 "Japan’s monarchy at crossroads: Could Prince Hisahito be the last emperor?")
Japan’s Prince Hisahito has become the first male member of the Imperial Family to reach adulthood in four decades — a milestone that has also raised concerns that he may be the last.
On Saturday, elaborate palace ceremonies marked Hisahito’s formal recognition as an adult.
While the rituals were steeped in tradition, they also highlighted the uncertain future facing the world’s oldest hereditary monarchy, which is grappling with a dwindling pool of male heirs and its strictly male-only succession rule.
As second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne, Hisahito is expected to one day become emperor.
However, there is no male successor after him, raising the question whether to reconsider a 19th-century law that eliminated the possibility of female succession.
Prince Hisahito of Akishino
Currently a freshman at Tsukuba University near Tokyo, Hisahito studies biology and enjoys playing badminton, reported AP.
He has a particular fascination with dragonflies and co-authored an academic paper surveying insect populations within the Akasaka estate, where he resides with his family.
At his first official news conference in March, the young prince expressed his academic ambitions, saying he hopes to focus his studies on dragonflies and other urban insect species, exploring ways to protect their populations.
Born on September 6, 2006, Hisahito is the only son of Crown Prince Akishino — the current heir to the throne — and Crown Princess Kiko.
His two elder sisters are Princess Kako and former Princess Mako.
Mako left the royal family after marrying a commoner, in line with the law that requires princesses to relinquish their royal titles upon marrying outside the Imperial Family.
Hisahito delayed his coming-of-age ceremonies by a year, prioritising his university entrance exams before partaking in the traditional rituals.
How Hisahito is the solitary heir
Emperor Naruhito, Hisahito’s uncle, has only one child, Princess Aiko. Hisahito’s father, Akishino, was the last male royal to reach adulthood back in 1985.
Of the 16 current adult members of the Imperial Family, Hisahito is the youngest.
Apart from him and Akishino, there are no younger male heirs.
Prince Hitachi, the 89-year-old younger brother of former Emperor Akihito, is third in line but considered too elderly to realistically take on the role.
This scarcity of male successors poses a serious challenge to a monarchy that historians say has endured for over 1,500 years. It also mirrors Japan’s broader demographic concerns, with a rapidly ageing population and declining birth rates.
While Japan’s imperial tradition has historically favoured male rulers, female succession was once permitted.
There have been eight reigning empresses, the last being Empress Gosakuramachi, who ruled between 1762 and 1770. However, none of them bore children during their reigns.
In 1889, the prewar Constitution legally restricted succession to male heirs for the first time.
The postwar 1947 Imperial House Law reinforced this restriction, maintaining the male-only rule as part of preserving conservative family traditions.
Historians note that the system worked in earlier centuries largely because concubines, who were part of the Imperial Court until about 100 years ago, ensured a steady line of male heirs.
Princess Aiko, though highly popular among the Japanese public, is barred by law from succeeding her father, despite strong public support for her as a potential future monarch.
Why it’s time to revisit female succession
In 2005, the government proposed allowing a female emperor to safeguard the throne’s future. However, when Hisahito was born the following year, the proposal lost momentum as conservative factions and nationalists opposed the idea.
A panel of conservative experts in January 2022 recommended maintaining the male-line succession while allowing female royals to retain their status after marriage and continue their official duties.
They also suggested adopting male descendants from now-defunct branches of the Imperial Family to preserve the male lineage.
The discussions stalled, particularly over whether non-royal husbands of princesses and their children should be granted royal status.
As a result, Hisahito now bears the weight of the monarchy’s survival almost alone, former Imperial Household Agency chief Shingo Haketa said in an article for the Yomiuri newspaper earlier this year.
“The fundamental question is not whether to allow male or female succession line but how to save the monarchy.”
In May, the conservative Yomiuri itself called for urgent reforms, urging lawmakers to amend the Imperial House Law to allow husbands and children of princesses to gain royal status and to permit women to inherit the throne.
The editorial warned that parliament must “responsibly reach a conclusion on the crisis surrounding the state and the symbol of the unity of the people.”
How ancient traditions are meeting modern challenges
Saturday’s ceremonies began at Hisahito’s family residence, where he appeared in a tuxedo to receive a ceremonial crown, delivered on behalf of Emperor Naruhito.
At the main event inside the Imperial Palace, attended by senior royals and government officials, Hisahito wore traditional beige robes symbolising his youth.
The highlight came when his headpiece was replaced with a black “kanmuri” — an adult ceremonial crown — signifying his transition to adulthood.
Bowing deeply, he expressed gratitude to the Emperor for the honour and thanked his parents for organising the ceremony, pledging to uphold his responsibilities as a member of the Imperial Family.
Afterward, he changed into formal adult attire with a black top and rode in a royal horse-drawn carriage to offer prayers at three sacred shrines within the palace grounds.
Later in the day, Hisahito was scheduled to return to his tuxedo to greet Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako in the prestigious Matsu-no-Ma, or Pine Room.
In a separate ritual, he would receive the Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, a postwar tradition.
He also planned to visit his grandparents, former Emperor Akihito and former Empress Michiko.
That evening, Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko were set to host a private celebration for their son at a Tokyo hotel, attended by close family members.
In the coming days, Hisahito will travel to Ise Grand Shrine, Japan’s most sacred Shinto site, and visit the mausoleum of Emperor Jinmu, the mythical first emperor, in Nara.
He will also pay respects at the grave of his great-grandfather, wartime Emperor Hirohito, near Tokyo.
On Wednesday, he is scheduled to have lunch with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and other dignitaries.
With inputs from AP
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