38 Pct in Japan Back Diet Proposal on Imperial Family: Poll

Tokyo, June 18 (Jiji Press)–A Jiji Press monthly opinion poll showed Thursday that 38.2 pct of respondents back the Diet’s proposal for two measures to secure a sufficient number of Imperial Family members in Japan. The lower and upper chambers of the country’s parliament on June 10 adopted the proposal as a consensus of the legislative branch at a meeting of representatives of 13 parties and parliamentary groups. The consensus approves the measures of allowing female Imperial Family members to retain their status after marriage and allowing male-line descendants of former Imperial Family branches to be adopted into the family. The government will draft a bill to revise the Imperial House Law, based on the consensus. In the Jiji survey, those opposed to both measures accounted for 9.2 pct. Support for allowing female Imperial Family members to retain their status stood at 18.1 pct, while 7.6 pct backed only the adoption. An additional 26.9 pct answered they do not know. Of the respondents supporting the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, 48.8 pct approved both measures. The share stood at 45.8 pct for those supporting the LDP’s coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party. The government and the ruling coalition aim to enact the revision during the current Diet session ending on July 17. Support for both measures reached 54.2 pct among Centrist Reform Alliance supporters and 53.8 pct among Komeito supporters. Meanwhile, 26.7 pct of Japanese Communist Party supporters opposed both measures, as did 20 pct of Conservative Party of Japan supporters. The survey, conducted between Friday and Monday, covered 2,000 people aged 18 or older nationwide, with valid responses received from 57.1 pct. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]