TOKYO, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- The majority of Japanese voters support the accession of a woman to the imperial throne, a poll found Tuesday.
The Japanese daily newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported that 86 percent of about 1,900 voters it surveyed are in favor of an empress heading the Japanese imperial household.
The possibility of an empress leading the imperial family is being debated by Japanese policymakers as well as academics, as there is yet no clear heir to the throne.
Emperor Akihito's elder son, Crown Prince Naruhito, and his wife, Masako, have a 3-year-old daughter, Aiko. But many royalty observers argue that it is unlikely that the couple will have a son who could inherit the throne. Meanwhile, the emperor's younger son, Prince Akishino, only has daughters.
Under the current constitution, women are not allowed to head the imperial household.
