproval outpaced approval since the cabinet's inauguration. A similar trend was observed in a survey by the Asahi Shimbun, where the cabinet's approval rating fell by 7 percentage points to 53%, while the disapproval rating rose by 8...

A recent statement by UN Secretary-General António Guterres regarding the revision of Japan's Imperial House Law has triggered a firestorm of controversy on social media. During a regular press briefing on the 17th, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Farhan Haq stated, in relation to the potential reform of the law, that the UN encourages all countries to adopt inclusive policies that advance women's rights in all statuses and professions. This remark has ignited a fierce, polarized debate online. The context In Japan, the Imperial House Law currently limits imperial succession exclusively to male descendants in the male line. This restriction has sparked long-standing public debate regarding the sustainability of the imperial family, given the declining number of royals and the lack of male heirs in the younger generation. The UN's intervention is seen by some as an attempt to apply international standards of gender equality to a sensitive, deeply traditional in...

On July 17, 2026, the House of Councillors passed and enacted the revised Imperial House Law, aimed at securing a stable number of Imperial family members. Since its enforcement in 1947, this marks the first time the law's main provisions have undergone a substantive amendment. With this revision, debates over imperial succession and the role of the Imperial family have entered a new phase. The two major pillars of this amendment are as follows. First, female members of the Imperial family are now permitted to retain their imperial status even after marriage—an option previously unavailable to them. While this expands the choices for female members, they still retain the option to leave the Imperial family upon marriage if they wish. Second, the law now allows the adoption of male descendants in the male line from the 11 former princely branches (known as kyu-miyake ) into the Imperial family. Furthermore, a new system has been established to grant future imperial succession rights...