WNAM REPORT: The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on Tuesday recommended that Japan revise its Imperial House Law to ensure gender equality.
In its concluding observation of a periodic review of the Asian country, the panel also urged Japan to implement a law revision toward introducing a selective dual surname system for married couples.
The report came although the Japanese government told the committee at an Oct. 17 session in Geneva that the imperial system is supported by the Japanese public thanks to its history and tradition, and that it was inappropriate for the committee to discuss the issue.
Tokyo also argued that Japanese public opinion is divided on a dual surname system, and that the introduction of such a system would require broad public understanding.
In its latest report, the committee said the Imperial House Law, which allows only male descendants from the paternal line of the imperial family to become emperor, is “contrary to the object and purpose of the Convention (on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women).”
It called on Japan to look at other parties to the convention for reference and amend the law “to guarantee equality of women and men in the succession to the throne.”
In the previous 2016 review, the committee initially drafted a report that included a call to review the Imperial House Law, but the proposal was removed due to opposition from the Japanese government.
Meanwhile, the committee repeatedly said in its 2003, 2009 and 2016 reports that a provision in Japan’s Civil Code that requires married couples to have a single surname is discriminatory.
