A resounding success! Taro Aso’s "Imperial Family Takeover Coup"! The amended Imperial House Law, enacted in July 2026, included provisions allowing female members of the Imperial Family to retain their status after marriage and enabling the adoption of males in the paternal line from the former eleven collateral branches of the Imperial Family. Because Mr. Aso played a leading role in drafting this bill, some experts and social media users criticized the move, describing it as a "takeover of the Imperial Family by a specific lineage" or a "coup d'état."
