The ruling and opposition parties are highly likely to postpone a decision on ways to secure the number of imperial family members as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan remain far apart on the matter, senior party members said.

Leaders of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, who have been mediating informal talks between the two parties, have found it difficult to reach a conclusion before the current parliamentary session is set to end on June 22. Some are calling for an interim report to summarize discussions.

The ruling and opposition parties are split over an option of adopting back into the imperial family male members in the paternal line of 11 former branches of the family.