Japan Press Weekly

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2026 April 15 - 21 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

JCP Koike: Constitution allows women to be Emperor

Japanese Communist Party Executive Committee Chair Tamura Tomoko and JCP Secretariat Head Koike Akira attended a meeting on the succession to the imperial throne held on April 15 at the official residence of the Speaker of the House of Representatives with representatives of all parties in both Houses of the Diet participating.

Koike stressed that in line with the Constitution, there is no rational reason to restrict the Emperor, the “symbol” of the Japanese people’s unity which is composed of people of diverse genders, to males only.

Koike said that the gender-based exclusion of women from holding the imperial throne violates the constitutional spirit of gender equality. He added, “Allowing a female emperor is reasonable according to the constitutional provisions and spirit.”

Pointing out that most of the general public in every opinion poll supported the right for a woman to hold the throne, Koike said that parliamentary debate concerning the imperial succession issue should reflect the will of the public.