Japan's Parliament Agrees on Imperial Succession Overhaul—Without Changing Who Can Inherit

Japan's Diet compiled a cross-party draft on June 11 to revise the Imperial House Law through two mechanisms: retaining female members after marriage and readopting male descendants from 11 collateral branches demoted to commoner status in 1947. The proposal sidesteps the contentious question of female succession while expanding the imperial family's pool. The government now plans formal legislation, with passage expected during the current Diet session.