Meet Prince Hisahito, first male in Japan’s royal family to reach adulthood in 40 years and he may be the last

Japan has had eight female emperors, the last being Gosakuramachi (1762–1770), but none produced heirs. Experts argue the male-only system was historically sustained by concubines, a practice abolished over a century ago.

Prince Hisahito of Japan, the only son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, officially became an adult on Saturday, September 6, with a traditional coming-of-age ceremony in Tokyo. At 19, he is the first male member of the royal family in 40 years to reach adulthood, a significant moment for Japan’s imperial household.

The ceremony was held at the Imperial Palace, where Hisahito first wore a beige robe, symbolizing youth. He then received a black crown known as a kanmuri, marking his entry into adulthood. The prince bowed deeply to Emperor Naruhito, expressed gratitude to his parents, and pledged to carry out his duties as a member of the royal family.

After the rituals, he rode in a horse-drawn carriage and offered prayers at the palace shrines, completing the day’s celebrations.

Who is Prince Hisahito?

Prince Hisahito was born on September 6, 2006, in Tokyo’s Minato ward. He is the youngest child and the only son of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko. That makes him the nephew of Emperor Naruhito and currently second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne, after his father.

At just 19, Hisahito is also the youngest member of Japan’s Imperial Family, which now has only 16 adult members. Importantly, he and his father are the only two younger male heirs to Emperor Naruhito. The next in line after them is Prince Hitachi, the younger brother of former Emperor Akihito, but at 89 years old, he is unlikely to ever reign.

Hisahito’s education has also drawn attention. In 2010, he entered Ochanomizu University Kindergarten and later went to the university’s elementary school in 2013, making history as the first imperial family member not to attend the traditional Gakushuin Primary School. Today, he is a student at the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, where he continues his studies alongside ordinary classmates.

Prince Hitachi may be Japan’s last emperor

Prince Hisahito is the nephew of Emperor Naruhito, who has only one child, Princess Aiko. Hisahito’s father, Crown Prince Akishino, was the last male in the imperial family to reach adulthood and that was back in 1985.

Today, the imperial family has 16 adult members, but Hisahito and his father are the only male heirs younger than Naruhito. The next in line after them is Prince Hitachi, the younger brother of former Emperor Akihito, but at 89 years old, he is unlikely to inherit the throne.

This shortage of male successors has become a serious issue for Japan’s monarchy, which historians say has continued for more than 1,500 years. The situation also reflects Japan’s wider struggles with an aging and shrinking population.

In the past, Japan did allow female emperors, there have been eight in total, the last being Empress Gosakuramachi in the 1700s. However, none of them passed the throne to their own children.

The rules changed in 1889, when the prewar Constitution formally limited succession to men. The 1947 Imperial House Law, still in effect today, kept that restriction and continues to bar women from inheriting the throne.