Japan revises law on royals, keeps blocking women from throne

Japan's parliament has passed legislation to address the shrinking imperial family, but the law continues to bar women from inheriting the throne. Critics argue the move is a deliberate attempt to maintain male-only succession.
Why it matters
Highlights the tension between traditional monarchical structures and modern gender equality in a major global power.
Japan's upper house of parliament has voted to pass controversial revisions to a law governing who can inherit the throne in the world's oldest continuous hereditary monarchy, just days after the lower house of parliament voted it through.
The article reports on the legislative change while including critical perspectives on the gender restrictions.
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