TOKYO: The Cabinet’s approval on Tuesday of a bill to amend the Imperial House Law has sparked strong backlash from some opposition parties, which criticise the bill for wading into the sensitive issue of Imperial succession.
The opposition parties have sharply criticised the bill, calling it “content that has not been discussed between the ruling and opposition camps.” With these parties currently boycotting Diet deliberations amid clashes with the ruling coalition, prospects for the bill’s passage remain uncertain.
‘Current provisions apply’
“The bill includes provisions that were left out of proposals by the heads and vice heads of both chambers,” Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Masayo Tanabu told reporters on Tuesday (June 30), venting her frustration following the Cabinet approval of the bill. “It is a far cry from the will of the legislature.”
What Tanabu found problematic was the bill explicitly stating that male descendants born to an adopted family member would hold the right to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne. This relates to a proposed system allowing male descendants in the male line of former Imperial branches to be adopted back into the Imperial family.
During prior cross-party discussions that formed the basis of the bill, lawmakers had intentionally set aside the divisive issue of Imperial succession to focus exclusively on maintaining the number of Imperial family members. Tanabu said that “matters that had not been fully debated were suddenly inserted.”
In response, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara defended the government’s stance during a press conference on Tuesday. Kihara said: “The proposals compiled by the head and vice heads of both chambers of the Diet made no mention of children of adopted members. Therefore, the existing provisions of the Imperial House Law must apply.”
A government official involved in drafting the bill said, “The system would be incomplete unless we determine how to handle this within the framework of the current system.”
However, some opposition lawmakers view the move as aligned with the Liberal Democratic Party’s strong emphasis on preserving male-line, male-only succession, sharpening their criticism of the government’s approach as a “sneak attack.”
While Komeito supports the adoption system itself, the party has struck a cautious note. “We cannot move forward with deliberations unless the will of legislature is established,” said Masaaki Taniai, leader of Komeito’s caucus in the House of Councillors.
Hirofumi Ryu, head of the Centrist Reform Alliance’s panel on stable Imperial succession, also voiced criticism, noting that “the issue of Imperial succession had been deferred during the plenary meeting of the ruling and opposition parties.”
Status unchanged
The proposals compiled by the heads and vice heads of both chambers also deferred a specific conclusion on the legal status of the husbands and children of female Imperial family members after their marriage. The approved bill did not include “husbands and children” in the provision that makes commoners Imperial family members, basically clarifying that they would remain commoners.
The CDPJ has stressed the importance of family unity, advocating that Imperial status should be granted to both husbands and children. The CRA had also pushed for a “timely and appropriate response,” effectively putting off a conclusion. Consequently, how these parties handle the bill will be a major focus moving forward.
The drafting of the bill was spearheaded by the Cabinet Secretariat’s office for preparing the amendment of the Imperial House Law, led by Shigetaka Yamazaki, Special Advisor to the Cabinet Secretariat. Yamazaki, a former official of the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, is well-versed in the Imperial system and was involved in drafting the 2017 special law that enabled the abdication of the then Emperor.
The will of the legislature showed some consideration for the opposition parties, such as setting the age condition for adoption to “an age that takes the individual’s own will into account.” However, a senior LDP official noted that “the detailed institutional design was ultimately left to the government,” leading to criticism that “the LDP’s perspective became heavily reflected” during the bill-drafting process.
When the special law on abdication was enacted in 2017, it passed with support from all parties and parliamentary groups in the House of Councillors, except for the then Liberal Party. In contrast, only seven out of the 13 political parties and parliamentary groups holding seats in the Diet endorsed the contents of the proposals compiled by the heads and vice heads of both chambers.
“Originally, all possibilities should have been debated without limiting the focus to male-line males, but the approach taken by the government and ruling parties is one-sided,” said Yuji Otabe, a professor emeritus at Shizuoka University of Welfare and an expert on the Imperial system. “Since this concerns the nature of the Emperor as the symbol of the state, the matter should be more carefully deliberated.” - The Japan News/ANN
