Revised Imperial House Law comes into effect, but challenges remain

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako with other imperial family members walk down a hill to greet guests during the spring garden party at the Akasaka Palace's imperial garden in Tokyo in April. | REUTERS

Jiji

Oct 24, 2026

Japan’s revised Imperial House Law, which aims to address the declining number of imperial family members, came into effect Saturday.

The change allows male, paternal-line descendants of former imperial family branches to be adopted into the imperial family, and female imperial family members to remain within the family after marriage.

The government has stressed the significance of the new law, but challenges remain, including differences in the status of female members and their husbands and children.

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