Prince Hisahito of Japan is the first male royal in 40 years to reach adulthood, and he might also be the last.
The ceremonial events at the palace on Saturday to officially acknowledge Hisahito as an adult highlight the uncertain future of the world’s oldest monarchy. This situation largely stems from its exclusively male succession policy and dwindling royal numbers.
Hisahito is second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne and is anticipated to become emperor eventually. However, after him, there are no other male heirs, prompting the Imperial family to consider reversing a 19th-century ruling that eliminated female succession rights.
Currently a biology freshman at Tsukuba University near Tokyo, Hisahito enjoys studying insects, particularly dragonflies, and has co-authored a research paper on the insects found at his Akasaka estate. He also enjoys playing badminton.
In a news conference in March, the prince expressed his intention to focus on studying urban insect populations, including ways to protect them.
Born on September 6, 2006, Hisahito is the only son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko. He has two older sisters, Princess Kako and former Princess Mako, who forfeited her royal status upon marrying a nonroyal.
Hisahito’s coming-of-age rituals occurred a year after he turned 18, as he prioritized college entrance exams.
As the nephew of Emperor Naruhito, who has a daughter, Princess Aiko, Hisahito’s father Akishino was the last male in the family to reach adulthood in 1985.
Hisahito is the youngest among the 16 all-adult Imperial Family members. Alongside his father, he is one of the only two younger male heirs than Naruhito. Prince Hitachi, former Emperor Akihito’s brother, is third in line but already 89.
The absence of male successors poses a significant challenge for the monarchy, which historians claim has endured for 1,500 years. The issue mirrors Japan’s aging and decreasing population.
Japan traditionally permitted female emperors, though the practice halted after the prewar 1889 Constitution and the postwar 1947 Imperial House Law, which restricted succession to males.
Experts argue that the male-only succession model is flawed and previously relied on concubines, who until about a century ago, bore imperial children.
Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, cannot succeed her father despite public support for her as a future monarch.
In 2005, the government proposed allowing a female emperor, but Hisahito’s birth shifted national opinion, and the proposal lost traction.
In January 2022, a conservative expert panel suggested maintaining male-line succession while allowing princesses to retain royal status after marriage. They also proposed adopting male descendants from defunct royal families.
The debate has stalled regarding granting royal status to those who marry princesses and their children.
This ongoing debate has placed the future of the Imperial Family on Hisahito’s shoulders, according to former Imperial Household Agency chief Shingo Haketa. “The fundamental issue isn’t about male or female succession but how to preserve the monarchy,” he stated.
The conservative Yomiuri issued a proposal in May, urging amendments to the Imperial House Law to grant royal status to princesses’ husbands and children, and allow women to ascend the throne.
Hisahito’s ceremonial day began at his residence, where he received a crown delivered by a messenger from Naruhito. At the Imperial Palace, in a major ritual attended by royals and officials, Hisahito wore traditional attire with a beige robe symbolizing pre-adulthood. His headcover was replaced with a black adult “kanmuri” headpiece, marking his coming-of-age. He expressed gratitude to the Emperor for the crown, to his parents for hosting, and promised to fulfill his royal duties.
Hisahito is scheduled to ride a royal horse carriage to pray at three palace shrines. Later, he will visit the Imperial Palace in a tuxedo to greet Naruhito and Empress Masako in the Matsu-no-Ma, receive a medal, and meet his grandparents, Akihito and former Empress Michiko.
