Since the end of WWII, the imperial family has been officially out of politics, though for several centuries before that they have been figure heads in support of whatever Shogun was in power at the time. But their importance is not so much in the political arena, but in the cultural/spirtual one.

Monarchs in many countries around the world act much like celebrities (although with a slightly different set of cultural traditions surrounding them). We could spend hours discussing the pros and cons of celebrity culture, but the facts are that a Japanese Empress is no better or worse than, say, Sarah Michelle Gellar. And, like Gellar with her character Buffy, when Aiko becomes Empress it creates an opportunity for her to be an example of a woman in an important leadership position. Indeed, the law itself would ensure that she would be just one of many such examples; the days when there were 200+ years between Empresses would be at an end.

If the Japanese people get used to seeing a woman in their oldest standing position of authority, then who’s to say that it won’t subtly influence the way they look at women in the political sphere and/or the business one?

But barring that development, yeah, this is a good thing.