Prince Hisahito, grandson of Emperor Naruhito of Japan and second in line to the Japanese throne, celebrated his 20th birthday yesterday.
Prince Hisahito, second in line to the Japanese throne, turned 20 on Sunday, 6 September 2026, becoming the most recent member of the Japanese imperial family to reach the age of majority.
Prince Hisahito is the son of Crown Prince Akishino, younger brother of Emperor Naruhito, and is the youngest member of the Japanese imperial family, which currently numbers sixteen members, including only five males.
Previously, on 13 August, Prince Hisahito visited the Museum of Cartography and Surveying Science in Ibaraki Prefecture, where he viewed surveying equipment, received explanations about Japan’s three-dimensional maps, tried on 3D glasses, and engaged with staff with keen interest.
Prince Hisahito is currently second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne, behind his father Crown Prince Akishino, with the next in line being Prince Masahito of Hitachi, Emperor Naruhito’s uncle, who is 90 years old.
Under current Japanese imperial law, only male members of the imperial family who trace their lineage through the male line may ascend the throne, meaning Princess Aiko, Emperor Naruhito’s only daughter and a popular figure among the Japanese public, is not eligible to succeed.
This system has been criticized as outdated and potentially leading to a further decline in the number of male imperial family members. Some critics also say the male-only succession rule imposes pressure and restrictions on imperial family members.
,AP
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