Party talks about imperial family likely to impact princesses; duties increase as members grow older

The Imperial Household Agency is closely watching how talks between the ruling and opposition parties on measures to ensure a stable imperial succession unfold.

On April 11, Yasuhiko Nishimura, the grand steward of the agency, said that the decline in the number of imperial family members carrying out the family’s official duties is a very important issue.

“We hope that there will be sufficient discussion and adequate measures will be taken in this area,” Nishimura said at a regular news conference.

Besides the Emperor and the Emperor Emeritus, there are only three male members in the Imperial Family, including Prince Hisahito, who is currently a minor.

The average age of the imperial family members is 59.76 years old. As family members grow older, the burden on Crown Prince Akishino and female imperial relatives increases.

Official duties were revised when the Emperor ascended the throne in 2019, and Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko took over visiting duties for four regional events, including an annual National Sports Festival for People with Disabilities, from the Emperor and Empress. who had made the visits in their own time as Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

As for two other events, which were also attended by the Emperor and Empress, Crown Princess Kiko took over one and Princess Nobuko, the widow of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, took over the other.

Princess Hisako of Takamado chairs 29 organizations and is actively involved in foreign visits.

Princess Kako, 29, the second daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, and Princess Aiko, 22, the daughter of the Emperor and Empress, who started work in April, are also important imperial family members who perform official duties.

Regarding the idea of ​​allowing female members to retain their imperial status after marriage to commoners, disagreements exist between members of the ruling and opposition parties over the status of those members’ spouses and children.

“This is an issue that will have a major impact on the lives of female Imperial members as it could cause division within a family depending on the outcome of the discussions. We hope that the matter will be discussed in a careful and expeditious manner,” an agency official said.

Meanwhile, regarding male lines of the Imperial Family that lost Imperial status after World War II, there is a proposal that men of such lines would gain Imperial status through adoption. It is possible that this would mean adoption by current imperial relatives who have no male heir. Specific discussions have yet to take place regarding, among other things, which members of former Imperial lines would be eligible for such an adoption.

“We hope that a system will be developed that fully respects the wishes of imperial family members who become parties to the issue,” a senior agency official said.