Japan’s Imperial Line at Risk? Princess Aiko Has 90% Support! Why Can’t She Be a Female Emperor?

Princess Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan, hosted a reception for foreign diplomats yesterday. The event was held at the Saitama Imperial Wild Duck Preserve in Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture, located north of Tokyo. The Princess warmly welcomed guests from Mexico and 15 other countries in English, including ambassadors and their spouses. Smiling, she shook hands with them and greeted them in English. This marked Princess Aiko’s first time attending a traditional imperial event on her own. The guests and the Princess enjoyed a traditional duck-hunting demonstration, in which ducks were carefully captured using nets. Princess Aiko then released the captured ducks back into the pond, drawing applause from the guests. On December 1, Princess Aiko celebrated her 24th birthday. These days, her life has been both busy and fulfilling, as she travels for her work with the Japanese Red Cross while also carrying out her duties as a member of the Imperial Family. Naturally, she has also been experiencing many new things, including her first official overseas visit. For a long time, Japan’s beloved Princess Aiko has often been greeted with cheers much like a pop star. During a visit to Nagasaki with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, crowds along the roadside shouted her name so loudly that it even drowned out the cheers for her parents. Recent opinion polls indicate that 70% of respondents support female succession to the throne, while another survey conducted by Kyodo News in 2024 reported support as high as 90%. Her large base of supporters hopes to change Japan’s male-only succession law, which currently bars the Emperor’s only daughter, Aiko, from becoming monarch.