TOKYO - The speakers and vice speakers of both houses of the Japanese Diet approved on June 22 the government’s outline for revising the Imperial Household Law and related measures aimed at securing the number of imperial family members, following what has been described as the consensus of the legislature.
The leaders of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors received an explanation from the government on the afternoon of June 22 on the final draft of the outline for the proposed Imperial Household Law revision, as well as a draft summary organizing the main points of debate. They then approved the outline.
The outline calls for amending the Imperial Household Law to make possible two measures that had been accepted under the consensus of the legislature: allowing female imperial family members to retain their imperial status after marriage, and allowing male-line males from former imperial family branches to be adopted into the imperial family.
For female imperial family members who would retain their status after marriage, the outline says that those who are members of the imperial family when the revised law takes effect may, as a transitional measure, leave imperial status of their own volition.
Under the adoption proposal, only males aged 15 or older who have no spouse and no children would be eligible to be adopted. Male-line males who are adopted would become members of the imperial family but would not have eligibility to succeed to the throne.
The outline also includes a supplementary provision calling for the system to be reviewed every 30 years if necessary, taking into account the status of efforts to secure the number of imperial family members.
The draft summary of key issues was also broadly approved. The government plans to explain the draft summary at a plenary meeting on June 25 attended by representatives of the ruling and opposition parties.
The discussion comes as Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako continue a visit to Belgium. The imperial couple arrived in Belgium on June 20 and were welcomed by Princess Elisabeth, who is the same age as Princess Aiko and first in line to the Belgian throne.
The Emperor and Empress were photographed smiling with Belgium’s King Philippe and his family at Ciergnon Castle, a royal residence where the imperial couple are currently staying.
Princess Elisabeth, who greeted the Emperor and Empress with a smile on June 20, is 24, the same age as Princess Aiko, and is first in line to the throne.
Belgium once limited succession to the throne to men, but a constitutional revision in 1991 changed the system to absolute primogeniture, regardless of gender. Princess Elisabeth is the first child of the King and Queen, and if she ascends the throne, she will become the first queen regnant in Belgian history.
Princess Aiko is said to have played with Princess Elisabeth in 2006 during a stay in the Netherlands.
The Japanese imperial family and the Belgian royal family also share a number of notable ties. Emperor Naruhito and King Philippe were both born in 1960, and each has an eldest daughter of the same age. Their fathers, Emperor Emeritus Akihito and King Albert II, are both now 92.
Antoine Evrard, Belgium’s ambassador to Japan, said exchanges between the two families have continued deeply across generations. "Through history, close exchanges have continued across various generations. This visit is also a historic milestone in our friendship."
The relationship dates back at least 105 years, to 1921, when Emperor Showa, then crown prince, visited Belgium. From the Meiji era through the Taisho era, momentum grew behind the idea that imperial family members should broaden their knowledge, leading to goodwill visits to Europe.
In 1971, Emperor Showa became the first reigning emperor to travel overseas, and Belgium was the first country visited during that landmark official trip. During the visit, he deepened ties with the Belgian king and queen on various occasions.
Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko later developed a close friendship with the Belgian royal family. When King Baudouin died, they traveled to Belgium for his funeral. Although there was a convention that the Emperor did not attend state funerals, the depth of their relationship led to a special wish to attend.
Naotaka Kimizuka, a professor at Komazawa University who specializes in the imperial family, said the seating order at the funeral showed the strength of Japan’s bond with Belgium. "There is, of course, a proper order of precedence, but at the very front, in the center among the mourners from abroad, were the Emperor and Empress, that is, the current Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita. They clearly valued each other very deeply."
The current Emperor and Empress have inherited that friendly relationship. During the 2002 FIFA World Cup held in Japan and South Korea, they watched the Japan-Belgium match seated together with the Belgian royal couple.
With close personal and official ties linking the Japanese imperial family and the Belgian royal family, the Emperor and Empress are scheduled to begin official events on June 23.
Source: TBS
