Revealed On 6 Sep 2025
Japan has marked Prince Hisahito’s coming-of-age with a grand ceremony on the Imperial Palace, highlighting an ongoing succession disaster.
The 19-year-old nephew of Emperor Naruhito acquired a black silk and lacquer crown on Saturday, symbolising his entry into royal maturity.
“Thanks very a lot for bestowing the crown right now on the coming- of- age ceremony,” Hisahito stated. “I’ll fulfil my duties, being conscious of my obligations as an grownup member of the imperial household.”
Regardless of Emperor Naruhito having a daughter – 23-year-old Princess Aiko – she stays excluded by the imperial household’s male-only succession guidelines. However public opinion polls counsel robust assist for permitting ladies to ascend the throne.
The flowery palace rituals to formally recognise Hisahito as an grownup are a reminder of the grim outlook for the two,600-year-old imperial line – the world’s oldest. Hisahito is second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne and is more likely to turn out to be emperor sooner or later. After him, nevertheless, there may be no one left, leaving the Imperial household with a dilemma over whether or not they need to reverse a Nineteenth-century ruling that abolished feminine succession.
As second in line to the throne after his father, the prince will go to the Tokyo palace to pay respects to the gods and ancestors.
The day’s ceremonies started at Hisahito’s household residence, the place he appeared in a tuxedo to obtain a crown delivered by the emperor’s messenger. Throughout the primary ritual on the Imperial Palace, attended by royal members of the family and authorities officers, he wore conventional pre-adult apparel with a beige gown. The formal substitute of his headcover with the black grownup “kanmuri” crown marked his official coming-of-age. Hisahito bowed deeply, thanked the emperor and his mother and father, and pledged to fulfil his royal obligations.
After being topped, the prince become grownup ceremonial black apparel and travelled by royal horse carriage to hope at three palace shrines, and later met Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako within the prestigious Matsu-no-Ma (pine room).
The ceremonial schedule continues with visits to the Ise Shrine, Emperor Jinmu’s mausoleum in Nara, and his great-grandfather Emperor Hirohito’s tomb close to Tokyo. He may even attend lunch with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and different dignitaries on Wednesday.
