However there were no male Imperial successors born into the family since Imperial Prince Akishinonomiya Fumihito, for forty years, in addition to this, the Crown Prince, Imperial Prince Naruhito's first child was the Toshinomiya Imperial Princess Aiko, there was a movement to revise the Imperial House Act to allow female Emperors or Emperors in female lineage to succeed to the Imperial Throne. (Please refer to the issue of Imperial Succession)
しかしながら、皇族男子は秋篠宮文仁親王以来、40年間誕生せず、皇太子徳仁親王の第一子も内親王である敬宮愛子内親王であったことから、女性天皇や女系天皇を認めるように皇室典範を改正しようとする動きが見られていた（皇位継承問題を参照）。