TOKYO, July 26 (Xinhuanet) -- A report delivered by a government-backed panel on Tuesday said that a female should be allowed access to the throne.

    The imperial family saw no male heir born over the past 40 years. The Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako have only a 3-year-old Princess Aiko.

    The 41-year-old mother has been under heavy pressure because Japan's Imperial House Law enacted in 1947 allows only male successors to the throne.

    The panel was headed by Hiroyuki Yoshikawa who was former president of the University of Tokyo. They are expected to submit to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi a final report by September.

    In order to secure the continuation of the monarch in Japan, the government is considering to revise the Imperial House Law. Surveys have showed that the public does not oppose the existence of a female emperor. Enditem