Imperial House Law

A law that stipulates important matters related to the Imperial Family. The old "Imperial House Law" was enacted at the same time as the Constitution of the Empire of Japan in 1889 (Meiji 22), and together with that Constitution, it was the highest written law of Japan. Therefore, the written Constitution was formally divided into two parts, the Constitution of the Empire of Japan and the Imperial House Law, and all provisions related to the Imperial Family were incorporated into the Imperial House Law. As a result, the Imperial Diet had no involvement whatsoever in matters related to the Imperial Family. As a result of this dualization of the written Constitution, all written laws were divided into the Imperial House Law (the Imperial House Law and Imperial House Orders based on it) and the Government Law (the Constitution and laws based on it), and the Imperial House Law was the basic law of the Imperial House Law and was amended and abolished solely by the Emperor.

After World War II, the old Imperial House Law was abolished and the new "Imperial House Law" (Law No. 3 of 1947) came into effect at the same time as the Constitution of Japan (May 1947). The name remained the same, but the Shinto-related ceremonial parts were removed and the law was simplified, and it came to be subject to state control like other laws. It stipulates matters such as succession to the throne, the scope of the Imperial Family, regents, coming of age, honorifics, enthronement ceremonies, procedures for members of the Imperial Family to marry, leaving the Imperial Family, and the structure of the Imperial House Council. The Imperial House Law, together with the Imperial House Economic Law, currently constitutes Imperial House Law as a special legal domain.

[Masaaki Ikeda]

The new Imperial House Law only provides in Article 4 that "When the Emperor dies, the Crown Prince shall immediately ascend to the throne," and has no provision for the Emperor's abdication during his lifetime. In the summer of 2016, the Emperor's intention to abdicate during his lifetime became clear, and in June 2017, the Imperial House Law Special Provisions Act on the Abdication of the Emperor (Act No. 63 of 2017, abbreviated as the "Special Provisions Act on Abdication" or "Special Provisions Act on Abdication") was enacted, which is an integral part of the Imperial House Law and is included in its supplementary provisions. It was promulgated in June 2017 and will be in effect for no more than three years from the date of promulgation. The Emperor after abdication will be called the "Emperor Emeritus," and the Empress of the abdicated Emperor will be called the "Empress Emeritus," and the honorific title for both will be "Her Majesty."

In May 2019, when he became Emperor, there was no Crown Prince, and Prince Akishino became the "Crown Prince." The Imperial Household Agency established the Office of the Retired Emperor to assist the Retired Emperor Family, and the Office of the Crown Prince to assist the Akishino Family, and while the Office of the Crown Prince is in place, the Office of the Togu will be abolished. Regarding abdication, the reason it was made a special law and not a permanent law is to prevent arbitrary or forced abdication, which could lead to the Emperor's political activities or use for political purposes. This is the second time the Imperial Household Law has been effectively revised since the war, following 1949 (Showa 24), when the Imperial Household Agency was reorganized into the Imperial Household Agency.

[Takeshi Yano October 19, 2017]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

皇室に関する重要事項を定めた法律。旧「皇室典範」は、1889年（明治22）大日本帝国憲法と同時に制定され、同憲法とともに日本の最高の成文法であった。したがって、成文憲法は形式上、大日本帝国憲法と皇室典範の二つに分かれ、皇室に関する規定はすべて皇室典範に組み入れられた。その結果、帝国議会は皇室に関する事項については、まったく関与することができなかった。このように、成文憲法が二元化した結果、あらゆる成文法は、宮務法（皇室典範およびそれに基づく皇室令）と、政務法（憲法およびそれに基づく法令）に分かれ、皇室典範は宮務法の基本法として、もっぱら天皇によって改廃された。

　第二次世界大戦後、旧皇室典範は廃止され、新「皇室典範」（昭和22年法律第3号）が日本国憲法と同時（1947年5月）に施行された。名称をそのまま残したが、神道的儀礼部分を削除して簡素化され、普通の法律と同じく国家の統制が及ぶことになった。内容は皇位継承、皇族の範囲、摂政(せっしょう)、成年・敬称・即位の礼、皇族が結婚するときの手続き、皇籍離脱、皇室会議の仕組みなどについて定めている。皇室典範は現在、皇室経済法とともに特殊の法域として皇室法を形成している。

［池田政章］

　新「皇室典範」は第4条で「天皇が崩じたときは、皇嗣(こうし)が、直ちに即位する」と定めているだけで、天皇の生前退位の規定はない。2016年（平成28）夏、天皇自身による生前退位の意向が明らかになり、2017年6月、皇室典範と一体をなすものとしてその付則に新たに規定した、「天皇の退位等に関する皇室典範特例法」（平成29年法律第63号、略称「退位特例法」「譲位特例法」）が成立した。2017年6月に公布、公布の日から3年を超えない範囲で施行されることとなった。退位後の天皇は「上皇」、退位した天皇の后(きさき)は「上皇后」となり、敬称はいずれも「陛下」。

　2019年5月、天皇となったため皇太子は不在となり、秋篠宮(あきしののみや)は「皇嗣」となった。宮内庁に上皇家を補佐する「上皇職」と、秋篠宮家を補佐する「皇嗣職」が新設され、皇嗣職が置かれている間は東宮職はなくなる。なお退位について、特例法として恒久法としなかったのには、天皇の政治行為や政治利用につながりかねない恣意(しい)的退位や強制退位を排除するねらいがある。戦後、皇室典範が事実上改正されたのは、宮内府を宮内庁とした1949年（昭和24）に次ぎ、二度目である。

［矢野　武　2017年10月19日］

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