Japan will establish an advisory panel next week to solicit views from experts on ways to secure a stable imperial succession, the top government spokesman said Tuesday, amid concerns over the dwindling number of royal family members.

The six-member panel is set to discuss issues including the country's male-only imperial succession rule, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said at a news conference. The move comes two years after Emperor Naruhito's ascension to the chrysanthemum throne following the abdication of his father, former Emperor Akihito, in 2019.

"Securing a stable imperial succession is an important issue concerning the nation's basis," Kato said. Panel members "are expected to hold discussions without making prejudgments."