The government will consider allowing female members of the imperial family who marry commoners to retain their status, a proposal that could rekindle discussions on whether a female can sit on the Chrysanthemum Throne.

The law may be amended to allow those imperial family offspring to create a new imperial family branch, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said Nov. 25. At issue is finding a way to keep the number of imperial family members from declining.

Shingo Haketa, grand steward of the Imperial Household Agency, told Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Oct. 5 that the matter had taken on heightened importance because it could hinder the activities of the imperial family, according to Fujimura.

"The falling number of imperial family members is an urgent issue," Haketa said.

He noted that many female imperial family members are reaching the age when they will soon be considering marriage.

Aside from Emperor Akihito, who turns 78 in December, there are 22 imperial family members. Fifteen of them are women. Of the eight women that have not married, six are already aged 20 or older.

Under Article 12 of the Imperial House Law, female imperial family offspring lose their imperial family member status when they marry outside of the imperial family.

"We need to consider (allowing female imperial household members to retain their status) in the future (after widespread debate)," Fujimura said.

Still, he suggested that possible amendments pose a long-term challenge, emphasizing that the government has no plans to begin weighing the issue in earnest in the immediate future.

Currently, an imperial family branch is created when male imperial family members get married or come of age. For example, Prince Fumihito, Akihito's second son, heads the Akishinonomiya branch of the imperial family.

Discussions on amendments could include expanding the right to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne to women and imperial family offspring of female lineage.

The Imperial Household Law limits successors to men of male lineage.

It means that 5-year-old Prince Hisahito, Fumihito's son, is the only eligible successor in the generation after Crown Prince Naruhito.

"There is still anxiety about ensuring stable imperial succession," Fujimura said.

Haketa also referred to the need to ensure stable succession.

If amendments are considered, it may lead to calls to expand the right to ascend the throne.

In November 2005, an advisory panel to the prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, proposed that women and imperial family offspring of female lineage be allowed to ascend the throne.

The government decided not to submit a bill to revise the Imperial Household Law after Hisahito was born in September 2006.

Haketa said the Imperial Household Agency has explained the issues facing the imperial family to successive Cabinets but has not made specific proposals or requests to address them.

He said the issue must be discussed in the government.

Princess Mako, Fumihito's eldest daughter, turned 20 this year. Prince Kako, 16, Fumihito's second daughter, and Princess Aiko, 9, Naruhito's daughter, are the only female imperial family members under the age of 20.