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The historic abdication of Japanese Emperor Akihito later this month has rekindled concerns about the future of what is considered one of the world's oldest royal families, given its rule of thumb. hereditary succession reserved for men.
As it stands, the fate of the Japanese imperial family rests on Hisahito, 12 years old, son of the younger brother of Crown Prince Naruhito and the last eligible heir.
The secular succession of Japan would be broken if Hisahito had no male children, because the Imperial Household Law, in effect since 1947, prohibits women from ascending the throne of chrysanthemum.
This means that Naruhito's only daughter, 17-year-old Princess Aiko, is not ready to inherit the throne.
Although public opinion seems to be changing to modify inheritance laws to allow women to govern, the chances of a concrete reform seem weak.
According to a survey conducted daily by Yomiuri Shimbun daily from October to November, nearly two-thirds want the law to be revised to allow women to be the legitimate heir.
"I'm just wondering why Princess Aiko can not get on the throne," said AFP Mizuho, a Tokyo resident aged thirty or so who had not told her given that his first name.
"If it's just because she's a girl, then I think it's irrelevant in the present era," she said.
"Why do not we allow heiresses like Queen Elizabeth in the British monarchy?"
According to the current rules, female members of the imperial family also lose their royal status when they marry a commoner, which is evidenced by the commitment of one of Akihito's granddaughters, Princess Mako , with his college sweetheart.
– "Goddess of the sun" –
Traditionalists vehemently oppose any change in the law, but there have been up to eight empresses, including the last, Gosakuramachi, on the throne about 250 years ago.
And the imperial family, which has a story filled with myths dating back more than 2600 years, would descend from the legendary sun goddess Amaterasu.
When Parliament adopted a single rule authorizing the resignation of the aging emperor in 2017, he also urged the government to "quickly study" the reforms that would allow the sons of royal women to become emperors.
Tokyo said the talks would begin shortly after May 1, when Naruhito acceded to the throne.
But the government also decided that only male royal adults would attend the main abdication ceremony, during which the new emperor will inherit traditional costumes such as a sacred sword and jewel.
Politicians dodge the impending problem of exclusively male succession, because "they do not want to take on this responsibility," Yuji Otabe, a professor of Japanese history at the University of China, told AFP. to be from Shizuoka.
"If you think of the hereditary system, a woman is also of imperial blood," he said, expressing concern about the future of the Japanese royal line if the situation did not change.
– "Great pressure" –
Another consequence of the line of succession reserved for men is the enormous pressure exerted to design the boys so that they maintain the line.
The future emperor and the Empress are under enormous pressure to have a boy but their only child – born in 2001 – is Princess Aiko.
The "crisis" was averted when Prince Hisahito was born in 2006 to the younger brother of Crown Prince Akishino, which means that the male line could continue.
After Crown Prince Naruhito took the throne, Akishino is next, followed by Hisahito.
Crown Princess Masako, a former high-flying diplomat, has struggled for years against a stress-related illness after joining the traditional home, which some have put under pressure from the production of a male heir .
Hideto Tsuboi, a professor of modern Japanese literature and history at the International Center for Research on Japanese Studies, explained that Masako's disease perfectly embodies the difference between Japanese royalty and British royalty.
Members of the Japanese imperial family "do not enjoy normal human rights because of the over-emphasis on" the succession system of the male lineage compared to the British monarchy, said Tsuboi.
The Otabe badyst also pointed out the "great pressure" exerted on any woman getting married in the imperial family to have a son.
"Who would like to marry (Hisahito)?" Asked he.
A Tokyo resident, Mizuho, called for change by saying, "I really do not think it has to be a man."
"As long as the person has the qualities necessary to conquer the throne, whether the heir is a man or a woman does not matter to me."
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