During the House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting on the 27th, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed her belief that imperial succession should be restricted to male heirs belonging to the imperial line. She referenced a 2021 government report from a panel of experts while making this statement. However, the report does not provide concrete future measures for succession, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno clarified that Takaichi's statement was a reference to the idea of adopting male heirs from former imperial families.

In her remarks, Takaichi acknowledged that denying past female emperors would be disrespectful, yet emphasized that there has never been a female-line succession in Japan. She reiterated that both the report from the panel of experts and the government's position support the view that imperial succession should be confined to male descendants of the imperial family. This highlights a continued commitment to maintaining the traditional structure of the imperial line in Japan.

Furthermore, the coalition agreement made by the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party in October of last year explicitly prioritized adopting male heirs from former imperial families as the first measure for amending the Imperial Household Law. This ongoing discussion demonstrates the government's focus on ensuring stable imperial succession while navigating the complexities surrounding gender roles within the imperial family.