TOKYO –- After more than three quarters the Japanese would accept a female head of state, according to a newspaper poll published on Sunday.

Current rules of succession allow only males to succeed to Chrysanthemum Throne, but the system may have to be altered because the current monarch, 69-year-old Emperor Akihito, has no male grandchildren.

About 76 percent of respondents to a survey carried out earlier this month and published in the regional Tokyo ***Shimbun*** said it would be acceptable for a woman to become head of state.

Only 9.6 percent said the role should be limited to men, while 12.7 percent said they did not care one way or the other.

First in line of succession is 43-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito, whose wife Crown Princess Masako gave birth to their first child 18 months ago.

Naruhito's younger brother has only female children, while his sister is unmarried and childless.

Support for the Imperial Household is strong in Japan, with 83 percent of respondents saying they wanted it to continue in its current form.