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Crown Prince Akishino of Japan made an unusually candid public statement on Thursday, weighing in on the government’s recent revision to the Imperial House Law that cements the country’s male-only succession policy. Although he said it “is a difficult question, and the reality is that I can’t talk about it,” his comments offer an rare glimpse into his private thoughts on the matter.
“I have mixed feelings about it, and it’s rather strange if I don’t,” the Crown Prince said during a press conference ahead of an official trip to Paraguay later this month. Remarking that he believes “there is no difference between men and women” when it comes to fulfilling royal duties, Akishino said, “society needs to keep making progress, and I believe it is important for people with different views to keep thinking what’s best.”
The statement follows a historic revision to the Imperial House Law pushed through by Japan’s government this summer, which takes effect in October. The law solidifies male-only, paternal-lineage succession, while also allowing for the male, paternal-line descendants of the 11 former Imperial Family branches to be adopted into the Japanese royal family. However, opinion polls in Japan have demonstrated high public support for a female monarch, namely Emperor Naruhito’s only child, Princess Aiko. As of now, the line of succession passes from Akishino to his 19-year-old son Prince Hisahito, and then to the emperor’s 90-year-old uncle.
The revised law, however, does allow princesses to retain their royal status if they marry commoners, though their husbands and children will not receive royal titles. The change comes too late for Akishino’s elder daughter Mako, who gave up her royal status in 2021 to marry a commoner and now lives in the United States.
Crown Prince Akishino’s younger daughter Kako, who has taken on a growing number of official duties in recent years, would have the option under the new law to keep her status upon marriage. As the current second-in-line to the Chrysanthemum Throne, Prince Hisahito has started to go on solo royal engagements himself this year. During the press conference Thursday, Akishino said he hopes both his children find fulfillment in their roles: “As a parent…I just hope they will find their way to happiness.”
Rachel King (she/her) is a news writer at Town & Country. Before joining T&C, she spent nearly a decade as an editor at Fortune. Her work covering travel and lifestyle has appeared in Forbes, Observer, Robb Report, Cruise Critic, and Cool Hunting, among others. Originally from San Francisco, she lives in New York with her wife, their daughter, and a precocious labradoodle. Follow her on Instagram at @rk.passport.