Society

Experts start discussing Imperial succession

Mar 24 (NHK) - A panel of experts convened by Japan's government has started discussing ways to ensure that there are suitable candidates to succeed to the Imperial throne for the foreseeable future.

The six members of the panel, including scholars and an author, met for the first time at the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide told them that the government set up the panel based on a supplementary Diet committee resolution attached to a 2017 law that enabled then Emperor Akihito to abdicate.

Suga said their discussion would entail extremely important matters related to the fundamental underpinnings of the nation.

He asked them to lay out various views in an easy-to-understand manner.

Former President of Keio University Seike Atsushi was elected head of the panel. Those in attendance also decided to consult experts on the Imperial system and history.

Their deliberations will focus on the possibility of allowing descendants of the female line of the Imperial lineage to ascend the Imperial throne. Other ideas to be examined include allowing female members of the Imperial family to take part in some Imperial family activities after marrying a commoner and losing their status as members of the Imperial family.

The number of heirs to the throne and the shrinking size of the family is a pressing matter. Currently, successors to the throne must be male and from the male line of the Imperial lineage. There are now only three eligible heirs to Emperor Naruhito, only one of whom is in the generation after that of the Emperor.

The panel's next meeting is scheduled for April 8.

Source: ANNnewsCH

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Garbage Burnoff Spreads to 3 Buildings in Okayama

A fire that broke out in Kagamino, Okayama Prefecture, shortly after noon on May 20th destroyed three buildings, including a home, after flames from open burning spread to dead leaves and then to nearby structures.

Gang Members Arrested After Opening Office Near Nursery

Six people, including a senior member of a group affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai crime syndicate's Kohei-ikka faction, have been arrested on suspicion of opening a gang office in a prohibited area near a nursery school in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward.

Six Police Officers Injured After Man Sprays Liquid at Station

A man who visited a police station in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the early hours of May 21st allegedly sprayed a transparent liquid inside the building, causing six police officers to complain of eye and throat pain and be taken to hospital with minor injuries.