A senior Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker apologized Monday for a Sunday speech in which he stated Princess Aiko cannot become emperor and suggested no one would marry her if she succeeded to the throne. Nakasone, who heads the party's constitutional revision office and serves on a ruling-opposition panel on imperial succession, said he regretted the remarks' tone but clarified he meant to highlight the current Imperial House Law, which restricts heirs to male, paternal-line descendants.
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Hirofumi Nakasone, head of the Liberal Democratic Party's Headquarters for the Realization of Revision of the Constitution, made a remark during a Sunday speech in Toyama Prefecture stating it is impossible for Princess Aiko to ascend to the imperial throne. He also said no one would marry her if she succeeded while unmarried. On Monday, he expressed regret, calling some points "not appropriate."
Why it matters
The remark touches on a live policy debate within Japan's ruling coalition about imperial succession rules. Nakasone sits on a ruling-opposition panel tasked with ensuring a sufficient number of imperial family members—a role that gives weight to his public statements on the subject. His clarification that he meant to note the current Imperial House Law limits heirs to male, paternal-line descendants suggests the underlying legal constraints remain contentious.
What to watch
Nakasone acknowledged that Princess Aiko is "attracting media attention" and framed his concern as personal worry that her enthronement would complicate her marriage prospects. The extent to which his regret and clarification reshape public and official discussion of imperial succession law remains to be seen.
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