In this photo provided by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, Japanese Prince Hisahito speaks at his first press conference on Monday, March 3, 2025, at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

THE shrinking number of Japan’s imperial family members is a grave problem for the country. As things stand, only three members are eligible to ascend to the Chrysanthemum Throne, and unease ...

The LDP hosts a “constant struggle between people who favor more moderate patriotism and versus those favoring a more extreme nationalism. We see this not only in the LDP but within Abe himself.” ...

Japan’s imperial family is the world’s oldest monarchy — but it’s also one of the most fragile. With only three heirs, no reigning empress allowed and billions of yen in taxpayer funding at stake, the ...

Japan’s Emperor Naruhito has finally admitted that the future of the Chrysanthemum Throne is in peril. Speaking on the eve of his state visit to the UK in mid-June, Naruhito noted that the number of ...

In Oct 2023, Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio called for discussion on the issue of male-only imperial succession and set up a group to explore the possibility of change.