TOKYO — Prince Hisahito turned 20 on Sunday as he faces growing attention as a future monarch in Japan following the government’s unpopular revision to the Imperial House Law that reinforces male-only succession rules.
Hisahito Engages in Official Duties Amid Studies
Hisahito, the Japanese imperial prince, has begun to take on official responsibilities while primarily focusing on his academic pursuits. In May, he attended a palace banquet honoring Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Additionally, he paid tribute to the victims of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and participated in a teenagers’ camp in August, held in a southwestern city of Japan.
It lets female royals keep their status after marrying a commoner, so they can continue to undertake official duties, but their future partners and offspring won’t be royals.
Asked about his future and marriage plans at his debut news conference last year, Hisahito said his main focus was to study and expressed hopes to spend some time overseas to gain new perspectives and meet people from different backgrounds and cultures. “About marriage, I haven’t thought about an ideal timing or a partner yet,” he said. The revised succession law enacted by Japan’s Parliament in July lifts a ban on the adoption of male offspring from extremely distant former royal families. The revisions to the 19th-century law have been criticized as anachronistic and sexist and led to protests from Japanese who see the changes, which were backed by conservative Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi , as an attempt to eliminate Aiko from ruling while justifying discrimination against women and a patriarchal system.
