Japan Diet's Draft Proposal on Imperial Family Seen OK'd on Wed.

Tokyo, June 9 (Jiji Press)--The leaders and vice leaders of both chambers of the Diet, Japan's parliament, will seek political parties' approval as early as Wednesday for a draft proposal on measures to secure a sufficient number of Imperial Family members.

If the draft proposal is adopted, it will be regarded as the consensus of Japan's legislative branch. The Diet leaders plan to then ask Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi within Wednesday to consider revising the Imperial House Law.

The government and the Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling bloc aim to have a bill to revise the law enacted during the current Diet session through July 17, but some opposition parties are strongly opposed to parts of the draft. The proposal also cannot be said to have gained broad public understanding.

At a meeting with the ruling and opposition parties on Monday, the Diet leaders presented the draft proposal, which backs the two plans compiled by a government panel of experts in 2021 for securing a sufficient number of Imperial Family members as part of efforts to ensure stable succession to the throne.

One of the two measures is allowing female members of the Imperial Family to retain their Imperial status after marriage, while the other is adopting male members in the paternal line of former Imperial Family branches back into the family.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]