FOCUS: Female monarchs to be debated as Japan looks to secure imperial line

Japan has finally launched formal discussions on how to secure a stable succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne amid a shrinking number of heirs, with options including allowing women to reign and emperors to descend from the maternal line to secure the future of the world's oldest hereditary monarchy.A six-member government panel held its first meeting on March 23, with its chairman, Atsushi Seike, a former Keio University president, vowing to hold "careful discussions" without haste.But the clock is ticking for the family, which is now left with just three male heirs as women marrying comm…READ FULL ARTICLE