Imperial Household Agency Presses for ‘Urgent’ Debate to Stabilize Succession

By Kaori Sakaba / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

1:00 JST, April 17, 2026

The Imperial Household Agency is showing a growing sense of urgency regarding discussions on stabilizing the Imperial succession.

“As I have stated many times, the current situation allows for no further delay,” Buichiro Kuroda, Grand Steward of the agency, emphasized during a regular press conference in January when asked for his views on the ongoing debate.

Whenever discussions arise regarding the revision of the Imperial House Law, the agency, which supports the Imperial family, has closely watched their progress.

However, as progress has stalled, the five unmarried female members of the family have continued to age. Princess Tsuguko, eldest daughter of the late Prince Takamado, turned 40 in March. Princess Kako, second daughter of Crown Prince Akishino, is now 31, while Princess Aiko, the only child of the Emperor and Empress, is 24.

Kuroda’s predecessor, Yasuhiko Nishimura, also expressed a strong sense of urgency during his retirement press conference in December. Calling it an “extremely important issue with not a moment to lose,” Nishimura noted that there are “princesses who may marry soon.”

During a meeting on Wednesday, major political parties generally agreed on a proposal to allow female members to retain their Imperial status after marriage. However, this has not brought a sense of relief to the agency. Opinions remain divided on whether their spouses and children should also be granted Imperial status.

“Given the modern image of the Imperial family with couples appearing together, it would be natural for family members to also be considered part of the Imperial family,” a senior agency official said.

Some within the agency have pointed out challenges regarding a separate proposal to allow male descendants in the male line of former Imperial branches to be adopted into the Imperial family.

Under the postwar symbolic emperor system, the ideal of the Imperial family — constantly thinking of and standing by the people through efforts such as mourning war dead and visiting disaster-stricken areas — has been passed down from parent to child and child to grandchild.

Prince Hisahito, 19, the son of Crown Prince Akishino, has heard accounts of World War II directly from the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita. From a young age, he has visited Okinawa, Hiroshima and Nagasaki prefectures with his parents to meet with war survivors and atomic bomb survivors. He has also traveled to remote islands and mountain villages, learning firsthand how to interact with people across the nation.

“Prince Hisahito has gained experience and refined himself while mindful of his position as an heir,” a former aide said. “The character of the Imperial family cannot be established overnight.”