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TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan formally proclaimed Crown Prince Akishino on Sunday as first in line as heir to the throne, the latest in a series of ceremonies after his older brother, Emperor Naruhito, became monarch last year. after his father’s abdication.
The one-day ceremonies at the palace were scheduled for April, but were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and have narrowed as the infection continues to rise, although Japan has escaped the explosive outbreak seen in many other countries.
Under Japanese law, only men can inherit the throne, so Naruhito’s only offspring, 18-year-old Princess Aiko, is not eligible. Measures to amend the law lost steam when Akishino’s wife had a son, Hisahito, in 2006.
“I deeply consider the responsibility of the Crown Prince and will fulfill my duties,” Akishino said in an orange robe in front of the attendees, most of whom were wearing masks, according to recordings by public broadcaster NHK.
Akishino, 54, is one of three heirs to the throne along with Hisahito, 14, and Prince Hitachi, 84, the younger brother of Emperor Emeritus Akihito, who resigned last year in Japan’s first abdication in two. centuries.
Changes to the law of succession are anathema to conservatives, but the debate about how to ensure a stable succession is likely to intensify.
One option is to allow women, including Aiko and Hisahito’s two older sisters, to retain their imperial status after marriage and inherit or pass the throne to their children, a change that polls show in favor of the majority of Japanese.
Conservatives want to revive young royal branches stripped of imperial status after the war.
(Written by Linda Sieg; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
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