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Japan revises laws to ensure imperial family doesn't run out of heirs

Japan revises its laws to keep its imperial family from running out of heirs to the throne, while avoiding any discussion of allowing female emperors, an idea most Japanese support.

Copyright 2026 NPR

Anthony Kuhn is NPR's correspondent based in Seoul, South Korea, reporting on the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and the great diversity of Asia's countries and cultures. Before moving to Seoul in 2018, he traveled to the region to cover major stories including the North Korean nuclear crisis and the Fukushima earthquake and nuclear disaster.
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