The current succession to the Japanese throne is governed by the Imperial Household Law, which stipulate agnatic primogeniture. Japanese government publicly responded to criticism from a committee of the UN which had voiced concerns about the exclusion of women from the line of succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne, stating that the succession system is a fundamental aspect of the country’s traditions and should not be subject to criticism.
Current line of succession The list below contains all people currently eligible to succeed to the throne.
Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito; 1901–1989) Emperor Emeritus Akihito () Emperor Naruhito () (1) Fumihito, Crown Prince Akishino () (2) Prince Hisahito of Akishino () (3) Masahito, Prince Hitachi ()
History
The Imperial House Law of 1889 The Imperial House Law of 1889 was the first Japanese law to regulate the imperial succession. Until October 1947, when it was abolished and replaced with the Imperial Household Law, it defined the succession to the throne under the principle of agnatic primogeniture.
In all instances, the succession proceeded from the eldest male heir to the youngest (Ch. I: Article 3). In the majority of cases, the legitimate sons and male heirs of an emperor were favoured over those born to concubines. Illegitimate sons would only be eligible to succeed if no other male heirs existed in the direct line; however, the illegitimate sons of an emperor had precedence over any legitimate brothers of the emperor (Ch. I: Article 4). Those in the line of succession suffering from "incurable diseases of mind or body," or when "any other weighty cause exists," could be passed over with the advice of the Imperial Family Council, headed by the emperor, and after consulting the Privy Council (Ch. I: Article 9).p. 1235, "The Imperial House Law - Chapter 1: Succession to the Imperial Throne," Japan Year Book 1933, Kenkyusha Press, Foreign Association of Japan, Tokyo
On 11 February 1907, an amendment was made to the Imperial House Law to reduce the numbers of imperial princes in the shinnōke and ōke, the cadet branches of the imperial family, who were fifth– or sixth-generation descendants of an emperor. The amendment provided for princes to leave the imperial family, either by imperial decree or by imperial sanction. They were then granted a family name and assumed the status of nobles with the peerage titles of marquis or count, thereby becoming subjects (Article I). Alternatively, a prince could be formally adopted into a noble family or succeed to the headship of an imperial family line as a noble (Article II). Under the terms of the amendment, those former princes and their descendants who left the imperial family were excluded from the line of succession and made ineligible to return to the imperial family at any future date (Article VI).pg. 143-144, "Leaders and Leadership In Japan," Japan Library, Curzon Press Ltd., Richmond, 1996p. 1239, "The Imperial House Law - A Supplement to the Imperial House Law (February 11, 1907)," Japan Year Book 1933, Kenkyusha Press, Foreign Association of Japan, Tokyo
Historic line of succession according to the Imperial House Law of 1889 (as of October 1947) As of October 14, 1947, when the Imperial Household Law abolished the shinnōke (Princely Houses of the Blood) and ōke (Princely Houses) cadet branches, the immediate line of succession to the Japanese throne was as follows:
Emperor Taishō (Yoshihito; 1879–1926) The Emperor (Hirohito; born 1901) (1) The Prince Tsugu (Akihito; b. 1933) (2) The Prince Yoshi (Masahito; b. 1935) (3) The Prince Chichibu (Yasuhito; b. 1902)Potentially ineligible to succeed by the terms of the 1947 Imperial House Law. (4) The Prince Takamatsu (Nobuhito; b. 1905) (5) The Prince Mikasa (Takahito; b. 1915) (6) Prince Tomohito of Mikasa (b. 1946)
Prior to this date, the imperial succession was defined by the Imperial House Law of 1889. As the Taishō Emperor had no brothers, if the main family line had become extinct, the imperial line would have continued through the Fushimi-no-miya shinnōke cadet branch under the terms of the 1889 house law. The Fushimi-no-miya house constitute the nearest direct-male line of imperial descendants who still had succession rights, Takatsukasa, Konoe, and Ichijo are technically closer biologically but disregarded with ther adoption. Even if we regard those three families as still having rights, Prince Fushimi Kuniie was adopted by Emperor Kōkaku as his son in 1817, giving his branch a priority. In Japanese law and custom, adoption fully replaced previous blood ties, meaning that an adopted son was integrated into his new family as if born into it, with all rights of inheritance and succession. Historically, the imperial family often sustained its agnatic line through such adoptions from other imperial branches. This would be later banned by the said House Law in 1889.
The princes of Fushimi-no-miya were all descended from Prince Fushimi Kuniie (1802–1872), a 12th-generation descendant of the Northern Court pretender "Emperor" Sukō, who was himself the grandson of the 93rd emperor Go-Fushimi. Prince Fushimi Kuniie had 17 sons, 3 of which were by the prince's wife Princess Takatsukasa Hiroko (including his future heirs, Prince Sadanori and Prince Fushimi Sadanaru) and the rest were all by various concubines, of whom five begat ōke that were extant as of 1947. A 1907 amendment to the Imperial House Law further reduced the number of imperial princes eligible to succeed to the throne. Prince Chichibu and Prince Takamatsu had no known children. Prince Yoshi has no known children either. All of the five grandchildren of Prince Mikasa who were born into the imperial family, after being conceived by sons Tomohito and Takamado, were female granddaughters as well. By the amended 1889 house law, the imperial line of succession continued as follows:
[bold - currently extant branches. Death dates given for the last living heads of extinct branches.]
Cadet branches before October 14, 1947
Prince Fushimi Kuniie (1802–1872) (Fushimi-no-miya) Prince Fushimi Sadanaru (1858–1923) Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu (1875–1946) Prince Fushimi Hiroyoshi (1897–1938) (7) Prince Fushimi Hiroaki (b. 1932) Prince Yamashina Akira (1816–1891) (Yamashina-no-miya) Prince Yamashina Kikumaro (1873–1908) (8) Prince Yamashina Takehiko (1898–1987)Potentially ineligible to succeed by the terms of the 1889 Imperial House Law. Prince Kuni Asahiko (1824–1891) (Kuni-no-miya) Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi (1873–1929) (9) Prince Kuni Asaakira (b. 1901) (10) Prince Kuni Kuniaki (b. 1929) (11) Prince Kuni Asatake (b. 1940) (12) Prince Kuni Asahiro (b. 1944) Prince Kaya Kuninori (1867–1909) (Kaya-no-miya) (13) Prince Kaya Tsunenori (b. 1900) (14) Prince Kaya Kuninaga (b. 1922) (15) Prince Kaya Harunori (b. 1926) (16) Prince Kaya Akinori (b. 1929) (17) Prince Kaya Fuminori (b. 1931) (18) Prince Kaya Munenori (b. 1935) (19) Prince Kaya Takenori (b. 1942) (20) Prince Asaka Yasuhiko (b. 1887) (Asaka-no-miya) (21) Prince Asaka Takahiko (b. 1912) (22) Prince Asaka Tomohiko (b. 1943) (23) Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko (b. 1887) (Higashikuni-no-miya) (24) Prince Higashikuni Morihiro (b. 1916) (25) Prince Higashikuni Nobuhiko (b. 1945) (30) Prince Nashimoto Morimasa (1874–1951) (Nashimoto-no-miya) Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa (1847–1895) (Kitashirakawa-no-miya) Prince Kitashirakawa Naruhisa (1887–1923) Prince Kitashirakawa Nagahisa (1910–1940) (26) Prince Kitashirakawa Michihisa (1937–2018) Prince Takeda Tsunehisa (1882–1919) (Takeda-no-miya) (27) Prince Takeda Tsuneyoshi (b. 1909) (28) Prince Takeda Tsunetada (b. 1940) (29) Prince Takeda Tsuneharu (b. 1944) Prince Kan'in Kotohito (1865–1945) (Kan'in-no-miya) (31) Prince Kan'in Haruhito (1902–1988)
Extant cadet branches Includes individuals' possible positions in the line of succession were the cadet branches to be reinstated. All princes born before October 14, 1947, lost their titles from that date.
Prince Fushimi Kuniie (1802–1872) (Fushimi-no-miya) Prince Fushimi Sadanaru (1858–1923) Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu (1875–1946) Prince Fushimi Hiroyoshi (1897–1938) (4) Prince Fushimi Hiroaki (b. 1932) Prince Kuni Asahiko (1824–1891) (Kuni-no-miya) Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi (1873–1929) Prince Kuni Asaakira (1901–1959) (5) (b. 1929) (6) (b. 1959) (7) Kuni Kuniharu (b. 1961) (8) (b. 1940) (9) Kuni Asatoshi (b. 1971) (10) Unknown son of Kuni Asatoshi (b. 2015) (11) Prince Kuni Asahiro (b. 1944) Prince Kaya Kuninori (1867–1909) (Kaya-no-miya) Prince Kaya Tsunenori (1900–1978) (1929–1994) (12) (b. 1959) (13) Kaya Hidenori (b. 1996) (14) Kaya Takanori【写真】愛子様のお婿さん候補は2人！賀陽孝憲（かやたかのり）氏と池坊専宗（いけのぼうせんしゅう）氏はどんな人物？ [Two Candidates for Princess Aiko's Spouse: Kaya Takanori and Ikenobō Senshū] (In Japanese). 15 May 2024. (b. 1998) Prince Asaka Yasuhiko (1887–1981) (Asaka-no-miya) (1912–1994) (15) (b. 1943) (16) Asaka Akihiko (b. 1972) Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko (1887–1990) (Higashikuni-no-miya) Prince Higashikuni Morihiro (1916–1969) Prince Higashikuni Nobuhiko (1945–2019) (17) (b. 1973) (18) Unknown first son of Higashikuni Masahiko (b. 2010) (19) Unknown second son of Higashikuni Masahiko (b. 2014) (20) Higashikuni Naohiko (b. 1953) (21) Higashikuni Teruhiko (b. 1979) (22) Unknown son of Higashikuni Teruhiko (b. 2004) (23) Higashikuni Mutsuhiko (b. 1980) (24) Unknown son of Higashikuni Mutsuhiko (b. 2012) (25) Higashikuni Morihiko (b. 1967) Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa (1847–1895) (Kitashirakawa-no-miya) Prince Takeda Tsunehisa (1882–1919) (Takeda-no-miya) Prince Takeda Tsuneyoshi (1909–1992) (26) (b. 1940) (27) Takeda Tsunetaka (b. 1974) (28) Prince Takeda Tsuneharu (b. 1944) (29) Takeda Tsuneaki (b. 1979) (30) Takeda Tsunetomo (b. 1980) (31) Takeda Tsunekazu (b. 1947) (32) (b. 1975) (33) Unknown son of Tsuneyasu Takeda (b. 2024) (34) Takeda Tsuneyoshi (b. 1978)
The Nashimoto collateral branch became extinct in 1951, followed by the Yamashina in 1987, the Kan'in in 1988, and the Kitashirakawa in 2018. The main Fushimi-no-miya line and the Kaya, Kuni, Asaka, Higashikuni, and Takeda collateral branches remain extant, though the present head of the Fushimi-no-miya family lacks a male heir to continue his lineage.p. 2-5, "Japanese Royalty" Japan Year Book 1939, Kenkyusha Press, Foreign Association of Japan, TokyoGenealogy of the House of FushimiGenealogy of the Fushimi-no-miya (jp)
Shōwa period succession debates and controversies Debate over the imperial succession was first raised in the late 1920s, after Emperor Shōwa's accession. For the first eight years of their marriage, the emperor and empress only had girls; as a result, the emperor's younger brother, Prince Chichibu, remained first in line and heir presumptive to the throne until the birth of Crown Prince Akihito in December 1933. As a career military officer and known nationalist with radical leanings, the prince enjoyed close relations with the rightist faction in the military. During the early 1930s, his strong support for the "Imperial Way" faction in the army was an open secret; he cultivated strong friendships with several junior officers who were later instrumental in leading the revolt during the February 26 Incident.