15:24 JST, July 16, 2026

Ahead of the end of the Diet session, a debate was held between Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the leaders of the opposition parties. Although each party raised questions and concerns about Takaichi’s flagship policies, the debate apparently failed to delve deeply into the issues and ended up being a waste of time.

Shunichi Mizuoka, president of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, addressed the bill to revise the Imperial House Law, specifically the provision that would allow children of male descendants from the former Imperial branches to be adopted into the Imperial family to inherit the Imperial throne.

Mizuoka criticized the move, saying: “The discussion, which began as a measure to ensure a sufficient number of Imperial family members, has been transformed into a system that creates new eligible successors to the throne. Have we been deceived?”

Takaichi reiterated, “The........

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