mandyy
Heir Presumptive
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Tuesday May 31, 9:45 PM
Panel members on imperial succession hear opinions from experts
(Kyodo) _ A government panel on imperial succession heard opinions Tuesday from four experts on the imperial system as part of the process of compiling a report, possibly by this fall, on whether to allow a female to ascend the Imperial throne.
Four experts presented their views in front of reporters as well as panel members in order to address ways to ensure what the panel calls "a stable imperial succession."
The four are among eight experts chosen by the advisory panel, consisting of 10 members. The remaining four will meet the panel on June 8 to express their views.
A focus of attention is whether to revise the 1947 Imperial House Law, which stipulates that only male heirs who have emperors on their father's side can accede to the imperial throne.
Given the fact that no male heir has been born since 1965, the survival of the imperial family is in peril.
The panel wants the experts to present "a wide range of opinions" before compiling the report, Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, a former president of the University of Tokyo who heads the panel, has said.
Two of the four experts who spoke Tuesday proposed maintaining the current imperial succession system.
Yasuo Ohara, a professor at Kokushikan University, and Hidetsugu Yagi, an associate professor at Takasaki City University of Economics, opposed any measures that might break the male line of descent in imperial succession, including allowing a female monarch or succession by heirs who have emperors on their mothers' side.
The remaining two -- Hiroshi Takahashi, a professor at Shizuoka University of Welfare, and Koichi Yokota, a professor at Ryutsu Keizai University -- basically supported a proposal for allowing female monarchs.
Among Japan's 125 emperors, including those known only in legend, there were eight female monarchs -- between the sixth and 18th centuries -- with two of them reigning twice under different names.
But the throne always went back to a male in the male line.
Ohara said panel members should discuss ways to maintain the current succession system -- ensuring only male heirs who have emperors on their fathers' side can accede to the throne -- before entering discussions on allowing female monarchs or allowing a female line of descent.
He proposed families which were divested of imperial status shortly after World War II be returned to imperial status to help secure candidates qualified to ascend the throne.
"We shouldn't easily decide to allow a female monarch. I am concerned about rushing toward a conclusion," he said.
Yagi also said that the male-line succession is Japan's "irreplaceable culture" and that the matter should be discussed with "great caution."
Meanwhile, Takahashi from Shizuoka University of Welfare, proposed a succession system in which precedence is to be given to the royal firstborn regardless of gender, saying such a system is easy to understand for the general public.
Yokota from Ryutsu Keizai University agreed, saying such a system would ensure "stable" imperial succession compared with the present system and would gain support from the public relatively easily.
In the previous May 11 meeting, the panel members were presented four options for allowing a female to ascend the throne, in addition to the present imperial succession system.
One of the four options gives precedence in imperial succession to the emperor's firstborn regardless of gender. In the three other options, males are given precedence to females in ascending the throne.
If the current succession system is changed to give precedence to the royal firstborn regardless of gender, 3-year-old Princess Aiko, the only child of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, will become second in line to the throne after her father.
If precedence to males is stipulated under the revised rule, Princess Aiko will be the seventh in line to the throne, after her father Crown Prince Naruhito, his brother Prince Akishino, the emperor's brother Prince Hitachi and three other male members of the family. The order of the first six heirs in line is the same as stipulated under the current law.
The panel members are to narrow down their discussions on the options after hearing opinions from the experts. The panel members are six academics, a former Supreme Court justice, a business leader, a former deputy chief Cabinet secretary, and a senior government official.
Panel members on imperial succession hear opinions from experts
(Kyodo) _ A government panel on imperial succession heard opinions Tuesday from four experts on the imperial system as part of the process of compiling a report, possibly by this fall, on whether to allow a female to ascend the Imperial throne.
Four experts presented their views in front of reporters as well as panel members in order to address ways to ensure what the panel calls "a stable imperial succession."
The four are among eight experts chosen by the advisory panel, consisting of 10 members. The remaining four will meet the panel on June 8 to express their views.
A focus of attention is whether to revise the 1947 Imperial House Law, which stipulates that only male heirs who have emperors on their father's side can accede to the imperial throne.
Given the fact that no male heir has been born since 1965, the survival of the imperial family is in peril.
The panel wants the experts to present "a wide range of opinions" before compiling the report, Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, a former president of the University of Tokyo who heads the panel, has said.
Two of the four experts who spoke Tuesday proposed maintaining the current imperial succession system.
Yasuo Ohara, a professor at Kokushikan University, and Hidetsugu Yagi, an associate professor at Takasaki City University of Economics, opposed any measures that might break the male line of descent in imperial succession, including allowing a female monarch or succession by heirs who have emperors on their mothers' side.
The remaining two -- Hiroshi Takahashi, a professor at Shizuoka University of Welfare, and Koichi Yokota, a professor at Ryutsu Keizai University -- basically supported a proposal for allowing female monarchs.
Among Japan's 125 emperors, including those known only in legend, there were eight female monarchs -- between the sixth and 18th centuries -- with two of them reigning twice under different names.
But the throne always went back to a male in the male line.
Ohara said panel members should discuss ways to maintain the current succession system -- ensuring only male heirs who have emperors on their fathers' side can accede to the throne -- before entering discussions on allowing female monarchs or allowing a female line of descent.
He proposed families which were divested of imperial status shortly after World War II be returned to imperial status to help secure candidates qualified to ascend the throne.
"We shouldn't easily decide to allow a female monarch. I am concerned about rushing toward a conclusion," he said.
Yagi also said that the male-line succession is Japan's "irreplaceable culture" and that the matter should be discussed with "great caution."
Meanwhile, Takahashi from Shizuoka University of Welfare, proposed a succession system in which precedence is to be given to the royal firstborn regardless of gender, saying such a system is easy to understand for the general public.
Yokota from Ryutsu Keizai University agreed, saying such a system would ensure "stable" imperial succession compared with the present system and would gain support from the public relatively easily.
In the previous May 11 meeting, the panel members were presented four options for allowing a female to ascend the throne, in addition to the present imperial succession system.
One of the four options gives precedence in imperial succession to the emperor's firstborn regardless of gender. In the three other options, males are given precedence to females in ascending the throne.
If the current succession system is changed to give precedence to the royal firstborn regardless of gender, 3-year-old Princess Aiko, the only child of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, will become second in line to the throne after her father.
If precedence to males is stipulated under the revised rule, Princess Aiko will be the seventh in line to the throne, after her father Crown Prince Naruhito, his brother Prince Akishino, the emperor's brother Prince Hitachi and three other male members of the family. The order of the first six heirs in line is the same as stipulated under the current law.
The panel members are to narrow down their discussions on the options after hearing opinions from the experts. The panel members are six academics, a former Supreme Court justice, a business leader, a former deputy chief Cabinet secretary, and a senior government official.