Just when it seemed that Japan was on the verge of a historic reform that would finally make its revered imperial family a more gender-equal institution, the plans have been shelved by an unexpected pregnancy. The fate of legislation that would have allowed an empress to reign now depends on the sex of Princess Kiko's unborn child. The situation has strengthened the position of chauvinists and exposed deep-seated anti-female bias.
Unlike its European counterparts, Japan's brand of constitutional monarchy does not allow a woman to sit upon the Chrysanthemum throne, a fact which contradicts the government's goal of creating an egalitarian society.
Despite the emperor being a national symbol, the 1947 Imperial House Law stipulates that only males can ascend the throne, and no woman has reigned in more than 200 years.
However, as no male child has been born into the imperial family for 40 years, a debate has raged about whether Crown Prince Naruhito's daughter, Princess Aiko, should one day become empress.
Opinion polls show over 70 per cent of the public in favour of allowing Princess Aiko to succeed her father, with just 8 per cent opposed. Last November, an advisory panel produced a report recommending that female emperors and their descendants be allowed to ascend the throne, and the emperor's eldest child, regardless of sex, should be given 'priority as the imperial heir'.
Supporters argued that such reforms would demonstrate a powerful symbolic commitment to building a gender-balanced society. Conservatives fiercely denounced the findings, saying the revisions would destroy more than 1,000 years of tradition and risk contaminating the imperial house with foreign blood. Some even suggested reintroducing the practice of concubines to breed a male heir.
Last month, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told the new session of parliament he would submit a bill to open the way for female monarchs.