Panel recommends no change to male-only emperor system

such as adopting single men from some of the 11 now-defunct royal households as potential heirs,

if they agree? seems like it is, a desperate measure. Anything to sideline females is obviously more preferable.

‘Asking a random man to be a emperor?

Inbreeding kept the Royal British succession viable

They definitely want the Imperial Family going extinct. This scheme really aligns with what American masters want.

Getting rid of a pointless institution is good for Japan's treasury coffers, cultural brain waste, Asian regional peace. I agree with this new change for once!

How wonderful that after 20 years of pre-meetings to pre-meetings before the actual meeting a conclusion has been reached.

Change? In Japan? Nope. (Whew! Dodged that bullet again.)

Septim,the US thought of it during the war, by eliminating the emperor all together by destroying the imperial palace World War 2 Japan Google World War 2 Japan US Military Eliminating The Emperor

Faced with a possible succession crisis in 2005, a panel of experts proposed that both male and female royals in the maternal line be allowed to ascend to the throne. But the suggestion met harsh opposition from conservatives.

They just push that panel until they propose male only successor, that panel proposed male and female is being opposed. Because those conservative view that female are unclean to do many ritual in Japan. That' what modern Japan looks like.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/japan-sumo-wrestling-man-stroke-women-ritually-unclean-maizuru-ryozo-tatami-a8290236.html

If they are truly so concerned with ensuring male heirs, they could just quietly employ IVF with PGS, and the public would be none the wiser.

A practical solution or compromise convincing most "male only" conservatives is to let Princess Aiko and Kako into the succession line ahead of Prince Hisahito. At least both women are from the paternal linage.

The current system exerts overreliance and pressures upon Prince Hisahito. Should something happen to him, without any viable backups, the imperial house would die out. With the two women joining in the succession line, the prince would get relieved.

It's Komuro's time to shine!

Pathetic.

Removing the imperial system immediately post WWII or let it die a slow death by eliminating the 11 royal households, both lead to the result unless the Japanese take this chance to reform the male only emperor system. The US made the right choice here.

Bring extended family ‘back into the (bill)fold’, creating additional financial burdens, that’s ‘the solution’ ? - Seems someone wants to protect their ‘job’ security and personal interests. Obviously, this panel is not independent and unbiased on the issues:

- “The panel submitted a report to PM Kishida on Wed proposing to ensure there are enough potential successors, adopting single men from some of the 11 now-defunct royal households as potential heirs, and allowing female royals to retain their status after marrying commoners. Both options would require a revision of the 1947 Imperial House Law, which largely preserves pre-World War II values. The panel did not address the issue of whether the continuation of the current male-only succession system is workable.” -

Good news!

Japan most likely will never have gender equality nor voting rights for foreigners! They need to change the system if the want to flourish in the new world!!

Eh. Who cares at this point? Let them do what they want. It doesn't matter to the average Japanese citizen what happens to the royal family.

it is Japan's system, they will sort it out. Leave them be

Japan: If it’s broke, don’t fix it.

That's good news.

Eh. Who cares at this point? Let them do what they want. It doesn't matter to the average Japanese citizen what happens to the royal family.

Well, as us taxpayers who support their royal keester, we have to care because it's our money.

no double nationality, no local voting rights for long term residents, no change to male only emperoro system we could go on and on, this country will never ever change full stop, what a pity

The best option for all those Japanese men would be to abolish women, so they could live happily in a male dominated world.... pathetic really

Japan love these “panels” don’t they?

And this one is a fine one coming directly from the cave age.

A panel of all men recommended men? Who was on this panel? Panels are just a bunch of people

I'm shocked.

Easy to see why and how Japan's near the bottom of the gender equality ratings.

I think Hisahiko is going to have a really hard time finding a wife. Any woman who would potentially marry him need look only at his aunt Masako to see how rough a job it is.

Well, as us taxpayers who support their royal keester, we have to care because it's our money.

That's a good point, and I always wonder why we don't get started with it. Otherwise it's just only a family, private issue, and we can let the family members decide whatever it is.

In the recommendation report, the panel stresses that the certain size or number of royal family members should be kept by adoption or active female members (for the sake of public duties). But the panel has never addressed how many will be necessary or how much the Japanese people/taxpayers want the royal family to engage in public duties. They also don't ask how much money should be spent to keep the Imperial House. Demand drives supply.

In opinion polls, while the large majority Japanese still support the royal family, many also prefer a smaller family size and capacities even though such might affect public duties. If that's really the case, we don't necessarily have to seek drastic reforms or interventions as the royal family is naturally going to shrink if not die out soon.

In the meantime, while the panel tries to emphasize the significance of quantity, the more and more Japanese now seem to value the quality of the royal family.

OK please publish the full report, the minutes attributed to each named panel member.

The report, every detail should be in the public domain.

Both options would require a revision of the 1947 Imperial House Law, which largely preserves pre-World War II values.

Hardly. The process of only allowing male heirs is a much more recent policy. There have been eight regnal empresses in Japanese history, starting with Empress Suiko in 593 AD with the most recent being Go Sakuramachi from 1762 to 1771.

Is that "tinny metallic" noise a can being kicked down the road?

Huff puff, a woman, a female Emperor on the Chrysanthemum Throne?

The sky will cave in.

Both options would require a revision of the 1947 Imperial House Law, which largely preserves pre-World War II values.

A nice summary of how Japan runs things. Everything is outdated, archaic and stuck in the past and for some bizarre reason, they don't seem to see a problem with this.

The panel submitted a report to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday proposing ways to ensure there are enough potential successors, such as adopting single men from some of the 11 now-defunct royal households as potential heirs

So they're rather have some male stranger on the throne than an actual member of the royal family because she's female. Wow, Japan. Keep regressing. You're going to regress yourself into extinction.

Panel recommends no change.

It might create confusion.

The public is not ready.

People could misunderstand.

Government will consider.

Government recommends no change.

To anything. Ever.

Looking at the bleak future of the shrinking of men there seem to be only two alternatives: revival of concubinage or allowing women to ascend the throne. The first is no longer morally acceptable. Two second is very morally acceptable. Today we have had queens around the world with no major problems.

Think of England's queens: All three were intelligent.

Meanwhile, the conservatives will shrink along with all else that has become obsolete.

I can just imagine how the the panel discussion were done. Lot’s of teeth sucking ang “muzukashii naaaaa”.

The world can do away with monarchism that does not serve much purpose in the modern days in all countries involved.

Monarchism has already outlived its usefulness..

they aint the only family in Japan with aging and declining members... by 2060, over 40% of Japan's population will be over 65... how the hell are we going to find enough tax payers to support all these seniors? ship is sinking fast!

What self-respecting, vaguely intelligent contemporary Japanese woman is going to willingly marry into this quagmire in 2021 and beyond? Like, who do they think they are going to attract, or more likely, coerce and harangue to add to this gene pool? They have made such a spectacular mess of Masako that I just cannot see them attracting quality candidates for what they are offering. This looks like Darwinism playing out before our very eyes.

So they're rather have some male stranger on the throne than an actual member of the royal family because she's female.

which is CRAZY if you consider why they are considered royal in the FIRST place- Because they are supposedly descended from Amaterasu- The Japanese Sun GODDESS- not a GOD. Ironic.

Wow, Japan. Keep regressing. You're going to regress yourself into extinction.

Which I wouldn't really worry about if my 2 lovely children were not Japanese.

by 2060, over 40% of Japan's population will be over 65..

That's a VERY optimistic estimate! A year or two before the pandemic it was around 28%. I'm willing to bet that now its over 30%. It is not going to take that long to hit 40%. I'm guesstimating its going to hit 40% within the next 10-15 years. Especially when you think about the fact that it was in the Japan Times about 15-20 years ago when they hit 10%. And the aging is accelerating meaning it will take less time to increase by another 10% which is why I surmise it will hit 40% within the next 10 years EASILY.

This panel, was it all old men? Just curious.

A group of 80+ year old men proudly presents that they investigated and concluded that Japan is still the backwards thinking place that we all love, and no change is needed, Please join us in the race to the bottom.

Before monogamy was legally imposed in the Meiji period, concubinage was common among the nobility. Its purpose was to ensure male heirs.

LOL

Japan can not realistically expect to be accepted as a true democracy if it retains its unelected head of state. If they are serious about wanting more royals, they should have a word with the Queen of England. Her family are multiplying like rats. There are loads of them.

and what was the ratio of men to women on that panel? and also average age? those are important to understand this decision

Fra poke

The best option for all those Japanese men would be to abolish women, so they could live happily in a male dominated world.... pathetic really

But then, they'd have nobody to dominate.

Yet the public is totally on board so this makes no sense. That gov't panel must be terrified of women

This was a 1 second decision that should have allowed it decades ago but they dragged this out forever and a day for nothing. I hope the luncheons were great

This is no longer a problem. Thanks to modern science, gender is fluid, and if no male heir is available , there are other options. A female princess could simply declare that she identified as male, or even elect to undergo surgery and switch genders.

All so-called "royal" families around the world need to go the way of the horse-drawn carriage. Every one of them.

Yes , Princess Aiko will be a wonderful Empress, she is pretty, clever, sincere and a warm , unselfish personality.

Such an Empress will benefit Japan and the Japanese people .

You're kidding? I absolutely cannot believe it.

A panel who's makeup was mostly or all male, holding on to an out dated idea of male dominance for royal accession to the throne. This is Japan. Nobody really believes it will change from being male dominated. Not in this millennium anyway. It is one step too far.

So it took 16 years for this panel to decide, "Nah, don't change anything"?

How much did this deliberation process cost the taxpayers?

We're genuinely just a bottomless money pit to these bureaucrats.

Panel recommends no change to male-only emperor system

Is this really what the panel recommended? Sounds so different from what it happened.

Where is the original news reported by Mari Yamaguchi? I would like to see it because the title just makes

you people who don't read the original, but knee-jerk posting just by the title, to think as if " The panel recommends that the emperor must be a male" , whereas , as far as I read other source, the panel just did not refer to matrilineal line or possible female emperor.

And have a look at these as-usual Japan bashing here. I guess you don't even know , in Japan history, there were female emperors, not just Amatrasu GODESS

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/dc31bbe156dd1b129ca799840482c5ca235a9eb1

How about the panel listen to what the masses want since they are the ruling classes subjects and if the consensus is that the majority of people are in favor of women being allowed to sit on the throne let them. If not, what is the purpose of its existence in Japan. What Japan is doing with this is basically saying that women by nature are worthless to be sitting on the throne, not inspirational to a young girls and country that already views women more as property or entertainment than as an equal.

It's no longer acceptable for emperors to take concubines, so the system is now unsustainable. Time to make the giant leap into the 21st century! (Besides, the unbroken male-only succession story is a myth.)

Too bad system.

bass4funkDec. 24  05:18 am JST

How about the panel listen to what the masses want since they are the ruling classes subjects and if the consensus is that the majority of people are in favor of women being allowed to sit on the throne let them.

Everything in Japan is neatly arranged so that the ruling classes, ie the LDP and like-minded bureaucrats and businessmen, can ignore what the masses want pretty much indefinitely.