UN applauds Japan’s imperial law revision as a win for women’s rights
The United Nations welcomed Japan’s passage of a bill revising the Imperial House Law to help ensure a larger pool of imperial family members, describing it as a step toward advancing women’s rights and gender equality. It marks the first substantive change to the law since 1947 and follows a 2024 UN recommendation to amend for equality. However, the reform preserves male-line succession to the throne, a point of ongoing contention, with the Japanese government arguing that throne succession touches the state’s foundations.
