Japan’s PM Urges Constitution Revision Discussions to Be Sped Up, Shows Favor for Male Adoption for Imperial Succession

The Yomiuri Shimbun

6:00 JST, April 14, 2026

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed her intention to accelerate discussions on revising the Constitution, during a regular convention of the Liberal Democratic Party held at a hotel in Tokyo on Sunday.

“We want to be fully prepared to initiate a proposal for constitutional revision by next year’s party convention,” said Takaichi, who is also head of the LDP. These discussions would be held at the commissions on the Constitution of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors.

Takaichi stressed that the time had come to revise the Constitution, as the LDP had recently marked its 70th anniversary. “What we must do is engage in discussions for the sake of a decision,” she said during her about 20-minute speech.

Speaking on Imperial succession, Takaichi said, “Revision to the Imperial House Law is urgently needed.”

“Our top priority will be the proposal to use the adoption system to restore the Imperial family status of male descendants in the paternal line.”

Takaichi expressed her desire to promote domestic investment to achieve a strong economy, suggesting that the implementation of such policies would bolster the party’s strength.

“We will build a strong LDP that continues to win elections,” Takaichi said, citing next spring’s unified local elections and the 2028 House of Councillors election.

At the convention, the LDP announced a new vision to mark its anniversary. It adopted action policies for 2026, which includes the goal of submitting a draft revision of the Constitution to the Diet.

Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura, who also is leader of the Japan Innovation Party — the LDP’s coalition partner — attended the convention as a guest. He said that now is the time to move forward with constitutional revision.