Search｜Photos & Images & Videos｜KYODO NEWS IMAGES INC

Japan revises Imperial House Law

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara (front, L) bows after the House of Councillors passed a bill to revise the Imperial House Law during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 17, 2026. The amendment to the 1947 law permits the imperial family to adopt males aged 15 or older who are descended from emperors through the male line in 11 former branch families and also allows female members to retain their imperial status even after marrying commoners.

E

Japan revises Imperial House Law

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stands up after the House of Councillors passed a bill to revise the Imperial House Law during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 17, 2026. The amendment to the 1947 law permits the imperial family to adopt males aged 15 or older who are descended from emperors through the male line in 11 former branch families and also allows female members to retain their imperial status even after marrying commoners.

E

Japan revises Imperial House Law

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stands up after the House of Councillors passed a bill to revise the Imperial House Law during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 17, 2026. The amendment to the 1947 law permits the imperial family to adopt males aged 15 or older who are descended from emperors through the male line in 11 former branch families and also allows female members to retain their imperial status even after marrying commoners.

E

Japan revises Imperial House Law

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stands up after the House of Councillors passed a bill to revise the Imperial House Law during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 17, 2026. The amendment to the 1947 law permits the imperial family to adopt males aged 15 or older who are descended from emperors through the male line in 11 former branch families and also allows female members to retain their imperial status even after marrying commoners.

E

Japan revises Imperial House Law

Japan's House of Councillors passes a bill to revise the Imperial House Law during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 17, 2026. The amendment to the 1947 law permits the imperial family to adopt males aged 15 or older who are descended from emperors through the male line in 11 former branch families and also allows female members to retain their imperial status even after marrying commoners.

E

Japan revises Imperial House Law

Japan's House of Councillors passes a bill to revise the Imperial House Law during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 17, 2026. The amendment to the 1947 law permits the imperial family to adopt males aged 15 or older who are descended from emperors through the male line in 11 former branch families and also allows female members to retain their imperial status even after marrying commoners.

E

Japan revises Imperial House Law

Japan's House of Councillors passes a bill to revise the Imperial House Law during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 17, 2026. The amendment to the 1947 law permits the imperial family to adopt males aged 15 or older who are descended from emperors through the male line in 11 former branch families and also allows female members to retain their imperial status even after marrying commoners.

E

Lower house passes bill for imperial law revision

Japan's House of Representatives passes a bill for a law revision to address the dwindling number of imperial family members during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 10, 2026.

E

Lower house passes bill for imperial law revision

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) bows after the House of Representatives passed a bill for a law revision to address the dwindling number of imperial family members during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 10, 2026.

E

Lower house passes bill for imperial law revision

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) bows after the House of Representatives passed a bill for a law revision to address the dwindling number of imperial family members during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 10, 2026.

E

Lower house passes bill for imperial law revision

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi applauds after the House of Representatives passed a bill for a law revision to address the dwindling number of imperial family members during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 10, 2026.

E

Lower house passes bill for imperial law revision

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara bows after the House of Representatives passed a bill for a law revision to address the dwindling number of imperial family members during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 10, 2026.

E

Lower house passes bill for imperial law revision

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara bows after the House of Representatives passed a bill for a law revision to address the dwindling number of imperial family members during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 10, 2026.

E

Japan's emperor in Brussels

Japan's Emperor Naruhito (front, C) visits the plenary session room of the House of Representatives at the Belgian Federal Parliament in Brussels on June 23, 2026, during his official visit to Belgium. (Pool photo)

E

Japan's emperor in Brussels

Japan's Emperor Naruhito (front, C) visits the plenary session room of the House of Representatives at the Belgian Federal Parliament in Brussels on June 23, 2026, during his official visit to Belgium. (Pool photo)

E

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

File photo taken in Tokyo on July 21, 2009, shows Japanese House of Representatives speaker Yohei Kono announcing the dissolution of the lower house during its plenary session. Kono, former speaker of the House of Representatives, known for announcing the Japanese government's landmark apology over Korean "comfort women" who were forced to work in Japan's wartime military brothels, died on June 8, 2026, aged 89.

E

FY2026 supplementary budget enacted

Japan's House of Councillors passes a 3.11 trillion yen ($19 billion) supplementary budget for fiscal 2026 during a plenary session in Tokyo on June 5, 2026, marking its enactment as the budget was earlier approved by the House of Representatives.

E

FY2026 supplementary budget enacted

Japan's House of Councillors passes a 3.11 trillion yen ($19 billion) supplementary budget for fiscal 2026 during a plenary session in Tokyo on June 5, 2026, marking its enactment as the budget was earlier approved by the House of Representatives.

E

Lower house passes FY2026 supplementary budget plan

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (far R) bows after the House of Representatives passed a fiscal 2026 supplementary budget plan during a plenary session in Tokyo on June 4, 2026.

E

Lower house passes FY2026 supplementary budget plan

Japan's House of Representatives passes a fiscal 2026 supplementary budget plan during a plenary session in Tokyo on June 4, 2026.

E

Japanese PM Takaichi in parliament

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a plenary session of the House of Representatives in Tokyo on June 3, 2026.

E

Japanese PM Takaichi in parliament

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a plenary session of the House of Representatives in Tokyo on June 3, 2026.

E

Revised immigration control law enacted

Japanese Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi (far R) bows after the House of Councillors approved a bill to revise the immigration control law during a plenary session in Tokyo on May 29, 2026, marking enactment of the revised law to raise the maximum fee for residence status applications by foreigners.

E

Revised immigration control law enacted

Japan's House of Councillors approves a bill to revise the immigration control law during a plenary session in Tokyo on May 29, 2026, marking enactment of the revised law to raise the maximum fee for residence status applications by foreigners.

E

Revised immigration control law enacted

Japanese Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi bows after the House of Councillors approved a bill to revise the immigration control law during a plenary session in Tokyo on May 29, 2026, marking enactment of the revised law to raise the maximum fee for residence status applications by foreigners.

E

Revised immigration control law enacted

Japan's House of Councillors approves a bill to revise the immigration control law during a plenary session in Tokyo on May 29, 2026, marking enactment of the revised law to raise the maximum fee for residence status applications by foreigners.

E

Philippine president in Japan's parliament

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (2nd from L) arrives at Japan's parliament in Tokyo on May 28, 2026, to make a speech in the plenary chamber of the House of Councillors.

E

Philippine president in Japan's parliament

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (C) claps after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made a speech in the plenary chamber of the House of Councillors in Tokyo on May 28, 2026.

E