Female imperial family members to be barred from key succession rite

The government decided Thursday only male adult imperial family members will attend one of the key ceremonies to mark Crown Prince Naruhito's ascension to the throne on May 1, following the example set by Emperor Akihito's enthronement in 1989.The government will allow only male adults from the imperial family to attend the ceremony because the Imperial Household Law stipulates that only males can ascend the throne and minor members customarily do not take part in succession rites.But excluding female members could be viewed as being out of touch with the times.In contrast, the government w…READ FULL ARTICLE