Japan formally proclaims Crown Prince Akishino heir to throne

Japan formally proclaimed Crown Prince Akishino the first in line as heir to the throne on Sunday, the last of a series of ceremonies after his elder brother, Emperor Naruhito, became monarch last year following their father's abdication. The day-long ceremonies at the palace had been scheduled for April but were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic and have been scaled back as infection keeps rising, although Japan has escaped the explosive outbreak seen in many other countries. Under Japanese law, only males can inherit the throne, so Naruhito's only offspring, 18-year-old Princess Aiko, is ineligible. Moves to amend the law lost steam when Akishino's wife bore a son, Hisahito, in 2006.