Japan Celebrates Prince Hisahito‘s Adulthood, highlighting Succession Concerns
TOKYO – Japan is holding days of elaborate ceremonies this weekend to mark Prince hisahito’s 18th birthday, the first male royal to reach adulthood in four decades.The celebrations underscore the critical issue of succession within the 1,500-year-old monarchy, as Japan grapples with a rapidly aging and shrinking population.
The prince began the festivities Friday with a traditional rite of adulthood at the Fukiage Imperial Palace, donning ancient ceremonial robes. He then visited his grandparents, former Emperor Akihito and former Empress Michiko, at the Sento Imperial residence in Akasaka. A celebratory banquet in Tokyo concluded Saturday’s events.
The rituals will continue into next week, with Prince Hisahito scheduled to visit Ise, japan’s most crucial Shinto shrine, the mausoleum of the mythical first emperor Jinmu in Nara, and the mausoleum of his late great-grandfather, Emperor Hirohito, in the Tokyo suburbs. A lunch with Prime Minister shigeru ishiba and other dignitaries is planned for Wednesday.
Currently a first-year biology student at Tsukuba University near Tokyo, Prince Hisahito has already co-authored an academic paper on insect life on the grounds of his Akasaka estate.In a news conference in March, he expressed his intention to focus his studies on dragonflies and insects, specifically exploring ways to protect bug populations in urban areas. He also enjoys cultivating tomatoes and rice on the palace grounds.Born on September 6,2006,Prince Hisahito has two older sisters: Princess Kako and former Princess Mako,who relinquished her royal status upon marrying a commoner.
The lack of male heirs is a significant concern for the Imperial Family. Japan recorded nearly a million more deaths than births in 2024 – the largest decline since records began in 1968. Prime Minister Ishiba has described the demographic trend as a “quiet emergency,” outlining measures like free childcare and flexible working hours to address the issue, but pressures on pensions, healthcare, and rural communities are already mounting.
