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Succession to the Japanese throne

May 01, 2024

The current line of succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne is based on the Imperial Household Law. At present, only direct male-line males are allowed to ascend the throne.

Current line of succession edit

The list below contains all people currently eligible to succeed to the throne.

History edit

The Imperial House Law of 1889 edit

The Imperial House Law of 1889 was the first Japanese law to regulate the imperial succession. Until October 1947, when it was abolished and replaced with the Imperial Household Law, it defined the succession to the throne under the principle of agnatic primogeniture.

In all instances, the succession proceeded from the eldest male heir to the youngest (Ch. I: Article 3). In the majority of cases, the legitimate sons and male heirs of an emperor were favoured over those born to concubines. Illegitimate sons would only be eligible to succeed if no other male heirs existed in the direct line; however, the illegitimate sons of an emperor had precedence over any legitimate brothers of the emperor (Ch. I: Article 4). Those in the line of succession suffering from "incurable diseases of mind or body," or when "any other weighty cause exists," could be passed over with the advice of the Imperial Family Council, headed by the emperor, and after consulting the Privy Council (Ch. I: Article 9).[1]

On 11 February 1907, an amendment was made to the Imperial House Law to reduce the numbers of imperial princes in the shinnōke and ōke, the cadet branches of the imperial family, who were fifth– or sixth-generation descendants of an emperor. The amendment provided for princes to leave the imperial family, either by imperial decree or by imperial sanction. They were then granted a family name and assumed the status of nobles with the peerage titles of marquis or count, thereby becoming subjects (Article I). Alternatively, a prince could be formally adopted into a noble family or succeed to the headship of an imperial family line as a noble (Article II). Under the terms of the amendment, those former princes and their descendants who left the imperial family were excluded from the line of succession and made ineligible to return to the imperial family at any future date (Article VI).[2][3]

Historic line of succession according to the Imperial House Law of 1889 (as of October 1947) edit

As of October 14, 1947, when the Imperial Household Law abolished the shinnōke (Princely Houses of the Blood) and ōke (Princely Houses) cadet branches, the immediate line of succession to the Japanese throne was as follows:

Prior to this date, the imperial succession was defined by the Imperial House Law of 1889. As the Taishō Emperor had no brothers, if the main family line had become extinct, the imperial line would have continued through the Fushimi-no-miya shinnōke cadet branch under the terms of the 1889 house law. The Fushimi-no-miya house constitute the nearest direct-male line of imperial descendants; the princes of this branch were descended from Prince Fushimi Kuniie (1802–1872), a 12th-generation descendant of the Northern Court pretender "Emperor" Sukō, who was himself the grandson of the 93rd emperor Go-Fushimi. Prince Fushimi Kuniie had 17 sons, 3 of which were by the prince's wife Princess Takatsukasa Hiroko (including his future heirs, Prince Sadanori and Prince Fushimi Sadanaru) and the rest were all by various concubines, of whom five begat ōke that were extant as of 1947. A 1907 amendment to the Imperial House Law further reduced the number of imperial princes eligible to succeed to the throne. By the amended 1889 house law, the imperial line of succession continued as follows:

[bold - currently extant branches. Death dates given for the last living heads of extinct branches.]

Cadet Branches before October 14, 1947 edit

Extant Cadet Branches edit

Includes individuals' possible positions in the line of succession were the cadet branches to be reinstated. All princes born before October 14, 1947, lost their titles from that date.

The Nashimoto collateral branch became extinct in 1951, followed by the Yamashina in 1987, the Kan'in in 1988, and the Kitashirakawa in 2018.[4] The main Fushimi-no-miya line and the Kaya, Kuni, Asaka, Higashikuni, and Takeda collateral branches remain extant, though the present head of the Fushimi-no-miya family lacks a male heir to continue his lineage.[5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Shōwa period succession debates and controversies edit

Debate over the imperial succession was first raised in the late 1920s, after the Shōwa Emperor's accession. For the first eight years of their marriage, the emperor and empress only had girls; as a result, the emperor's younger brother, Prince Chichibu, remained first in line and heir presumptive to the throne until the birth of Crown Prince Akihito in December 1933. As a career military officer and known nationalist with radical leanings, the prince enjoyed close relations with the rightist faction in the military. During the early 1930s, his strong support for the "Imperial Way" faction in the army was an open secret; he cultivated strong friendships with several junior officers who were later instrumental in leading the revolt during the February 26 Incident.[10]

A large number of "Imperial Way" followers in the military were critical of the emperor for his scientific interests, self-effacing demeanour and presumed pacifism, considering him a "mediocre" individual easily manipulated by corrupt advisors. With his political leanings, Prince Chichibu antagonized his elder brother, who strongly reprimanded him on several occasions and arranged for his posting to unimportant positions where he could be more closely watched. Apart from Prince Chichibu, the February 26 rebels relied on the tacit support of Princes Asaka and Higashikuni, both senior army generals and imperial princes who were leaders within the "Imperial Way" faction and had close ties to prominent rightist groups.[11] If the emperor had either died or had been compelled to abdicate, Prince Chichibu would have received strong support from the rightists as the regent for Crown Prince Akihito; however, he was reported to have distanced himself from the "Imperial Way" officers following the suppression of the February 26 revolt. Still, in 1938, Prince Saionji expressed his worry that Prince Chichibu might someday usurp the throne by violent means.[12] By October 1940, however, Prince Chichibu had become seriously ill with pulmonary tuberculosis, and led a retired life from then on. He was quietly passed over in the line of succession in favour of his brother Prince Takamatsu, who began to undertake more official duties. In an emergency, Prince Takamatsu was intended to assume the regency for his nephew the Crown Prince.[9]

In July 1944, though the hopelessness of Japan's war effort became clear after the loss of Saipan, the emperor persisted in defending Prime Minister Tojo and his government and refused to dismiss him. Recognising the emperor's continued obstructiveness would lead to certain defeat, Marquess Kido Koichi, the Lord Privy Seal, quietly consulted with Konoe Fumimaro and the emperor's uncle General Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko about the possibility of forcing the emperor to abdicate in favour of his son the Crown Prince, and declaring a regency with Prince Takamatsu as regent. On 8 July, the decision was formally taken, with Prince Takamatsu endorsing it several days later. By this plan, Prince Higashikuni would replace Tojo as prime minister and attempt to negotiate a settlement with the Allies. However, the plan was ultimately dismissed as being too risky. Konoe had informed Kido of rumours that if such a situation were to arise, radicals in the military would stage a coup and take the emperor to Manchuria, still considered a safe location for a government, or replace him on the throne with a more militant imperial prince. In the event, Kido and Konoe used the influence of Prince Takamatsu and his uncles the Princes Asaka and Higashikuni to pressure the emperor to ask for Tojo's resignation; this strategy proved successful, and Tojo resigned his posts on 18 July.[13]

Current succession rules edit

Article 2 of the Constitution of Japan provides that "The Imperial Throne shall be dynastic and succeeded to in accordance with the Imperial Household Law passed by the Diet." The Imperial Household Law of 1947 enacted by the 92nd and last session of the Imperial Diet, retained the exclusion on female dynasts found in the 1889 law. The government of Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida cobbled together the legislation to bring the Imperial House in compliance with the American-written Constitution of Japan that went into effect in May 1947.[citation needed] In an effort to control the size of the imperial family, the law stipulates that only legitimate male descendants in the male line can be dynasts; that naishinnō (imperial princesses) and joō (princesses) lose their status as imperial family-members if they marry outside the imperial family; that shinnō (imperial princes), other than the crown prince, ō (princes), unmarried imperial princesses and princesses, and the widows of imperial princes and princes may, upon their own request or in the event of special circumstances, renounce their membership in the imperial family with approval of the Imperial House Council; and that the Emperor and other members of the imperial family may not adopt children.

For an imperial abdication to take place, such as the one that took place in April 2019, it requires special legislation and cannot be explicitly expressed by the monarch himself.

Heisei/Reiwa period succession crisis edit

Further information: Japanese imperial succession debate

Before September 2006, there was a potential succession crisis since no male child had been born into the imperial family since Prince Akishino in 1965. Following the birth of Princess Aiko, there was significant public debate about amending the Imperial House Law to allow female descendants of an emperor and their descendants to succeed to the throne. In January 2005, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi appointed a special panel of judges, university professors, and civil servants to study changes to the Imperial House Law and to make recommendations to the government.

On January 24, 2005, the Japanese government announced that it would consider allowing the Crown Prince and Crown Princess to adopt a male child, in order to avoid a possible succession disputes. Adoption from other male-line branches of the Imperial Line is an age-old imperial Japanese tradition for dynastic purposes, prohibited only in modern times after the adoption in 1947 of the American-written Constitution of Japan. The child would presumably be adopted from one of the former imperial branches which lost imperial status after World War II. However, a government-appointed panel of experts submitted a report on November 24, 2005, recommending that the imperial succession law be amended to permit absolute primogeniture.[14] The birth of Prince Hisahito temporarily relieved this discussion of urgency, but it continues to be a subject of debate.

Proposed changes to succession rules edit

As above, the liberal wing of the Diet of Japan has proposed absolute primogeniture, which would permit the women of the existing imperial household to serve as empress as well as produce heirs. Prince Tomohito of Mikasa opposed the introduction of absolute primogeniture, as have several Japanese lawmakers.[15]

The conservative wing of the Diet has proposed un-abolishing the Fushimi-no-miya and its branch lines, the Ōke. The Ōke are descended by a direct-male line from Emperor Sukō, who died in 1398. The Ōke families have not been considered aristocrats since 1947 and their descendants are engaged in various private business and media concerns. Notably, the far-right YouTuber Takeda Tsuneyasu [jp], whose YouTube account was terminated in 2018 for hate speech violations, is a male-line heir to the Takeda-no-miya as a nephew of the current head.[16]

A 2005 poll found that 71% of the Japanese public believe the imperial family should have input on the succession problem.[17]

In November 2020, it was recommended that the discussion be shelved until Prince Hisahito himself becomes an adult and begins producing offspring,[18] this proposition has been criticized as possibly delaying the debate until the women of the imperial house would be too old to have children, as getting married removes them from the imperial house,[18] however such a law may retroactively bring princesses back into the family and resolve this problem.

In September 2021, it was considered to amend the Imperial Household Law and allow the 85-year-old Prince Hitachi to adopt a male member of the collateral branches of the imperial family.[19]

Public opinion edit

The results of various polls and surveys in recent years have shown consistent high levels of support for reigning empresses. According to a 2005 poll, 85% of the Japanese support reigning empresses, 71% support matrilineal emperors and 54% support absolute primogeniture.[20]

Polls in more recent years have shown overwhelming support, 76% in an Asahi Shimbun poll (2018), 92% in a NHK survey (2018) and 82%, 85% and 87% in Kyodo News polls from 2018, 2019, and 2021, respectively.[21][22][23]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Potentially ineligible to succeed by the terms of the 1947 Imperial House Law.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Potentially ineligible to succeed by the terms of the 1889 Imperial House Law.

References edit

  1. ^ p. 1235, "The Imperial House Law - Chapter 1: Succession to the Imperial Throne," Japan Year Book 1933, Kenkyusha Press, Foreign Association of Japan, Tokyo
  2. ^ pg. 143-144, "Leaders and Leadership In Japan," Japan Library, Curzon Press Ltd., Richmond, 1996
  3. ^ p. 1239, "The Imperial House Law - A Supplement to the Imperial House Law (February 11, 1907)," Japan Year Book 1933, Kenkyusha Press, Foreign Association of Japan, Tokyo
  4. ^ [Former Imperial family member Kitashirakawa Michihisa dies] (in Japanese). 23 October 2018. Archived from the original on 22 October 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  5. ^ p. 2-5, "Japanese Royalty" Japan Year Book 1939, Kenkyusha Press, Foreign Association of Japan, Tokyo
  6. ^ Genealogy of the House of Fushimi
  7. ^
  8. ^ "House of Fushimi" (jp)
  9. ^ a b Bix, Herbert P. (2001). Hirohito and the making of modern Japan (Book) (1st Perennial ed.). New York: Perennial. pp. 382–383. ISBN 978-0060931308.
  10. ^ Shillony, Ben-Ami (1998). ""The February 26 Affair: Politics of a Military Insurrection"". In Large, Stephen S. (ed.). Shōwa Japan, political, economic and social history, 1926-1989: Volume I. Routledge. pp. 90–92. ISBN 0-415-14320-9.
  11. ^ Shillony, Ben-Ami (1998). ""The February 26 Affair: Politics of a Military Insurrection"". In Large, Stephen S. (ed.). Shōwa Japan, political, economic and social history, 1926-1989: Volume I. Routledge. pp. 90–92. ISBN 0-415-14320-9.
  12. ^ Bix, Herbert P. (2001). Hirohito and the making of modern Japan (Book) (1st Perennial ed.). New York: Perennial. pp. 283–284. ISBN 978-0060931308.
  13. ^ Large, Stephen S. (1992). Emperor Hirohito and Shōwa Japan; a political biography (Book) (1st ed.). New York: Routledge. pp. 118–119. ISBN 0-415-03203-2.
  14. ^ "Japan Panel Backs the Idea of a Woman on the Throne". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. 25 November 2005. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  15. ^ Rally against Japan royals change
  16. ^ "動画の保守系チャンネル相次ぎ閉鎖 「言論人の暗殺だ」作家・竹田恒泰氏が激怒 左派系ネットユーザーが監視か （1/2ページ）". ZAKZAK. Sankei Shinbun. 2020-07-04.
  17. ^ JNN世論調査（2005年1月15、16日）
  18. ^ a b "Japan may shelve imperial succession decision despite calls from the Diet". The Japan Times. 8 November 2020.
  19. ^ Parry, Richard Lloyd (September 6, 2021). "Adopted sons tipped to stave off Japan's imperial succession crisis". The Times. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  20. ^ . 2005-12-15. Archived from the original on 15 December 2005. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
  21. ^ "愛子さま成人で動き出す女性天皇議論 岸田首相が実現に舵を切る可能性（NEWSポストセブン）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-12-05.
  22. ^ "英メール紙、愛子さまのティアラ問題など大特集 「女性天皇論」にも言及（日刊スポーツ）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-12-05.
  23. ^ "「女性天皇になるか主婦になるか」引き裂かれ続けた愛子さまの20年（プレジデントオンライン）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-12-05.

May 01, 2024
succession, japanese, throne, current, line, succession, chrysanthemum, throne, based, imperial, household, present, only, direct, male, line, males, allowed, ascend, throne, contents, current, line, succession, history, imperial, house, 1889, historic, line, . The current line of succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne is based on the Imperial Household Law At present only direct male line males are allowed to ascend the throne Contents 1 Current line of succession 2 History 2 1 The Imperial House Law of 1889 3 Historic line of succession according to the Imperial House Law of 1889 as of October 1947 3 1 Cadet Branches before October 14 1947 3 2 Extant Cadet Branches 3 3 Shōwa period succession debates and controversies 4 Current succession rules 5 Heisei Reiwa period succession crisis 5 1 Proposed changes to succession rules 5 2 Public opinion 6 Notes 7 ReferencesCurrent line of succession editThe list below contains all people currently eligible to succeed to the throne nbsp Emperor Shōwa 1901 1989 nbsp Emperor Akihito b 1933 nbsp Emperor Naruhito b 1960 1 Fumihito Crown Prince Akishino b 1965 2 Prince Hisahito of Akishino b 2006 3 Masahito Prince Hitachi b 1935 History editThe Imperial House Law of 1889 edit The Imperial House Law of 1889 was the first Japanese law to regulate the imperial succession Until October 1947 when it was abolished and replaced with the Imperial Household Law it defined the succession to the throne under the principle of agnatic primogeniture In all instances the succession proceeded from the eldest male heir to the youngest Ch I Article 3 In the majority of cases the legitimate sons and male heirs of an emperor were favoured over those born to concubines Illegitimate sons would only be eligible to succeed if no other male heirs existed in the direct line however the illegitimate sons of an emperor had precedence over any legitimate brothers of the emperor Ch I Article 4 Those in the line of succession suffering from incurable diseases of mind or body or when any other weighty cause exists could be passed over with the advice of the Imperial Family Council headed by the emperor and after consulting the Privy Council Ch I Article 9 1 On 11 February 1907 an amendment was made to the Imperial House Law to reduce the numbers of imperial princes in the shinnōke and ōke the cadet branches of the imperial family who were fifth or sixth generation descendants of an emperor The amendment provided for princes to leave the imperial family either by imperial decree or by imperial sanction They were then granted a family name and assumed the status of nobles with the peerage titles of marquis or count thereby becoming subjects Article I Alternatively a prince could be formally adopted into a noble family or succeed to the headship of an imperial family line as a noble Article II Under the terms of the amendment those former princes and their descendants who left the imperial family were excluded from the line of succession and made ineligible to return to the imperial family at any future date Article VI 2 3 Historic line of succession according to the Imperial House Law of 1889 as of October 1947 editAs of October 14 1947 when the Imperial Household Law abolished the shinnōke Princely Houses of the Blood and ōke Princely Houses cadet branches the immediate line of succession to the Japanese throne was as follows nbsp Emperor Taishō Yoshihito 1879 1926 nbsp The Emperor Hirohito born 1901 1 The Prince Tsugu Akihito b 1933 2 The Prince Yoshi Masahito b 1935 3 The Prince Chichibu Yasuhito b 1902 note 1 4 The Prince Takamatsu Nobuhito b 1905 5 The Prince Mikasa Takahito b 1915 6 Prince Tomohito of Mikasa b 1946 Prior to this date the imperial succession was defined by the Imperial House Law of 1889 As the Taishō Emperor had no brothers if the main family line had become extinct the imperial line would have continued through the Fushimi no miya shinnōke cadet branch under the terms of the 1889 house law The Fushimi no miya house constitute the nearest direct male line of imperial descendants the princes of this branch were descended from Prince Fushimi Kuniie 1802 1872 a 12th generation descendant of the Northern Court pretender Emperor Sukō who was himself the grandson of the 93rd emperor Go Fushimi Prince Fushimi Kuniie had 17 sons 3 of which were by the prince s wife Princess Takatsukasa Hiroko including his future heirs Prince Sadanori and Prince Fushimi Sadanaru and the rest were all by various concubines of whom five begat ōke that were extant as of 1947 A 1907 amendment to the Imperial House Law further reduced the number of imperial princes eligible to succeed to the throne By the amended 1889 house law the imperial line of succession continued as follows bold currently extant branches Death dates given for the last living heads of extinct branches Cadet Branches before October 14 1947 edit Prince Fushimi Kuniie 1802 1872 Fushimi no miya Prince Fushimi Sadanaru 1858 1923 Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu 1875 1946 Prince Fushimi Hiroyoshi 1897 1938 7 Prince Fushimi Hiroaki b 1932 Prince Yamashina Akira 1816 1891 Yamashina no miya Prince Yamashina Kikumaro 1873 1908 8 Prince Yamashina Takehiko 1898 1987 note 2 Prince Kuni Asahiko 1824 1891 Kuni no miya Prince Kaya Kuninori 1867 1909 Kaya no miya 9 Prince Kaya Tsunenori b 1900 10 Prince Kaya Kuninaga b 1922 11 Prince Kaya Harunori b 1926 12 Prince Kaya Akinori b 1929 13 Prince Kaya Fuminori b 1931 14 Prince Kaya Munenori b 1935 15 Prince Kaya Takenori b 1942 Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi 1873 1929 16 Prince Kuni Asaakira b 1901 17 Prince Kuni Kuniaki b 1929 18 Prince Kuni Asatake b 1940 19 Prince Kuni Asahiro b 1944 20 Prince Nashimoto Morimasa 1874 1951 Nashimoto no miya note 2 21 Prince Asaka Yasuhiko b 1887 Asaka no miya note 2 22 Prince Asaka Takehiko b 1912 23 Prince Asaka Tomohiko b 1943 24 Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko b 1887 Higashikuni no miya note 2 25 Prince Higashikuni Morihiro b 1916 26 Prince Higashikuni Nobuhiko b 1945 Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa 1847 1895 Kitashirakawa no miya Prince Kitashirakawa Naruhisa 1887 1923 Prince Kitashirakawa Nagahisa 1910 1940 27 Prince Kitashirakawa Michihisa 1937 2018 Prince Takeda Tsunehisa 1882 1919 Takeda no miya 28 Prince Takeda Tsuneyoshi b 1909 note 2 29 Prince Takeda Tsunetada b 1940 30 Prince Takeda Tsuneharu b 1944 Prince Kan in Kotohito 1865 1945 Kan in no miya 31 Prince Kan in Haruhito 1902 1988 note 2 Extant Cadet Branches edit Includes individuals possible positions in the line of succession were the cadet branches to be reinstated All princes born before October 14 1947 lost their titles from that date Prince Fushimi Kuniie 1802 1872 Fushimi no miya Prince Fushimi Sadanaru 1858 1923 Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu 1875 1946 Prince Fushimi Hiroyoshi 1897 1938 4 Prince Fushimi Hiroaki b 1932 Prince Kuni Asahiko 1824 1891 Kuni no miya Prince Kaya Kuninori 1867 1909 Kaya no miya Prince Kaya Tsunenori 1900 1959 Prince Kaya Akinori 1929 1994 5 Kaya Masanori b 1959 6 Kaya Hidenori b 1996 7 Unknown second son of Kaya Masanori b 1998 Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi 1873 1929 Prince Kuni Asaakira 1901 1959 8 Prince Kuni Kuniaki b 1929 9 Kuni Asataka b 1959 10 Kuni Kuniharu b 1961 11 Prince Kuni Asatake b 1940 12 Kuni Asatoshi b 1971 13 Unknown son of Kuni Asatoshi b 2015 14 Prince Kuni Asahiro b 1944 Prince Asaka Yasuhiko 1887 1981 Asaka no miya Prince Asaka Takehiko 1912 1994 15 Prince Asaka Tomohiko b 1943 16 Asaka Akihiko b 1972 Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko 1887 1990 Higashikuni no miya Prince Higashikuni Morihiro 1916 1969 Prince Higashikuni Nobuhiko 1945 2019 17 Higashikuni Masahiko b 1974 18 Unknown first son of Higashikuni Masahiko b 2010 19 Unknown second son of Higashikuni Masahiko b 2014 20 Higashikuni Naohiko b 1953 21 Higashikuni Teruhiko b 1979 22 Unknown son of Higashikuni Teruhiko b 2004 23 Higashikuni Mutsuhiko b 1980 24 Unknown son of Higashikuni Mutsuhiko b 2012 25 Higashikuni Morihiko b 1967 Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa 1847 1895 Kitashirakawa no miya Prince Takeda Tsunehisa 1882 1919 Takeda no miya Prince Takeda Tsuneyoshi 1909 1992 26 Prince Takeda Tsunetada b 1940 27 Takeda Tsunetaka born 1974 28 Prince Takeda Tsuneharu b 1944 29 Takeda Tsuneaki b 1979 30 Takeda Tsunetomo b 1980 31 Takeda Tsunekazu b 1947 32 Takeda Tsuneyasu jp b 1975 33 Takeda Tsuneyoshi b 1978 The Nashimoto collateral branch became extinct in 1951 followed by the Yamashina in 1987 the Kan in in 1988 and the Kitashirakawa in 2018 4 The main Fushimi no miya line and the Kaya Kuni Asaka Higashikuni and Takeda collateral branches remain extant though the present head of the Fushimi no miya family lacks a male heir to continue his lineage 5 6 7 8 9 Shōwa period succession debates and controversies edit Debate over the imperial succession was first raised in the late 1920s after the Shōwa Emperor s accession For the first eight years of their marriage the emperor and empress only had girls as a result the emperor s younger brother Prince Chichibu remained first in line and heir presumptive to the throne until the birth of Crown Prince Akihito in December 1933 As a career military officer and known nationalist with radical leanings the prince enjoyed close relations with the rightist faction in the military During the early 1930s his strong support for the Imperial Way faction in the army was an open secret he cultivated strong friendships with several junior officers who were later instrumental in leading the revolt during the February 26 Incident 10 A large number of Imperial Way followers in the military were critical of the emperor for his scientific interests self effacing demeanour and presumed pacifism considering him a mediocre individual easily manipulated by corrupt advisors With his political leanings Prince Chichibu antagonized his elder brother who strongly reprimanded him on several occasions and arranged for his posting to unimportant positions where he could be more closely watched Apart from Prince Chichibu the February 26 rebels relied on the tacit support of Princes Asaka and Higashikuni both senior army generals and imperial princes who were leaders within the Imperial Way faction and had close ties to prominent rightist groups 11 If the emperor had either died or had been compelled to abdicate Prince Chichibu would have received strong support from the rightists as the regent for Crown Prince Akihito however he was reported to have distanced himself from the Imperial Way officers following the suppression of the February 26 revolt Still in 1938 Prince Saionji expressed his worry that Prince Chichibu might someday usurp the throne by violent means 12 By October 1940 however Prince Chichibu had become seriously ill with pulmonary tuberculosis and led a retired life from then on He was quietly passed over in the line of succession in favour of his brother Prince Takamatsu who began to undertake more official duties In an emergency Prince Takamatsu was intended to assume the regency for his nephew the Crown Prince 9 In July 1944 though the hopelessness of Japan s war effort became clear after the loss of Saipan the emperor persisted in defending Prime Minister Tojo and his government and refused to dismiss him Recognising the emperor s continued obstructiveness would lead to certain defeat Marquess Kido Koichi the Lord Privy Seal quietly consulted with Konoe Fumimaro and the emperor s uncle General Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko about the possibility of forcing the emperor to abdicate in favour of his son the Crown Prince and declaring a regency with Prince Takamatsu as regent On 8 July the decision was formally taken with Prince Takamatsu endorsing it several days later By this plan Prince Higashikuni would replace Tojo as prime minister and attempt to negotiate a settlement with the Allies However the plan was ultimately dismissed as being too risky Konoe had informed Kido of rumours that if such a situation were to arise radicals in the military would stage a coup and take the emperor to Manchuria still considered a safe location for a government or replace him on the throne with a more militant imperial prince In the event Kido and Konoe used the influence of Prince Takamatsu and his uncles the Princes Asaka and Higashikuni to pressure the emperor to ask for Tojo s resignation this strategy proved successful and Tojo resigned his posts on 18 July 13 Current succession rules editArticle 2 of the Constitution of Japan provides that The Imperial Throne shall be dynastic and succeeded to in accordance with the Imperial Household Law passed by the Diet The Imperial Household Law of 1947 enacted by the 92nd and last session of the Imperial Diet retained the exclusion on female dynasts found in the 1889 law The government of Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida cobbled together the legislation to bring the Imperial House in compliance with the American written Constitution of Japan that went into effect in May 1947 citation needed In an effort to control the size of the imperial family the law stipulates that only legitimate male descendants in the male line can be dynasts that naishinnō imperial princesses and joō princesses lose their status as imperial family members if they marry outside the imperial family that shinnō imperial princes other than the crown prince ō princes unmarried imperial princesses and princesses and the widows of imperial princes and princes may upon their own request or in the event of special circumstances renounce their membership in the imperial family with approval of the Imperial House Council and that the Emperor and other members of the imperial family may not adopt children For an imperial abdication to take place such as the one that took place in April 2019 it requires special legislation and cannot be explicitly expressed by the monarch himself Heisei Reiwa period succession crisis editFurther information Japanese imperial succession debate Before September 2006 there was a potential succession crisis since no male child had been born into the imperial family since Prince Akishino in 1965 Following the birth of Princess Aiko there was significant public debate about amending the Imperial House Law to allow female descendants of an emperor and their descendants to succeed to the throne In January 2005 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi appointed a special panel of judges university professors and civil servants to study changes to the Imperial House Law and to make recommendations to the government On January 24 2005 the Japanese government announced that it would consider allowing the Crown Prince and Crown Princess to adopt a male child in order to avoid a possible succession disputes Adoption from other male line branches of the Imperial Line is an age old imperial Japanese tradition for dynastic purposes prohibited only in modern times after the adoption in 1947 of the American written Constitution of Japan The child would presumably be adopted from one of the former imperial branches which lost imperial status after World War II However a government appointed panel of experts submitted a report on November 24 2005 recommending that the imperial succession law be amended to permit absolute primogeniture 14 The birth of Prince Hisahito temporarily relieved this discussion of urgency but it continues to be a subject of debate Proposed changes to succession rules edit As above the liberal wing of the Diet of Japan has proposed absolute primogeniture which would permit the women of the existing imperial household to serve as empress as well as produce heirs Prince Tomohito of Mikasa opposed the introduction of absolute primogeniture as have several Japanese lawmakers 15 The conservative wing of the Diet has proposed un abolishing the Fushimi no miya and its branch lines the Ōke The Ōke are descended by a direct male line from Emperor Sukō who died in 1398 The Ōke families have not been considered aristocrats since 1947 and their descendants are engaged in various private business and media concerns Notably the far right YouTuber Takeda Tsuneyasu jp whose YouTube account was terminated in 2018 for hate speech violations is a male line heir to the Takeda no miya as a nephew of the current head 16 A 2005 poll found that 71 of the Japanese public believe the imperial family should have input on the succession problem 17 In November 2020 it was recommended that the discussion be shelved until Prince Hisahito himself becomes an adult and begins producing offspring 18 this proposition has been criticized as possibly delaying the debate until the women of the imperial house would be too old to have children as getting married removes them from the imperial house 18 however such a law may retroactively bring princesses back into the family and resolve this problem In September 2021 it was considered to amend the Imperial Household Law and allow the 85 year old Prince Hitachi to adopt a male member of the collateral branches of the imperial family 19 Public opinion edit The results of various polls and surveys in recent years have shown consistent high levels of support for reigning empresses According to a 2005 poll 85 of the Japanese support reigning empresses 71 support matrilineal emperors and 54 support absolute primogeniture 20 Polls in more recent years have shown overwhelming support 76 in an Asahi Shimbun poll 2018 92 in a NHK survey 2018 and 82 85 and 87 in Kyodo News polls from 2018 2019 and 2021 respectively 21 22 23 Notes edit Potentially ineligible to succeed by the terms of the 1947 Imperial House Law a b c d e f Potentially ineligible to succeed by the terms of the 1889 Imperial House Law References edit p 1235 The Imperial House Law Chapter 1 Succession to the Imperial Throne Japan Year Book 1933 Kenkyusha Press Foreign Association of Japan Tokyo pg 143 144 Leaders and Leadership In Japan Japan Library Curzon Press Ltd Richmond 1996 p 1239 The Imperial House Law A Supplement to the Imperial House Law February 11 1907 Japan Year Book 1933 Kenkyusha Press Foreign Association of Japan Tokyo 元皇族の北白川道久氏死去 Former Imperial family member Kitashirakawa Michihisa dies in Japanese 23 October 2018 Archived from the original on 22 October 2018 Retrieved 29 July 2021 p 2 5 Japanese Royalty Japan Year Book 1939 Kenkyusha Press Foreign Association of Japan Tokyo Genealogy of the House of Fushimi Genealogy of the Fushimi no miya jp House of Fushimi jp a b Bix Herbert P 2001 Hirohito and the making of modern Japan Book 1st Perennial ed New York Perennial pp 382 383 ISBN 978 0060931308 Shillony Ben Ami 1998 The February 26 Affair Politics of a Military Insurrection In Large Stephen S ed Shōwa Japan political economic and social history 1926 1989 Volume I Routledge pp 90 92 ISBN 0 415 14320 9 Shillony Ben Ami 1998 The February 26 Affair Politics of a Military Insurrection In Large Stephen S ed Shōwa Japan political economic and social history 1926 1989 Volume I Routledge pp 90 92 ISBN 0 415 14320 9 Bix Herbert P 2001 Hirohito and the making of modern Japan Book 1st Perennial ed New York Perennial pp 283 284 ISBN 978 0060931308 Large Stephen S 1992 Emperor Hirohito and Shōwa Japan a political biography Book 1st ed New York Routledge pp 118 119 ISBN 0 415 03203 2 Japan Panel Backs the Idea of a Woman on the Throne Los Angeles Times Los Angeles California 25 November 2005 Retrieved 28 July 2021 Rally against Japan royals change 動画の保守系チャンネル相次ぎ閉鎖 言論人の暗殺だ 作家 竹田恒泰氏が激怒 左派系ネットユーザーが監視か 1 2ページ ZAKZAK Sankei Shinbun 2020 07 04 JNN世論調査 2005年1月15 16日 a b Japan may shelve imperial succession decision despite calls from the Diet The Japan Times 8 November 2020 Parry Richard Lloyd September 6 2021 Adopted sons tipped to stave off Japan s imperial succession crisis The Times Retrieved September 30 2021 皇室典範調査 ８５ が女性天皇容認 男系維持も２２ 皇室 MSN毎日インタラクティブ 2005 12 15 Archived from the original on 15 December 2005 Retrieved 2021 12 05 愛子さま成人で動き出す女性天皇議論 岸田首相が実現に舵を切る可能性 NEWSポストセブン Yahoo ニュース in Japanese Retrieved 2021 12 05 英メール紙 愛子さまのティアラ問題など大特集 女性天皇論 にも言及 日刊スポーツ Yahoo ニュース in Japanese Retrieved 2021 12 05 女性天皇になるか主婦になるか 引き裂かれ続けた愛子さまの20年 プレジデントオンライン Yahoo ニュース in Japanese Retrieved 2021 12 05 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Succession to the 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