皇族の数を確保するための改正皇室典範が成立　7月17日、参議院本会議で可決　女性皇族が結婚後も皇室に残れることや、旧皇族の男系男子を養子に迎えられることを盛り込む　皇室典範の本格的な改正は1947年の制定からおよそ79年で初めてで、公布から3か月後に施行し、30年ごとに内容を見直すことも決めた

Welcome to Japanese Daily News. I'm Maya. Today is July eighteenth. Japan's parliament has revised the Imperial House Law for the first time in nearly eighty years, aiming to secure the number of imperial family members. Let's listen.

Now let's break it down, sentence by sentence.

On July seventeenth, the House of Councillors passed and enacted a law that changes the Imperial House Law, the rules of the imperial family.

It means a bill passing and becoming law.

The Imperial House Law is an important law about the Emperor and the imperial family, and the current one was made in 1947.

It means the Emperor of Japan.

The main aim of this revision is to secure the number of imperial family members.

It means securing something, or making sure of it.

The number of imperial family members has been gradually falling, and there were voices worried about the future.

It means members of the imperial family.

The first change is that female imperial family members can now stay in the imperial family even after marrying.

It means a woman, or female.

Until now, when a female imperial member married, she left the imperial family and became an ordinary citizen.

It means ordinary, or general — here, an ordinary citizen.

The second is allowing male-line male descendants of former imperial families to be adopted into the imperial family.

It means an adopted child.

The revised Imperial House Law will take effect three months after it is officially announced.

It means a law taking effect.

It was also decided to review the contents every thirty years.

It means to review, or to take another look at something.

Let's listen to the whole story one more time.

Time for a short quiz. Listen and try to answer.

On July seventeenth, in the House of Councillors.

To secure the number of imperial family members, which has been falling.

They can now stay in the imperial family after marrying, instead of leaving and becoming ordinary citizens.

That's all for today. Japan's parliament has revised the Imperial House Law for the first time in about eighty years, aiming to secure the number of imperial family members. Female members may now stay after marriage, and male-line descendants of former imperial families may be adopted. The law takes effect three months after promulgation and will be reviewed every thirty years. Thanks for listening, and see you tomorrow.