Japan's Prince Hisahito marks a significant milestone as the first male royal to reach maturity in four decades. Possibly, he could be the final instances of royal male lineage.
Prince Hisahito, the only son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, is making headlines in Japan as he steps closer to the Chrysanthemum Throne. Born on September 6, 2006, Prince Hisahito is now 15 years old and has recently reached adulthood, marking the first male royal to do so in 40 years in Japan.
As a student at Tsukuba University, Prince Hisahito is studying biology and enjoying playing badminton. His academic interests extend beyond the classroom, as he has co-authored an academic paper on dragonflies and has a particular interest in them. Prince Hisahito hopes to focus his studies on dragonflies and other insects, including ways to protect bug populations in urban areas.
The issue of succession to the throne is a serious concern for Japan's monarchy, which historians say has lasted for 1,500 years. The shortage of male successors has been a topic of debate, with discussions surrounding whether to give royal status to non-royals who marry princesses and their children, allowing female imperial family members to create new branches of the imperial house, and adopting male descendants from now-defunct distant royal families to continue the male lineage.
In January 2022, a Japanese commission chaired by the president of the Supreme Court recommended preserving male succession to the throne and suggested allowing female imperial family members to create new branches of the imperial house and retain their titles even after marriage. The conservative panel of experts also supported these recommendations.
Prince Hisahito's coming-of-age rituals were held a year after he turned 18, as he wanted to concentrate on college entrance exams. The rituals included him receiving a crown, changing into adult attire, riding in a royal horse carriage, and praying at shrines within the Imperial Palace.
As Prince Hisahito steps closer to the throne, he will have lunch with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and other dignitaries. He will also visit Ise, Japan's top Shinto shrine, the mausoleum of the mythical first emperor Jinmu in Nara, as well as that of his late great-grandfather, wartime emperor Hirohito, in the Tokyo suburbs.
After Prince Hisahito, there is nobody left in the Imperial family, leaving the family with a dilemma over whether to reverse a 19th century ruling that abolished female succession. The government proposed allowing a female emperor in 2005, but the proposal was turned down by nationalists after Prince Hisahito's birth. More recently, the conservative Yomiuri newspaper called for an urgent revision to the Imperial House Law to give royal status to husbands and children of princesses and allow women to succeed the throne.
The debate over succession to the throne is ongoing, but Prince Hisahito's coming-of-age marks an important step in the future of Japan's monarchy. A private celebration for Prince Hisahito will be hosted by his parents at a Tokyo hotel where their relatives will gather. Prince Hisahito is second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne and is likely to become emperor one day.
