Prince Hisahito's Coming of Age ceremony set for Sept. 6
JIJI –
Prince Hisahito, the only son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, will attend a Coming of Age ceremony on Sept. 6, his 19th birthday, the Imperial Household Agency said Thursday.
The event will be the first Coming of Age ceremony for a male member of the Imperial Family since that of Crown Prince Akishino 40 years ago.
Japan's age of adulthood was lowered to 18 in a recent revision to the Civil Code, meaning that Prince Hisahito, second in line to the throne, became an adult when he turned 18 last September. But his ceremony was postponed as he focused on his studies before entering university.
The prince, currently a third-year student at the University of Tsukuba's Senior High School at Otsuka in Tokyo, is set to enter the national university in Ibaraki Prefecture in April.
The coming-of-age ceremony schedule was decided "in consideration of Imperial Family event plans and his life after entering university," Yasuhiko Nishimura, grand steward of the agency, told a news conference.
The ceremony will be held during the prince's summer break from school.
According to the agency, the ceremony will be hosted by his parents. Following the precedents of Emperor Naruhito and Crown Prince Akishino, it will include a ritual for receiving a crown for an adult Imperial Family member, a crowning ritual and a ritual for greeting the Emperor and Empress Masako.
It is customary for Imperial Family members to receive the Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum on the day of their Coming of Age ceremonies. After his ceremony, Prince Hisahito will attend palace events as an adult member of the Imperial Family.
The prince is set to hold his first news conference Monday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Princess Kako Attends Welcome Ceremony in Brazil; Greeted with Japanese Music, Dance Performance
The Yomiuri Shimbun Princess Kako interacts with Japanese Brazilians in Maringa, Brazil, on Sunday. MARINGA, Brazil – Princess Kako, the second daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, attended a welcome ceremony held by a Japanese Brazilian organization in Maringa, Brazil, on Sunday after traveling by air from Sao Paulo. Princess Kako touched on the history of Japanese people who emigrated to Brazil, saying, 'I thought about the difficult journey taken by your ancestors, and I carry in my heart the history of Japanese Brazilians.' Fourth-generation Japanese Brazilian children performed wadaiko Japanese drum music and soran-bushi dance at the ceremony. 'I could feel your energy,' Princess Kako said.
Asahi Shimbun
3 days ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Princess Kako welcomed at Japanese-Brazilian school
Princess Kako visits Colegio Oshiman in Sao Paulo on June 7 to interact with fifth-generation Japanese-Brazilian students at the school. (Yuko Kawasaki) SAO PAULO—Princess Kako visited a school in Sao Paulo on June 7, deepening decades-long ties between Japan's imperial family and the Japanese-Brazilian community. The princess met with students at Colegio Oshiman, a private school with a large number of fifth-generation Japanese-Brazilian children. Yukie Isshiki, 16, who visited Japan earlier this year, gave a welcoming speech in fluent Japanese. She described the moving moment of hearing the emperor speak during his New Year's public appearance, saying, 'My heart trembled.' She shared memories of her homestay and added, 'I love Japan even more now.' Kako, a niece of Emperor Naruhito and the second daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko, smiled and applauded the speech. Although most of the students' parents do not speak Japanese, the children are studying the language three times a week. They also participate in calligraphy, flower arrangement and other Japanese cultural activities each week. BIENNIAL TRIP TO JAPAN Every two years, selected students such as Isshiki travel to Japan for a 50-day educational visit. The trip includes attending the emperor's New Year's greeting—a rare opportunity to see the imperial family members during a public appearance. Mayumi Kawamura Madueno Silva, the school's principal, noted the emotional impact of these cultural ties, saying that even students who don't know the emperor's face are moved to tears when they trace their ancestors' roots in Japan. During Kako's visit, the school celebrated the traditional Brazilian "Festa Junina" (June Festival), showcasing folk dances and homemade sweets. After trying Brazilian treats such as fried tapioca and "brigadeiro" (a chocolate dessert), Kako said they were very tasty. The school also maintains a 50-year tradition of letter exchanges with the emperor emeritus and empress emerita. Students regularly send essays and New Year's greetings. In return, they receive letters from the Imperial Household Agency, reporting that the emperor's parents enjoy reading them. 'We write letters every year and even attended the New Year's greeting in Tokyo, but the imperial family still felt distant,' said Isshiki. 'After meeting Princess Kako today, I felt much closer to them. I want to be kind like her.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan's Princess Kako Visits Private School in Sao Paulo; Princess Interacts with Students, Samples Local Confectionary
The Yomiuri Shimbun Princess Kako visits a private school in Sao Paulo on Saturday. MARINGA, Brazil — Princess Kako, the second daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, interacted with students during a visit to a private school in Sao Paulo on Saturday. The princess is the first member of the Imperial family to visit the school, known as Oshiman. She was welcomed to the school by students with singing and dancing, and was served traditional local confectionary. 'This is really delicious,' said the princess after eating the sweets. The school, founded in 1993, has about 430 students in total aged from 18-month old preschool children to third-year junior high school. About 70% of the students are of Japanese descent. School principal Mayumi Madueno, 65, is a 3rd generation Japanese Brazilian. Her 96-year-old mother established a Japanese language school in the 1950s after she became concerned that the language and culture inherited from their ancestors would disappear as generations changed. The princess on Sunday traveled by air to Maringa, southwestern Brazil, and attended a welcome ceremony held by a Japanese-Brazilian organization.
