Kanako Takahara

The approval paves the way for the revision — a top priority for the government — to be submitted to the current parliamentary session.

The Cabinet approved Friday a revised bill that allows prosecutors to appeal a court's retrial order only in exceptional cases, paving the way for

A proposal to allow the reinstatement of former male royals along the male line of the imperial family through adoption is being considered by policymakers.

The move paves the way toward legal amendments to help prevent the number of members of the imperial family from further dwindling.

Pointing a laser at a monkey will cause it a great amount of stress, a zoo official said, adding that aiming one at its eyes could cause blindness.

Revisions to the laws meant to tackle the imperial family’s dwindling numbers included clauses that throw succession rules into question.

The pieces of legislation will now be deliberated in the Upper House, which is expected to clear them by the end of the current session of parliament.

The latest Finance Ministry data showed that remittances increased by 11.5% from the previous year to ¥1.004 trillion, double the figure recorded in 2015.

The CDP opposes a clause allowing the future male offspring of newly reinstated members of the imperial family to become heirs to the chrysanthemum throne.

They pave the way for the first major revision of the Imperial House Law since its establishment in 1947.