Central News Agency (Taipei, July 1, 2024, 11:50 AM EST) -- A proposed amendment to Japan's Imperial House Law, finalized by the government on June 30, stipulates that the son of an adopted prince will have the right to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne. However, opposition parties have criticized this move as a departure from the parliamentary consensus compiled last month, which called for a pause in discussions on imperial succession. Japan's current Imperial House Law stipulates that the imperial throne is inherited by males of patrilineal descent. Currently, the only heirs to the throne are Emperor Naruhito's younger brother, Prince Fumihito of Akishino, and Prince Fumihito's son, Prince Hisahito. The imperial family's size is also continuously shrinking due to female members losing their imperial status upon marriage, prompting the government to consider legislative revisions. The Japanese government yesterday approved an amendment to the Imperial House Law in an extraordinary cabinet meeting, allowing female members of the imperial family to retain their status after marriage and permitting male descendants of former imperial families to become adopted princes. Jiji Press reported today that Article 1 of the current Imperial House Law states, "The Imperial Throne shall be succeeded to by a male descendant in the male line of the Emperors," while Article 2 stipulates that the order of succession begins with the Emperor's eldest son. The amendment finalized by the Japanese government yesterday specifies that Article 2 does not apply to the adopted person themselves but does apply to the adopted person's son. This means that while an adopted male in the male line does not have the right to succeed to the throne, if that adopted person later has a son, that son will possess the right to imperial succession. Regarding the imperial succession system, there has been a long-standing divergence of opinions between the ruling and opposition parties on whether to allo