Japan Enshrines Male-Only Succession Law for Shrinking Imperial Family

Experts warn the measure could threaten the future of the 1,500-year-old monarchy

Japan has enacted a law formally enshrining male-only succession to its imperial throne, cementing a rule that restricts the crown to male heirs even as the royal family's ranks continue to dwindle, PBS NewsHour reported.

The measure locks in place the centuries-old practice barring women from ascending the Chrysanthemum Throne, at a time when Japan's imperial household has produced few male heirs in recent generations.

Royal watchers and experts fear the new rules could ultimately doom the roughly 1,500-year-old hereditary institution, according to the report, by narrowing the pool of eligible successors just as the family shrinks. The law's passage renews long-running debate in Japan over whether the monarchy can survive without opening succession to women.

— Compiled from reporting by PBS NewsHour.