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Japan's parliament enacted imperial succession reforms on Friday but upheld the ban on female emperors, despite widespread public backing. The changes allow adoption of distant male relatives and let royal women retain status after marrying commoners.
Resurfaced footage of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's 2002 remarks defending Japan's WWII conduct has triggered widespread criticism from academics, politicians and public figures who accuse her of historical revisionism and ignorance.
Japan's parliament has approved reforms to its 1947 Imperial House Law to address a shrinking royal family, permitting male adoptions and allowing women to keep imperial status after marrying commoners, though male-line succession remains unchanged.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's cabinet approval rating has slipped below 50 per cent for the first time since her October 2024 election victory, according to a Jiji Press survey published Thursday, signalling mounting public dissatisfaction despite her landmark position as Japan's first woman premier.
Japan's cabinet has approved legislation to shore up the imperial succession by permitting adoption of males from 11 former branch families, while rejecting proposals for female succession despite strong public backing.
Akie Abe, widow of Japan's former Prime Minister, has spoken about attending the trial of Tetsuya Yamagami, who killed her husband in July 2022. She says she still does not understand why he targeted Abe and hopes to visit him in prison to seek answers.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Cabinet approval rating has fallen to 55.8%, its lowest since her appointment last October, as Japanese households contend with persistent inflation and regional security concerns.