Japan codifies male-only succession as imperial line tightens
Japan formalized male-only succession under a revised Imperial House Law, allowing adoption of distant male relatives and permitting princesses to keep royal status after marrying commoners. Critics warn the move preserves a narrow, aging male line and discriminates against women, with the current line expected to pass from Emperor Naruhito to his brother and then to his 19-year-old nephew Hisahito, before reaching a 90-year-old uncle, highlighting the monarchy’s precarious future.