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18.10.29 news zero Plus One! - What is the future of the Imperial Family with the decrease of family members? - Sakurai Sho
August, 2016.
"[T]he duties of the Emperor as the symbol of the State can continue steadily without a break. With this earnest wish, I have decided to make my thoughts known."
His Majesty has been ached for years by the problem of decreasing successors to the throne.
In the generation of the grandchildren of His Majesty,
His Imperial Highness Prince Hisahito is the only "man" with the right to succeed to the throne.
While there were eight Imperial family members in their thirties as on 28 October,
since Ayako-sama registered her marriage in the afternoon of 29 October, the number becomes seven.
In addition, Her Imperial Highness Princess Mako is also in an engagement.
In this way, in the future,
when His Imperial Highness Prince Hisahito becomes the Emperor,
it is anticipated that there would be no Imperial family member in his generation who could support him.
Do you not think the situation is quite serious?
In the future, this may happen.
In May the coming year, when His Imperial Highness The Crown Prince is throne to the new Emperor,
he would inherit a lot of work from His Majesty such as
・"Staff affairs" such as convocation of the Diet
・"Ceremony" such as the Arbor Day
・"International goodwill"
・"Visit to various places" such as to the disaster areas
Among them, his younger brother, His Imperial Highness The Prince Akishino shares some works such as "ceremony" and "international goodwill".
If, in the future, the Imperial family members who support him in the surroundings get married and leave the Imperial House,
when His Imperial Highness Prince Hisahito ascends to the throne,
it would lie with His Imperial Highness Prince Hisahito to these works.
Therefore, as a measure to the decrease of number of the Imperial family members,
one of the ideas that has been studied thus far is
"female imperial family branch".
According to the current Imperial House Act,
when a female Imperial family member gets married,
she would be leaving the Imperial House ...
"Female imperial family branch" is to change this rule,
so that she would remain in the Imperial House after getting married,
and continue official duties as a Imperial family member with the name "Princess ○○".
However, there is a controversy that when female imperial family branch is allowed,
in the future, if "female emperor" and "female-line emperor" would be accepted.
In particular, as for the "female-line emperor" that the children of a female emperor become an emperor,
thus far,
there has not been anyone in the history of the Imperial House of Japan.
There is a deep-rooted thinking not to take risk to break this rule among conservative people who want to preserve this tradition.
Source: https://www.ntv.co.jp/zero/articles/105bmmcfpz43bk06rle.html
