Hisahito is the son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko. In July 2024, just before his birthday, he was photographed in the Akasaka Palace garden in Tokyo. He is also the nephew of Emperor Naruhito and is expected to become emperor someday. The last time a male in the royal family became an adult was in 1985 when Hisahito’s father, Crown Prince Akishino, turned 18.
The royal family currently has 17 members, but only four of them are men. Hisahito, being the youngest male and the next in line for the throne, highlights a big issue with the royal family’s rules. According to Japan’s 1947 Imperial House Law, only men can become emperor, and women in the royal family who marry commoners lose their royal status.
This has led to ongoing discussions, especially since Hisahito’s older cousin, Princess Aiko, is very popular with the public. Many people want her to become the future empress, but the law doesn’t allow it. Princess Aiko is the daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, who went to Harvard and was once a diplomat. Even though many people like her, the traditional rules don’t let her take the throne.
The line of succession isn’t too complicated at first—Emperor Naruhito is currently ruling, followed by his brother, Crown Prince Akishino, and then Hisahito. However, it gets tricky because of the law. There was once a plan to let a woman, like Princess Aiko, become empress, but when Hisahito was born in 2006, those plans were dropped.
Recently, Hisahito said that he wants to enjoy the rest of his high school years. He is very interested in insects and even helped write a paper about dragonflies at his home in Akasaka. As the discussions about royal succession continue, a group of experts in 2022 suggested that female royals should keep their status after marriage to help the shrinking royal family. They also recommended adopting male descendants from old, now-defunct royal families to continue the male line. However, critics say these ideas won’t solve the problem unless the rule that only men can become emperor is changed.
In the past, the male-only rule worked because concubines helped continue the royal family, but that practice is no longer in place. This leaves the future of Japan’s royal family uncertain.