38 Pct in Japan Back Diet Proposal on Imperial Family: Poll

Tokyo, June 18 (Jiji Press)--A Jiji Press monthly opinion poll showed Thursday that 38.2 pct of respondents back the Diet's proposal for two measures to secure a sufficient number of Imperial Family members in Japan.

The lower and upper chambers of the country's parliament on June 10 adopted the proposal as a consensus of the legislative branch at a meeting of representatives of 13 parties and parliamentary groups.

The consensus approves the measures of allowing female Imperial Family members to retain their status after marriage and allowing male-line descendants of former Imperial Family branches to be adopted into the family. The government will draft a bill to revise the Imperial House Law, based on the consensus.

In the Jiji survey, those opposed to both measures accounted for 9.2 pct.

Support for allowing female Imperial Family members to retain their status stood at 18.1 pct, while 7.6 pct backed only the adoption. An additional 26.9 pct answered they do not know.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]