{"id":2507428,"date":"2026-07-18T15:55:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T15:55:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2507428"},"modified":"2026-07-18T15:55:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T15:55:27","slug":"japans-major-overhaul-on-royal-family-succession-rules-have-huge-impact-on-princess-aiko","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/japans-major-overhaul-on-royal-family-succession-rules-have-huge-impact-on-princess-aiko\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan&#8217;s major overhaul on royal family succession rules have huge impact on Princess Aiko"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\" data-body-type=\"bodyblocks\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Japan remains one of the few countries where <a target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:its royal family;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hellomagazine.com\/tags\/japanese-royals\/\" class=\"hm-link he-link\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">its royal family<\/a> operates under agnatic primogeniture rules, meaning that women are entirely banned from inheriting the throne.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">While there had been previous discussions about changing this following the birth of <a target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Princess Aiko;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hellomagazine.com\/tags\/princess-aiko\/\" class=\"hm-link he-link\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Princess Aiko<\/a>, these were put to rest when Crown Prince Fumihito welcomed a son, Prince Hisahito.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">However, due to the shrinking size of the Imperial Family, this week, Japan&#8217;s parliament passed a bill that will impact succession laws. Although women still won&#8217;t be allowed to accede to the throne, royals will be allowed to adopt distant male relatives over the age of 15 to allow them into the line of succession.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">These possible male heirs hail from 11 former branches of the family which were removed following World War II; however, they will not take the place of anyone who is already in the line of succession.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mb-4\">\n<div class=\"rounded-lg chromatic-ignore relative overflow-hidden bg-always-black aspect-[16\/9]\">\n<div class=\"pointer-events-none absolute inset-0 z-1 bg-always-black transition-opacity duration-500\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">At the moment, there are only three heirs to the throne behind the current Emperor, those being his brother, Fumihito, nephew Hisahito, and 90-year-old uncle, Prince Hitachi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The new rules have come into effect because if Hisahito doesn&#8217;t produce a male heir, then the family line would become extinct.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Prince Hisahito watching a dragonfly\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"747\" height=\"1024\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/3c0198dbc5198eb294f6b2265c3d6c7e8ac29074e7dbf9c582dbc3ada8485a74\/lightyear_networkapi\/resizefill_w747_h1024;quality_80;format_webp\/https:%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Fhello_us_861%2Fc45bb0482b56c0116b5531ce3bac74c8\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Prince Hisahito previously needed to produce a male heir (Associated Press \/ Alamy Stock Photo)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">However, despite still being barred from the throne, there is a positive move for Princess Aiko and future female members of the family. Previously, upon their marriage to a commoner, female royals would have to renounce their place in the Imperial House, including their royal titles, but this has now been axed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Although this will allow for more working royals, if they produce male heirs, they will also be barred from the line of succession.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Princess Aiko in a white coat, outfit and tiara\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"639\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/1526b7c3afe42490aeda617bf8f4a7e4a2e6f4e140888330813d624e1c9816b4\/lightyear_networkapi\/resizefill_w960;quality_80;format_webp\/https:%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Fhello_us_861%2F1d7c9674a211d10ea5e937e9d0dc9ebc\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Aiko is now allowed to keep her royal title when she marries (Yuichi Yamazaki)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Aiko, 24, the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako has not yet taken a partner, so currently retains her title as Princess Toshi. She has been stepping into the limelight in recent years, including her first solo outing in 2024, and her first solo overseas engagement the year after.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Princess Mako&#8217;s marriage<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The most recent example of a Japanese royal losing her title was <a target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Princess Mako;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hellomagazine.com\/tags\/princess-mako\/\" class=\"hm-link he-link\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Princess Mako<\/a>, following her <a target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:marriage to her university sweetheart, Kei Komuro;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hellomagazine.com\/royalty\/2017090769563\/japans-princess-mako-relinquishes-royal-status-to-marry\/\" class=\"hm-link he-link\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">marriage to her university sweetheart, Kei Komuro<\/a>. The couple married in 2021, and shortly after the ceremony, they moved to New York City.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Ahead of her move, Mako said: &#8220;What I would like is to just lead a peaceful life in my new environment. We are starting a new life together. There will be obstacles in different forms going forward, but as a couple we will overcome these obstacles with our combined strength\u2026 I hope that I can build a warm family in an environment where I can spend my time calmly.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">You may also like<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The couple have made several changes since their move nearly five years ago, namely the arrival of their first child. The arrival was confirmed on 30 May 2025, although the initial post didn&#8217;t confirm the baby&#8217;s gender or the arrival date.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A statement said that &#8220;as well as their other children, are delighted about the birth and are wishing for the happiness of the Komuro family&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Japan remains one of the few countries where its royal family operates under agnatic primogeniture rules, meaning that women are entirely banned from inheriting the throne. While there had been previous discussions about changing this following the birth of Princess Aiko, these were put to rest when Crown Prince Fumihito welcomed a son, Prince Hisahito. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2507429,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[398414,26630,419336,494070,494009,449151,22769,364870],"class_list":["post-2507428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-royalty","tag-crown-prince-fumihito","tag-japan","tag-line-of-succession","tag-prince-hisahito","tag-princess-aiko","tag-princess-mako","tag-royal-family","tag-royal-titles"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Japans-major-overhaul-on-royal-family-succession-rules-have-huge.com2Fen2Fhello_us_8612Fd9774ceb13c6b216b7c456dfa8276a85.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2507428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2507428"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2507428\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2507430,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2507428\/revisions\/2507430"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2507429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2507428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2507428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2507428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}