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Q&A: What are the changes to Japan's imperial family law?

- Jul 17, 2026 - 11:54 All,Japan

File photo shows Emperor Naruhito (L), Empress Masako (C) and their daughter Princess Aiko greeting a crowd gathered to celebrate the emperor's 66th birthday at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in February 2026. (Kyodo)

File photo taken on Jan. 2, 2026, shows (from L) Princess Aiko, Princess Kako and Prince Hisahito at the Tokyo palace's Chowa-Den wing addressing the public. (Kyodo)

Japanese Emperor Naruhito (3rd from L), Empress Masako (4th from L) and other members of the Imperial family wave from a balcony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Feb. 23, 2026, as they greet a crowd gathered to celebrate the emperor's 66th birthday. (Kyodo)

Japanese Princess Aiko, daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, and Prince Hisahito, the emperor's nephew, attend a state banquet for Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his wife Louise Araneta-Marcos at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on May 27, 2026. (Pool photo) (Kyodo)

Japan's Princess Kako and Prince Hisahito (R) visit a special exhibition marking the 160th anniversary of the signing of a treaty of amity between Japan and Belgium at Kokugakuin University Museum in Tokyo on May 23, 2026. (Pool photo) (Kyodo)

Japan's Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako (L) and their daughter, Princess Aiko, greet the press during their stroll on the premises of an imperial villa in Nasu in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, on July 15, 2026. (Pool photo) (Kyodo)

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TOKYO - The following are questions and answers about changes to Japan's Imperial House Law enacted by parliament on Friday.

Q: Why has Japan revised the Imperial House Law?

Related coverage:

Jul 17, 2026 KYODO NEWS

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