Imperial succession will be stable if direct descendants of the emperor, including females, are given priority in ascending the throne, a government panel on the issue agreed this week.
To maintain continuity in the Imperial succession, the panel is now leaning toward two options -- giving priority to the emperor's firstborn regardless of gender, or giving priority to a direct male descendant over any older sisters, Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, the panel head, told reporters after its meeting Thursday.
Yoshikawa, former University of Tokyo president, added that the advisory body to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will have additional meetings before submitting a final report by late autumn.