Will More Traditions Be Broken? Since Naruhito has no son, his younger brother Fumihito, Prince Akishino has become the new crown prince of Japan. However, Emperor Naruhito
might break another tradition and allow for a change in the succession law to pave the way for his daughter, Aiko, to succeed him. Such a change would likely need approval from the National Diet, which could also opt to change the law which
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requires female royal family members to lose their royal status if they chose to marry a commoner. If such changes happen, then Aiko would become Japan’s first empress regnant since Empress GoSakuramachi whose reign ended in 1771.