Gov't panel OKs 2 draft proposals to preserve Japan's royal family

The two options -- allowing female members who marry commoners to retain their imperial status, and male heirs from former branches to be adopted into the imperial family by revising the 1947 Imperial House Law -- seek to address the dwindling number of eligible heirs.

whoa…..revolutionary stuff.

some may even call it, common sense.

The simple thing to do is to over turn the "1947 Imperial House Law"

Problem solved

common sense would be to consign such medieval pageantry to the annals of history

But the panel is expected to postpone its conclusion regarding specific measures on succession

so it’s a nothing story. Just another new panel who are clueless but get paid to mull over the decline of a tax payer farce.

The two options -- allowing female members who marry commoners to retain their imperial status...

They make this sound like it's some far-fetched idea that would cause scandal and bring about dishonor. Wakey wakey and smell the fumes of the 21st century.

But the panel is expected to postpone its conclusion regarding specific measures on succession, such as whether women or matrilineal imperial members will be eligible to ascend the throne...

Is Japan blind to the fact that some of history's greatest rulers were female? Putting a woman on the throne is not going to result in the collapse of Japanese society. Ridiculous. Dragging their feet on something that should be a non-issue.

I can remember several similar revisions in three decades here. Always a "revolutionary idea", however, it always ended up being swept off the table with some absurd excuse as to why it couldn't be done and that it would mean the end of our traditions or the end of something else.

I am a realist. Not an optimist or a pessimist.

The biggest problem in my personal opinion is, that all those commoners meddle in. It’s usually only up to noble people, here the Emperor and the Imperial family, how they make such rules and proceedings concerning other nobles, isn’t it? They shouldn’t , by modern constitution, meddle in politics and parliamentary decisions and my view is, that should also be valid vice versa, politicians as commoners not meddling into the Imperial family.

This male male male n ojiisan r causing all the problems Japan has a emperor has a Daughter pass it down as emperor to a female emperor simple with male male hope next emperor of Japan will bcom present king of Thailand only due to male n male thing

To admit the branches if the Imperial family back to their ancestral status comes with a large, really large, cost in terms of administration of their entitlements and possibly some drag on the public purse.

When the law was passed in 1947 to make members of the branches of the imperial family commoners, the costs associated with tracking them all fell dramatically -- as befitted those dire economic times. It was helpful to Japan's economic recovery for the entire post-War period.

Is Japan so rich now that restoring those branches by reversing the 1947 law is desirable? I think not. The politicians are trying to find a way forward to preserve this family without exploding public finances.

The two options -- allowing female members who marry commoners to retain their imperial status, and male heirs from former branches to be adopted into the imperial family by revising the 1947 Imperial House Law -- seek to address the dwindling number of eligible heirs.

They are waiting to see which brother wins behind close doors this game of chess. If they change the law now and allow the female members to keep their status then Emperor Naruhito line could possibly remain on the thrown with the birth of a grandson.

Prince Hisahito might never become Emperor. Prince Fumihito and his wife will not let that happen. It is another reason why he forgoed the ceremony and payment to his daughter after marrying Komuro. He already new this was in the works. She can regain her royal member status because there was no official ceremony or payoff. Also, if the relationship does not work out, she can comeback.

If they wait after Prince Hisahito becomes Emperor then with his children and his two sisters children. It would ensure that Prince Hisahito's line would stay on the thrown forever.

The conservative government parties support the Royal House Agency and Prince Fumihito.

I doubt anything will change soon.

Good, respect the Emperor!

Just allow female emperors. Problem solved.