Prince Hisahito, 19, formally marked his coming of age at the weekend with a series of rites at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, a ceremony that underscored Japan’s longstanding male-only succession rules and the shrinking pool of imperial heirs.
The only son of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko, Hisahito is second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne under the postwar Imperial Household Law, which limits succession to male descendants in the male line. He delayed the ceremonies last year to focus on university entrance exams and attended Saturday’s events after beginning studies at Tsukuba University.
Saturday’s observances included modern and ancient elements. Hisahito first appeared in a tuxedo to receive a crown delivered by a messenger from Emperor Naruhito. In the main ritual, attended by members of the imperial family and senior government officials, he wore a beige robe symbolizing pre-adulthood; his head covering was replaced with a black adult kanmuri, formalizing his passage to adulthood. Later rituals included a carriage procession within the palace grounds to visit three shrines, an audience in the Matsu-no-Ma or pine room with the emperor and empress, and the postwar custom of receiving the Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum. He also greeted his grandparents, former Emperor Akihito and former Empress Michiko, and family members held a private celebration in the evening.
Elements of the ceremonies were posted on the imperial household’s official Instagram account, which launched in April 2024, and drew widespread attention online. The updated imperial website and the social media presence are part of a broader effort by the palace to reach younger audiences, palace officials have said.
The rites come amid a growing public and political conversation about the future of Japan’s monarchy. Under the 1947 Imperial Household Law only males in the male line may ascend the throne, which means Emperor Naruhito’s only child, Princess Aiko, cannot be designated crown princess. With Emperor Naruhito, his younger brother Crown Prince Fumihito and Hisahito the only routinely eligible males in the immediate family — and with Prince Hitachi, at nearly 90, the only other man in the wider family who could, under current rules, inherit — the number of potential successors is small.
Emperor Naruhito has publicly acknowledged the issue. Speaking before a state visit to Britain in June 2024, he said the number of male members of the imperial family was decreasing and aging, and he noted that female members leave the family upon marriage. The emperor added that he wished to "refrain from commenting on matters related to the [legal] system," a rare expression of concern from the monarch about the family’s future.
The demographic squeeze has prompted proposals and debate among politicians and scholars. Options discussed include allowing princesses to retain imperial status after marriage so their children could be eligible, reinstating male descendants of formerly aristocratic cadet branches whose imperial status was removed after World War II, or other measures short of allowing women to ascend the throne. Many supporters of change argue reform is necessary to ensure the imperial household can continue public duties; opponents, including some conservatives and members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, contend that altering male-line succession would break long-standing traditions and could undermine the monarchy’s legitimacy.
Public sentiment has tended toward reform: recent polls have shown broad support for allowing women to succeed to the throne, even as lawmakers have debated more limited measures. The issue carries historical complexity: Japan has had eight reigning empresses before the modern era, but none held the throne by direct female-line succession, and most were seen as temporary caretakers until a male successor was available.
The imperial family has also contracted in size through deaths and through princesses leaving the household upon marriage. The family counted 16 members after the death of Princess Yuriko in November 2024. Those changes have practical implications for ceremonial duties and state functions that have traditionally been performed by members of the imperial household.
Hisahito’s coming-of-age ceremonies will be followed by additional customary visits, including to Ise Jingu, the mausoleum of the legendary first emperor Jimmu in Nara, and the grave of Emperor Hirohito in the Tokyo suburbs. He is also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and other dignitaries this week. Observers say the events are likely to renew attention on both the public role of the imperial family and the legal questions that surround succession.
As Japan’s government and public weigh possible changes, the ceremonies for Prince Hisahito served both as a personal milestone and as a reminder of the legal and demographic constraints that shape the future of the world’s oldest hereditary monarchy.