Japan's 'dragonfly' prince is first male in royal family to reach adulthood in 40 years

Japan’s Prince Hisahito (R) attends his coming-of-age ceremony, Kakan-no-Gi, at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. (Image credit: AFP)

Japan’s Prince Hisahito is the first male royal to reach adulthood in 40 years. Many people in Japan worry he could be the last as the country's imperial succession crisis intensifies. The only son of Crown Prince Akishino and second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne, was formally recognised as an adult in a series of elaborate palace rituals on Saturday.

The day began at Hisahito’s residence, where he appeared in a tuxedo to receive a crown delivered by a messenger from Emperor Naruhito. At the Imperial Palace, he wore a beige robe symbolizing youth, which was replaced with a black “kanmuri” headpiece, formalizing his adult status. He bowed deeply to the Emperor and his parents, pledging to fulfil his duties as a royal. Later, dressed in formal black attire, he rode a horse-drawn carriage to pray at three palace shrines.

The rituals continue this week with visits to Ise Shrine, the mausoleum of mythical Emperor Jinmu in Nara, and the grave of wartime Emperor Hirohito. Hisahito is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and other dignitaries over lunch on Wednesday.

The nephew of Emperor Naruhito and second in line to become emperor after his father, the 19-year-old received a black silk and lacquer crown at the ceremony, which marks the beginning of his royal adult life. (Image credit: AFP)

A freshman at Tsukuba University, Hisahito studies biology and has a particular fascination with dragonflies. He has co-authored a paper on insect populations at his Akasaka estate and expressed interest in urban conservation. “I hope to focus my studies on dragonflies and other insects,” he said in his debut press conference in March. He also enjoys badminton and has been photographed attending school events with his parents, including his kindergarten graduation in 2013.

Hisahito’s adulthood highlights the fragility of Japan’s male-only succession system. With only two male heirs younger than Emperor Naruhito—Hisahito and his father—the monarchy faces a demographic cliff. Prince Hitachi, third in line, is 89. Princess Aiko, Naruhito’s daughter, remains excluded from succession under the 1947 Imperial House Law, which preserves prewar male-only rules.

Japan's Prince Hisahito attends his coming-of-age ceremony, Choken-no-Gi, at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. (Image credit: AFP)

Japan has had eight female emperors, the last being Gosakuramachi (1762–1770), but none produced heirs. Experts argue the male-only system was historically sustained by concubines, a practice abolished over a century ago. The current structure, they say, is unsustainable.

A 2005 proposal to allow female succession was shelved after Hisahito’s birth. A conservative panel in 2022 recommended maintaining male-line succession while allowing princesses to retain royal status post-marriage. The Yomiuri newspaper recently urged urgent legal reform to grant royal status to princesses’ spouses and children and allow women to ascend the throne. “The fundamental question is not male or female succession, but how to save the monarchy,” said former Imperial Household Agency chief Shingo Haketa.

Prince Hisahito waves to people gathered in front of the Imperial Palace for his coming-of-age ceremony, in Tokyo. (Image credit: AFP)

Hisahito’s quiet demeanor and academic interests contrast sharply with the weight of expectation. His sisters, Princess Kako and former Princess Mako, have faced intense scrutiny, with Mako relinquishing her royal status upon marrying a commoner. Hisahito’s future—both personal and institutional—remains tightly bound to the fate of the world’s oldest monarchy.