关键词: 皇位继承, 《皇室典范》, 战后改革, 象征天皇制

Abstract: Imperial Household Act is a law based on the constitution which regulates the succession of the Tenno and other affairs of the Imperial Household. This law,published in1889,built up the absolute monarchy order which fulfilled the needs of the Meiji government. As an equivalent to the constitution,this law put an end to the disordered accession system,ensured the supreme position of Tenno. After the World War II,the new version of Imperial Household Act was published. As a result,the position and characteristic of Tennno changed totally. However,the accession system of Japanese Emperor still obeyed the basic rule of the Meiji Period’s Imperial Household Act. This is the result of the incompletely reformation after World War II,which limited the development of the Japanese Imperial Household. This Act is also the root of Imperial Household succession crisis.

Key words: imperial succession, Imperial Household Act, reformation after World War II, symbolic emperor system