The heads of Japan¡¯s parliament are in the final stages of compiling a report to recommend measures for preventing the number of members of the imperial family from further dwindling, and a key proposal is expected to be the reinstatement of former male royals along the male line through adoption.
The size of the imperial family has become smaller over the years. In 1989, when the Showa Era (1926-1989) became the Heisei Era (1989-2019) with the death of Emperor Hirohito, there were 21 royals, but now it¡¯s down to 16, of whom only three males are in the line of succession and five are unmarried women, including Princess Aiko. If all of the princesses become commoners when they get married, the number will drop to 11.
The adoption proposal is more controversial in parliament than another, which pushes for allowing female members to stay in the imperial family even after marrying.
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