山口玛丽 东京——一位撰写过历史和君主制相关书籍的日本知名漫画家起诉政府，质疑修订后的皇室继承法。该法允许皇室成员从已脱离皇籍的前宫家收养男性亲属，以延续未来的继承人。
MARI YAMAGUCHI TOKYO — A popular Japanese cartoonist who has written books on history and monarchy has sued the government over a revised imperial succession law allowing royals to adopt male relatives from former branch families to father future heirs.
尽管日本这个拥有1500年历史的君主制国家因仅限男性继承的规则受到批评，修订后的法律仍于周六生效。继德仁天皇之后，继承顺序依次为其弟弟秋筱宫，以及他20岁的侄子悠仁亲王。他这一代没有其他符合条件的继承人。
The revised law took effect Saturday despite criticism over the male-only succession rules in Japan’s 1,500-year-old monarchy. Next in line after Emperor Naruhito is his younger brother Akishino , followed by his 20-year-old nephew, Prince Hisahito . There are no other eligible heirs in his generation.
修订后的法律规定，可收养远亲皇族中年满15岁以上的未婚男性后裔，但仅限于通过不间断的男性血脉，将其纳入皇室的一个分支。
The revised law allows adoption of unmarried male descendants, aged 15 or older, of distant imperial relatives, but only through an unbroken male line, into a branch of the royal family.
1947年放弃皇籍的11个前宫家中，目前仍有4个存续。官员称，他们在600年前从共同的男性血脉祖先分出，与德仁相隔至少36代。批评者认为，他们关系过于疏远，不能被视为亲属。
Four of the 11 former branch families who renounced their royal status in 1947 remain. Officials say they are at least 36 generations removed from Naruhito after splitting from a common male-line ancestor 600 years ago. Critics say they are too distant to be considered relatives.
小林善纪在诉讼中称，收养这些身为平民的前皇族，构成对其他平民的歧视，违反了宪法第14条。该条保障人人平等，不因“种族、信仰、性别、社会身份或家庭出身”而受差别对待。小林善纪在向东京地方法院提起诉讼后对记者说：“这一收养制度将在日本引入一种新的‘前皇族宫家’阶级制度……这是一个严重的问题。”这是针对该修订法的首个法律行动。庭审日期尚未确定。
In his lawsuit, Yoshinori Kobayashi says the adoption of former royals, who are commoners, discriminates against other commoners in violation of the Article 14 of the constitution, which guarantees equality regardless of “race, creed, sex, social status or family origin.”“The adoption would introduce a new class system of ‘former imperial branch family’ in Japan. ... It’s a serious problem,” Kobayashi told reporters after filing the lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court, a first legal step against the revised law. No trial date has been set.
他说，收养制度破坏了“宪法的根本价值……并将君主制变成了完全不同的东西”。该法律允许女内亲王在嫁给平民后保留皇族身份并继续履行公务，但不赋予其丈夫和子女皇族身份。这实际上消除了日本深受爱戴的爱子内亲王继承其父德仁天皇皇位的机会。
He said the adoption system undermines “the fundamental value of the constitution ... and changes the monarchy into something completely different.”The law lets princesses to retain their royal status and continue with their official duties after marrying commoners, but does not confer royal status on their husbands and children. It effectively eliminates a chance for Japan’s beloved Princess Aiko to succeed her father, Naruhito .
小林将其称为“爱子殿下排除法”。男系男子单一继承政策由保守派首相高市早苗的政府推行，她曾表示，只有父系血统才赋予天皇权威和正统性。
Kobayashi calls it the “Aiko-sama exclusion law.”The male-only succession policy was pushed by the conservative government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi , who has said only the paternal bloodline gives authority and legitimacy to the emperor.
包括皇位继承问题政府有识者会议成员在内的法律专家，也对收养制度的合宪性提出了担忧。
Legal experts, including those on a government panel on the imperial succession, have also raised concerns over the constitutionality of the adoption system.
小林的律师仓持麟太郎表示，胜诉很难，但在日本没有宪法法院、且指望现政府修正法律无望的情况下，别无他法只能通过诉讼提出这一问题。
Kobayashi’s lawyer, Rintaro Kuramochi, said winning the case would be difficult, but there was no other way to raise the issue in Japan, where there is no constitutional court and little hope for the law to be rectified by the current government.
在诉讼中，小林还要求赔偿100万日元（约合6350美元），以补偿这位漫画家因热爱日本君主制、平等权利等民主价值观而创作作品所遭受的精神痛苦。
In the lawsuit, Kobayashi also demanded damages of 1 million yen ($6,350) for psychological suffering to the manga artist whose works are based on his love of Japan’s monarchy, equal rights and other democratic values.
日本历史上曾有八位女天皇。父系男性单一继承制首次出现在1890年的《皇室典范》中，当时日本推行男尊女卑的父权制体系。
Japan has had eight female monarchs. The paternal-line male succession was introduced for the first time in the 1890 Imperial House Law, when Japan promoted patriarchal systems of male superiority.