Japan celebrated Prince Hisahito’s coming of age with a grand ceremony at the Imperial Palace. During the occasion, Hisahito, who is Emperor Naruhito’s nephew, was presented with a black silk and lacquer crown to mark the beginning of his adult royal life. Hisahito vowed to fulfill his duties and responsibilities as a member of the imperial family.
However, a succession crisis looms as the emperor’s daughter, Princess Aiko, is sidelined by the royal family’s male-only succession rules. Despite tradition dictating that only a man can carry on the imperial line, opinion polls show public support for a woman taking the throne.
There has been a long-standing debate in Japan about the royal succession, with a government panel in 2005 recommending that it be passed to the oldest child regardless of gender. But Hisahito’s birth in 2006 ended this discussion.
The tradition of male-only succession in Japan dates back to 2
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/06/japans-second-in-line-to-emperor-throne-comes-of-age-amid-succession-debate
