Recent polling indicates that 60% of Japanese citizens believe the recently revised Imperial Household Law (皇室典範) lacks public support. Additionally, 62% expressed that they cannot accept the continued prohibition of a female emperor. In contrast, opinions were evenly split regarding the proposal to adopt male descendants from former royal families who left the imperial family after World War II, granting them succession rights for the throne.
Asahi Shimbun reported on July 20 that the nationwide telephone survey was conducted among voters from July 18 to 19. The Imperial Household Law governs the structure of the Japanese imperial family and the succession process. Only 24% of respondents felt that the recent revisions garnered public understanding, while 60% disagreed.
On July 17, the Japanese House of Councillors passed the amendment to the Imperial Household Law, completing the legislative process. The amendment removes the clause that required female royals to leave the imperial family upon marriage. Previously, female royals had to renounce their royal status if they married commoners.
The amendment also allows for the adoption of male descendants from the 11 former imperial families that left the royal lineage in 1947, provided they are male and at least 15 years old without spouses or children. This change creates an exception to the previous prohibition on the adoption of royals. The discussions arose from concerns about the declining number of royals due to the existing rule requiring female royals to leave the family upon marriage.
However, the amendment still does not recognize the ascension of a female emperor, with only 29% of respondents finding this acceptable, while 62% could not accept it.
Opinions were closely divided on the proposal to adopt male descendants from former royal families, with 42% finding it acceptable and 43% disagreeing. Similarly, regarding granting succession rights to sons born to these adopted males, 43% found it acceptable, while 45% did not.
Meanwhile, the approval rating for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's cabinet has dropped to 53%, down 7 percentage points from 60% last month. This marks the first time since the cabinet's inception in October of last year that the approval rating has fallen below 60%. The percentage of respondents who do not support the cabinet rose from 27% to 35% during the same period.
Among supporters of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the approval rating remains high at 87%. However, among independents, only 36% expressed support, while 42% did not. This is the first instance where the percentage of independents who do not support the cabinet exceeds those who do.
Among those who believe the revisions to the Imperial Household Law lack public understanding, only 42% support the cabinet, which is 11 percentage points lower than the overall approval rating. The percentage of those who do not support the cabinet in this group is 49%. Asahi Shimbun analyzed that the revisions to the Imperial Household Law may have influenced the cabinet's approval ratings.
The decline in support is also attributed to dissatisfaction with measures addressing high inflation and the cabinet's policy implementation approach. The percentage of respondents who do not evaluate Takaichi's inflation measures positively is 57%, significantly higher than the 29% who do. Additionally, 46% of respondents felt that the government's policy implementation is not meticulous, compared to 38% who believe it is.
This survey was conducted via random selection of landline and mobile phone numbers, with a total of 1,066 valid responses, including 397 from landlines and 669 from mobile phones.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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