As she turns 24 on Monday, her supporters want to change Japan's male-only succession law, which forbids Aiko, the emperor's only child, from becoming monarch. In addition to frustration that the discussion on succession rules has stalled, there is a sense of urgency because Japan's shrinking monarchy is on the verge of extinction, and Naruhito's teenage nephew is the only eligible heir from the younger generation. Experts say the female ban should be lifted before the royal family dies out, but conservative lawmakers, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, oppose the change.

After Aiko's first formal abroad journey to Laos in November as the emperor's representative, support for her as a future monarch grew. She visited historical and cultural sites, spoke with villagers, and met with high-ranking Laotian authorities during the six-day visit.
Aiko traveled to Okinawa and Nagasaki with her parents earlier this year. She has emulated her father, who emphasizes the necessity of educating future generations about the horror of World War II.
Setsuko Matsuo, an 82-year-old atomic bomb survivor who visited Nagasaki's peace park hours before Aiko and her parents were supposed to arrive, said, "I have always been rooting for Princess Aiko to be crowned." "I like everything about her, especially her smile ... so comforting," she told The Associated Press at the time.58-year-old office worker Mari Maehira, who waited to support Aiko in Nagasaki, stated that she had witnessed Aiko's development and that "now we want to see her become a future monarch."
Some have pushed lawmakers to amend the law because of the princess's popularity.
Supporters of cartoonist Yoshinori Kobayashi's comic books, which advocate for a legal amendment that would permit Aiko to become monarch, continue to deliver them to lawmakers in an effort to increase awareness and win their support.
To raise awareness of the problem, some have created YouTube channels and distributed pamphlets.According to Yamazaki, "the succession system conveys the Japanese mindset regarding gender issues." "I anticipate that women's status in Japan would significantly improve with a female monarch."
On December 1, 2001, the well-known princess was born.
Her mother, Harvard-educated former diplomat Masako, is still recovering from a stress-induced mental illness that she got shortly after giving birth to Aiko, ostensibly as a result of criticism for not having a male heir.
Aiko was regarded as an intelligent youngster who, as a devotee of sumo, committed wrestlers' complete names to memory.
She had, however, also had challenges: as a young girl in elementary school, she briefly skipped courses due to bullying. She missed a month of school as a teenager and looked incredibly skinny.Her father and numerous other royals attended Gakushuin University, where Aiko graduated in 2024. Since then, she has worked at the Red Cross Society and taken part in her official responsibilities and palace ceremonies. She likes to go for walks with her parents and play badminton, tennis, and volleyball with palace officials on the weekends.
The Imperial House Law of 1947 mandates that female royals who marry commoners forfeit their royal position and only permit male-line succession.
Thirty years ago, the Imperial Family had thirty members; today, it has only sixteen. Everybody is an adult.
Crown Prince Akishino, Naruhito's 60-year-old younger brother, and Prince Hisahito, Akishino's 19-year-old son, are the only two possible younger male heirs. Prince Hitachi, the third heir apparent and younger brother of former Emperor Akihito, is ninety years old.

"But nothing can be done under the current system," Akishino said, acknowledging the aging and declining royal population.
In advance of his 60th birthday on Sunday, he told reporters, "I think all we can do right now is to scale back our official duties."
The crown prince made the subtle but uncommon observation last year that royal members are "human beings" whose lives are impacted by the conversation. Although palace authorities have taken his comment seriously, he has not noticed any change, Akishino said on Sunday.
Aiko had previously stated that she was aware of the royal population's decline but was unable to remark on the system. "In light of the situation, I sincerely hope to fulfill all official duties and assist the emperor, the empress, and other members of the Imperial Family."

"I believe the situation is already critical," stated Hideya Kawanishi, a monarchy expert and professor at Nagoya University. The capacity of Hisahito and his prospective wife to conceive a boy child will determine its future. "Who would like to wed him? If anyone does, she would be under tremendous pressure to have a male successor while carrying out her official responsibilities at a superhuman level.