The third-in-line for the emperor’s throne was delivered by a Caesarean section.

I guess this means the reactionaries are shelving the debate on whether female heirs can inherit the throne:

Although die-hard reformists insisted that a debate on female succession should still take place, analysts generally agreed that the prince’s birth would significantly delay a meaningful discussion for years, perhaps even decades.

They noted that the mere news of Kiko’s pregnancy — it came to light only weeks before such a change was set to be debated in parliament — caused lawmakers to indefinitely shelve proposed legislation that would have allowed Aiko to eventually ascend the throne. Such a law has been viewed here in far broader terms, with many seeing it as a symbolic way to more firmly establish the rights of women in the workplace in Japan’s male-first society.

Personally, I find the notion of a hereditary aristocracy or monarchy ridiculous, but if Japan is to continue to have one, at least it should allow women to be equal in the most exalted of social positions. The British monarchy, as much of a tabloid parody it is, is at least ahead in that regard.