{"id":2483166,"date":"2025-09-06T14:05:02","date_gmt":"2025-09-06T18:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/japans-prince-hisahito-is-the-first-male-royal-to-reach-adulthood-in-40-years-he-may-be-the-last\/"},"modified":"2025-09-06T14:11:47","modified_gmt":"2025-09-06T18:11:47","slug":"japans-prince-hisahito-is-the-first-male-royal-to-reach-adulthood-in-40-years-he-may-be-the-last","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/japans-prince-hisahito-is-the-first-male-royal-to-reach-adulthood-in-40-years-he-may-be-the-last\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan\u2019s Prince Hisahito is the first male royal to reach adulthood in 40 years. He may be the last"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">38<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjapans-prince-hisahito-is-the-first-male-royal-to-reach-adulthood-in-40-years-he-may-be-the-last%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2483166&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses Japan&#8217;s Prince Hisahito,who has recently reached adulthood,becoming the first male royal to do so in 40 years. This milestone highlights concerns over the future of Japan&#8217;s Imperial Family due to the male-only succession policy and a shrinking number of male heirs. Prince Hisahito, a university freshman studying biology with a particular interest in dragonflies, is second in line to the Chrysanthemum throne and likely to become emperor one day. Though, after him, the line of male successors is uncertain, raising debates about possibly revising the law to allow female succession, which has historical precedent but has been restricted as the late 19th century.<\/p>\n<p>The article notes that Hisahito&#8217;s coming-of<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >-age ceremony involved traditional rituals<\/a>, including receiving a crown and participating in formal events at the Imperial Palace. The shortage of male heirs is a serious issue for the monarchy, reflecting Japan&#8217;s broader demographic challenges. While Princess Aiko, the Emperor&#8217;s daughter, is popular and supported by many to be a future monarch, current laws do not permit a female emperor. Attempts to change succession laws have faced resistance, with some experts advocating to maintain the male-line system while allowing for improved status of female royals after marriage or adopting male descendants from defunct branches.<\/p>\n<p>Prince Hisahito&#8217;s adulthood symbolizes both continuity and the impending uncertainty surrounding Japan&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/japan-weighs-science-spirits-in-resolving-imperial-succession-crisis\/\" title=\"Japan weighs science, spirits in resolving imperial ... crisis\">imperial succession<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/potential-harmonic-havoc-lauren-daigles-light-christian-bop-these-are-the-days-under-scrutiny\/\" title=\"Lauren Daigle&#039;s Christian hit &#039;These Are The Days&#039; faces scrutiny for potential disharmony\">sparking ongoing debate<\/a> over how to preserve the monarchy in a modern context. <br \/> <!DOCTYPE html><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Japan&rsquo;s Prince Hisahito is the first male royal to reach adulthood in 40 years. He may be the last<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2222383\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>TOKYO (AP) &mdash;<\/strong> Japan&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/japan-prince-hisahito-succession-adulthood-dragonfly-22912b50f086c608ebb61740eddd4d48\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Prince Hisahito<\/a>&nbsp;is the first male royal to reach adulthood in 40 years. Many people in Japan worry he could be the last.<\/p>\n<p>The elaborate palace rituals to formally recognize Hisahito as an adult on Saturday are a reminder of the bleak outlook for the world&rsquo;s oldest monarchy. Much of this comes down to its male-only succession policy and dwindling numbers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3796132\/venice-film-festival-announcing-awards\/\">Venice Film Festival draws to a close and is announcing its awards<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3796101\/trump-says-vaccines-work-pure-and-simple\/\">Trump says vaccines work &#8216;pure and simple&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3796062\/hochul-slams-trump-over-reported-9-11-memorial-takeover-plans\/\">Hochul slams Trump over reported 9\/11 memorial takeover plans<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Hisahito is second in line to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/general-news-8fc407b513b4438581faccb2de2b39dd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Chrysanthemum Throne<\/a>&nbsp;and is likely to become emperor one day. After him, however, there is nobody left, leaving the Imperial family with a dilemma over whether they should reverse a 19th century ruling that abolished female succession.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-hisahito-is-a-university-freshman-who-loves-bugs\">Hisahito is a university freshman who loves bugs<\/h2>\n<p>A freshman at Tsukuba University near Tokyo, Hisahito studies biology and enjoys playing badminton. He is especially devoted to dragonflies and has co-authored an academic paper on a survey of the insects on the grounds of his Akasaka estate in Tokyo.<\/p>\n<p>In his debut news conference in March, the prince said he hopes to focus his studies on dragonflies and other insects, including ways to protect bug populations in urban areas.<\/p>\n<p>Hisahito was born on Sept. 6, 2006, and is the only son of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/japan-vietnam-crown-prince-asean-friendship-9624eb2e04a14e6328390f0da4c2b01f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Crown Prince Akishino<\/a>, the heir to the throne, and his wife, Crown Princess Kiko. He has two older sisters, the popular&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/princess-kako-lula-brazil-meeting-3aed4fbbfb06cd521d5d6d5eeb0c541e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Princess Kako<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/japan-princess-baby-65fd63190ef8b7f4afd264ebc7da4449\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">former Princess Mako<\/a>, whose marriage to a nonroyal required her to abandon her royal status.<\/p>\n<p>Hisahito&rsquo;s coming-of-age rituals fell a year after he&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/japan-emperor-prince-imperial-family-succession-9edde66e34287e7cba1139cb4b25b706\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">turned 18,<\/a>&nbsp;reaching legal adulthood, because he wanted to concentrate on college entrance exams.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-he-may-be-the-last-emperor\">He may be the last emperor<\/h2>\n<p>Hisahito is the nephew of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/naruhito\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Emperor Naruhito,<\/a>&nbsp;who has one child, a daughter,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/japan-princess-aiko-birthday-succession-emperor-5efd5d1f56ab436e30d44856bc713fdb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Princess Aiko.<\/a>&nbsp;Hisahito&rsquo;s father, Akishino, the Emperor&rsquo;s younger brother, was the last male to reach adulthood in the family, in 1985.<\/p>\n<p>Hisahito is the youngest of the 16-member all-adult Imperial Family. He and his father are the only two male heirs who are younger than Naruhito. Prince Hitachi, former Emperor&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/international-news-general-news-6bd230dabbee4d29a82596ca95665264\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Akihito&rsquo;s<\/a>&nbsp;younger brother, is third in line to the throne but is already 89.<\/p>\n<p>The shortage of male successors is a serious concern for the monarchy, which historians say has lasted for 1,500 years. The issue reflects Japan&rsquo;s rapidly aging and shrinking population.<\/p>\n<p>Japan traditionally had male emperors, but female succession was permitted. There have been eight female emperors, including the most recent Gosakuramachi who ruled from 1762 to 1770. None of them, however, produced an heir during their reign.<\/p>\n<p>Succession was legally limited to males by law for the first time in 1889 under the prewar Constitution. The postwar 1947 Imperial House Law, which largely preserves conservative prewar family values, also only allows male succession.<\/p>\n<p>But experts say the male-only succession system is structurally flawed and only worked previously thanks to the help of concubines who, until about 100 years ago, produced imperial children.<\/p>\n<p>Hugely popular Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/japan-empress-masako-hidankyo-nobel-171ff8d7400d1449dbc0e86bee06ce17\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Empress Masako,<\/a>&nbsp;cannot be her father&rsquo;s successor, even though she is supported by much of the public as a future monarch.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-succession-debate-rages\">A succession debate rages<\/h2>\n<p>To address succession concerns, the government compiled a proposal to allow a female emperor in 2005. But Hisahito&rsquo;s birth quickly changed the tide and nationalists turned against the proposal.<\/p>\n<p>A separate, largely conservative panel of experts in January 2022 recommended calling on the government to maintain its male-line succession while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lunas-proxy-voting-proposal-for-childbirth-rejected-by-johnson-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Luna&#039;s proxy voting proposal for childbirth rejected by Johnson- Washington Examiner\">allowing female members<\/a> to keep their royal status after marriage and continue their official duties. The conservatives also proposed adopting male descendants from now-defunct distant royal families to continue the male lineage.<\/p>\n<p>But the debate has stalled over the question of whether to give royal status to nonroyals who marry princesses and their children.<\/p>\n<p>The stalled debate has forced Hisahito to carry the burden of the Imperial Family&rsquo;s fate by himself, former Imperial Household Agency chief Shingo Haketa said in a Yomiuri newspaper article earlier this year. &ldquo;The fundamental question is not whether to allow male or female succession line but how to save the monarchy.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The conservative Yomiuri issued its own proposal in May, calling 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. It called on the parliament to &ldquo;responsibly reach a conclusion on the crisis surrounding the state and the symbol of the unity of the people.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-crown-horse-carriage-and-prayers\">Crown, horse-carriage and prayers<\/h2>\n<p>Saturday&rsquo;s ritual for Hisahito started at his family residence, with him appearing in a tuxedo to receive a crown to be delivered by a messenger from Naruhito.<\/p>\n<p>In a main ritual at the Imperial Palace, attended by other royal members and top government officials, he wore traditional attire with a beige-colored robe that symbolized his pre-adulthood status. His headcover was replaced with the crown, a black adult &ldquo;kanmuri&rdquo; headpiece, formalizing his coming-of-age. Hisahito bowed deeply and thanked the Emperor for the crown and his parents for hosting the ceremony and pledged to fulfil his responsibility as a royal member.<\/p>\n<p>The crowned prince then changed into adult attire with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/madonna-blasted-as-grandma-by-50-cent-like-a-virgin-at-64\/\" title=\"Madonna Blasted as \u201cGrandma\u201d by 50 Cent \u2013 \u201cLike a Virgin at 64!\u201d\">black top<\/a> and rode in a royal horse carriage to pray at the three shrines within the palace compound.<\/p>\n<p>In the afternoon, Hisahito was to put his tuxedo back on to visit the Imperial Palace to greet Naruhito and Empress Masako, his uncle and aunt, in the prestigious Matsu-no-Ma, or pine room. In another ritual he is to receive a medal, the Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, in a postwar tradition. He also was to greet his grandparents, Akihito and his wife, former Empress Michiko, at their palace.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/finance-and-economy\/3782257\/who-is-lisa-cook-fed-governor-trump-trying-to-fire\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WHO IS LISA COOK, THE FED GOVERNOR TRUMP IS TRYING TO FIRE?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In the evening, Akishino and Kiko were to host a private celebration for their son at a Tokyo hotel for their relatives.<\/p>\n<p>The rituals also include his visits early next week to Ise, Japan&rsquo;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&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/japan-hirohito-wwii-surrender-4505c2fd8f3088f3c0b30efc83efc033\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hirohito<\/a>, in the Tokyo suburbs. He will also have lunch with Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/shigeru-ishiba\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Shigeru Ishiba<\/a>&nbsp;and other dignitaries Wednesday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Japan&#8217;s Prince Hisahito is first male royal adult in 40 years<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2634,"featured_media":2483167,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AP25249100289217.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4461,62743,44722,62742,62744],"class_list":["post-2483166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-japan","tag-japanese-royalty","tag-monarchy","tag-prince-hisahito","tag-royal-succession"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AP25249100289217.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2483166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2634"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2483166"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2483166\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2483170,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2483166\/revisions\/2483170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2483167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2483166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2483166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2483166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}