Japan’s Parliament has approved amendments to the Imperial House Law in response to the declining number of male members eligible to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne.
The House of Councillors, the upper chamber of Japan’s Parliament, approved the legislation after it had previously passed the House of Representatives.
Under the comprehensive revision to the Imperial House Law, male descendants aged 15 and older from former branches of the imperial family that previously lost their imperial status may now be adopted into the current imperial family.
The amendment is intended to help maintain the continuity and stability of the Imperial Household by increasing the number of eligible male members within the imperial family.