Fumihito, Crown Prince of Japan

Fumihito, Crown Prince Akishino; born 30 November 1965 is the youngest brother and heir presumptive of the Emperor of Japan and the younger son of the Emperor Emeritus and the Empress Emerita. Since his marriage in June 1990, he has had the title Prince Akishino and has headed his own branch of the imperial family.

Fumihito has a bachelor's degree in political science from Gakushuin University and a PhD in ornithology from the Graduate University for Advanced Studies. In 1990, he married Kiko Kawashima, with whom he has three children, Mako, Kako, and Hisahito. In November 2020, Fumihito was officially declared heir presumptive to the throne, during the Ceremony for Proclamation of Crown Prince in Tokyo. Preceding his investiture as Crown Prince, the ongoing Japanese imperial succession debate had resulted in some politicians holding a favorable view on rescinding agnatic primogeniture imposed by World War II allies on the constitution of Japan. However, once Fumihito and Kiko had their son Hisahito in September 2006 he became next in the line of succession following his father. Fumihito's niece and Emperor Naruhito's only child Princess Aiko remains at present legally ineligible the throne, while debate about the possibility of having future empresses regnant continues.

As active working members of the imperial family, Fumihito and his wife Kiko's schedule includes attending summits, and organizational and global event meetings. The couple has particularly represented the Japanese imperial house in ceremonies involving heads of state and VIPs abroad.

Early Life and Education

The prince was born on 30 November 1965 in the morning at 12:22 am in the Imperial Household Agency Hospital, Tokyo Imperial Palace in Tokyo. His given name is Fumihito. His mother, Empress Emerita Michiko, is a convert to Shinto from Roman Catholicism. His childhood appellation was Prince Aya. He attended the primary and secondary schools of the Gakushuin. He played tennis in primary and secondary schools of the Gakushuin.

In April 1984, the prince entered the Law Department of Gakushuin University, where he studied law and biological science. After graduating from the university with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science, he studied the taxonomy of fish at St John's College, Oxford in the United Kingdom from October 1988 to June 1990. According to British government documents released by the National Archives, Fumihito's requests to follow in his elder brother's footsteps and study in Britain were initially turned down by the Imperial Household Agency.

Upon the death of his grandfather, Emperor Showa (Hirohito), on 7 January 1989, the prince became second-in-line to the throne after his elder brother, Crown Prince Naruhito.

The prince received a PhD degree in ornithology from the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in October 1996. His doctoral dissertation was titled, "Molecular Phylogeny of Jungle Fowls, genus Gallus and Monophyletic Origin of Domestic Fowls." He conducted field research in Indonesia in 1993 and 1994, and in Yunnan Province in the People's Republic of China.

When the Emperor Emeritus was then the Crown Prince, he introduced tilapia to Thailand as an important source of protein. Tilapia can be easily cultured and Prince Fumihito, who is also known as a "catfish specialist," has managed to maintain and expand the aquacultural studies with the people of Thailand. The prince has worked as a researcher at The University Museum of The University of Tokyo where he also is an Honorary Fellow.

Titles and Honors

Titles and Styles

30 November 1965-28 June 1990: His Imperial Highness Prince Aya

29 June 1990-30 April 2019: His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino

1 May 2019-present His Imperial Highness The Crown Prince of Japan

Honors

-Japan: Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum

Foreign Honors

-Italy: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic

-Luxembourg: Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau

-Netherlands: Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown

-Peru: Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun

-Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic

-Sweden: Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star

-Paraguay: Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit

Honorary Degrees

-Honorary Degree (Kasetsart University, 1995)

-Honorary Degree (Burapha University, 1995)

-Honorary Degree (Khon Kaen University, 1999)

-Honorary Degree (Chulalongkorn University, 2001)