Japan's parliament has enacted changes to the 19th-century Imperial House Law regarding imperial succession. The new legislation allows male distant relatives to rejoin the imperial family and permits women to retain their royal status after marrying commoners.
The revisions insist that only paternal-lineage men can become emperor, maintaining the ban on female emperors. The legislation is aimed at expanding the pool of men eligible to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne.
Nationwide opinion polls have suggested broad public support for a female emperor, driven in part by a popular princess. However, some conservative political figures remain opposed to the idea, and the country's first female prime minister helped ensure that women will continue to be barred from ascending to the throne.