Japan’s Emperor Naruhito has finally admitted that the future of the Chrysanthemum Throne is in peril. Speaking on the eve of his state visit to the UK in mid-June, Naruhito noted that the number of male heirs in the imperial family was shrinking and they were ageing.
Female members of the family, meanwhile, are forced to give up royal status when they marry: “Due to these factors, the number of members of the imperial family who can take on public duties is decreasing compared to before,” he said.
The emperor is barred by the constitution from making political statements. So while even these comments are unprecedented, he was unable to discuss the obvious solution: open up the succession to female heirs.
