Reform to allow a female emperor, or an emperor descended from the female line of the royal family, has ground to a halt. This is despite overwhelming public support for a change.
Japan’s new Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako make their first public appearance to at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan, May 4, 2019.
EPA-EFE/Franck Robichon
History tells us there were eight women who ruled as empresses of Japan, but since reforms of the constitution in 1947, only a man can inherit the throne.
Japan’s Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako at their residence Togu Palace in Tokyo, Feb. 17, 2019.
Imperial Household Agency of Japan/Handout via Reuters
Japan’s 86-year-old Emperor Akihito abdicates on April 30 — an exceedingly rare event for this ancient monarchy. Can his son, Prince Naruhito, give Japan’s royal family a modern makeover?