Japan Government Adopts Bill to Revise 1947 Imperial House Law

The Takaichi government adopted and submitted to the Diet a bill on June 30, 2026 to revise the Imperial House Law for the first time since its 1947 enactment, aiming to secure an adequate number of imperial family members amid a shrinking imperial line. The bill would allow the imperial family to adopt male, paternal-line descendants of former imperial branches stripped of royal status after World War II, permit female imperial family members to retain their status after marriage, and make the sons of adoptees eligible for succession. Some opposition parties criticized the adoptee-succession provision as not having been vetted by the government's expert panel or in ruling-opposition talks. The government aims to enact the bill before the Diet session closes July 17.