Fumihito, The Prince Akishino (秋篠宮 文仁親王
Akishino-no-miya Fumihito shinnō : born 30 November 1965) is a member of the Japanese imperial family. He is the second son of the Emperor Akihito and the Empress Michiko and currently second in line to the
Chrysanthemum throneThe is the English term used to identify the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term can refer to very specific seating, such as the takamikura throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace....
.
Since his marriage in June 1990, he has held the title of
Akishino-no-miya (generally translated into English as Prince Akishino) and headed his own branch of the imperial family.
Early life and education
The prince was born 30 November 1965 at the Aoyama Detached Palace in Tokyo. His given name is Fumihito. His childhood appellation was
Prince Aya (礼宮 Aya-no-miya). He attended the elementary and secondary departments of the
GakushuinThe or Peers School is an educational institution founded in Tokyo in 1877, during the Meiji period, for the education of the children of the Japanese aristocracy, though it eventually also opened its doors to the offspring of extremely wealthy commoners...
.
In April 1984, he entered the Law Department of
Gakushuin Universityis an elite higher educational institution in Mejiro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo. It was re-established after World War II as an affiliate of the Gakushūin School Corporation, the privatized successor to the original Gakushūin University or "Peers School" set up during the Meiji era to educate the...
, where he studied law and biology. After graduating from the university, he studied the taxonomy of fish at
St John's College, Oxford__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
in the United Kingdom from October 1988 to June 1990. In 1996, he was awarded a PhD from the National University for General Research.
Upon the death of his grandfather, the Emperor Shōwa, in January 1989, he became second-in-line to the throne after his elder brother, Crown Prince Naruhito.
Prince Fumihito received a PhD in
ornithologyOrnithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
from the
Graduate University for Advanced StudiesThe is one of the national universities of Japan. It is located in the town of Hayama in Kanagawa Prefecture. It was established in 1988. Its nickname is...
in October 1996. His doctoral dissertation was titled, "Molecular Phylogeny of Jungle Fowls,
genusIn biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Gallus and Monophyletic Origin of Domestic
FowlFowl is a word for birds in general but usually refers to birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl and the waterfowl...
s." He conducted field research in
IndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
in 1993 and 1994, in Yunnan Province in the People's Republic of China. When the current Emperor was still Crown Prince, he introduced
tilapiaTilapia , is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia inhabit a variety of fresh water habitats, including shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes. Historically, they have been of major importance in artisan fishing in Africa and the...
to
ThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
as an important source of protein. Tilapia can be easily cultured and Prince Fumihito, who is also known as "catfish specialist," has managed to maintain and expand the aquacultural studies with the people of
ThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
He is a big fan of
the BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and an avid tennis player. As a student, Prince Fumihito ranked among the top ten in the tennis doubles players in the
Kanto RegionThe is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
.
He is also known as a successor to Arisugawa school of calligraphy.
Marriage
On 29 June 1990, Prince Fumihito married
Kawashima Kiko, formerly is the wife of Prince Akishino, the second son of the Emperor Akihito and the Empress Michiko of Japan. The daughter of a university professor, she became the second commoner to marry into the imperial family; her mother-in-law, the Empress, was the first in 1959...
, the daughter of Kawashima Tatsuhiko (professor of economics at Gakushuin University) and his wife, Kazuyo.
The couple met when they were both undergraduates at Gakushuin. Like his father, the present Emperor, the Prince married outside the former aristocracy and former collateral branches of the imperial family. Upon marriage, he received the title Prince Akishino (Akishino no miya – strictly "Prince of Akishino") and authorization from the Imperial Household Economy Council to form a new branch of the Imperial Family.
Children
Prince and Princess Akishino have two daughters and one son:
- Princess Mako of Akishino
, the older daughter of Prince Akishino and Princess Akishino , is a member of the Japanese imperial family. She is the first-born granddaughter of the reigning emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.-Biography:...
(眞子内親王) (born 23 October 1991)
- Princess Kako of Akishino
, the second daughter of Prince Akishino and Princess Akishino , is a member of the Imperial House of Japan.She is the second-born granddaughter of reigning emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.-Biography:...
(佳子内親王) (born 29 December 1994)
- Prince Hisahito of Akishino
is the third child of the Prince and Princess Akishino, and their only son. He is third in line to become Emperor of Japan.Prince Hisahito has two older sisters, Princess Mako of Akishino and Princess Kako of Akishino .- Name :His personal name Hisahito in this case means "serene and virtuous,"...
(悠仁親王) (born 6 September 2006)
Since the third child is male, he is in the direct line of succession to the Imperial Throne and is likely to eventually succeed to the throne, unless Hisahito's uncle, Crown Prince Naruhito, produces a male heir, or the succession laws are changed (see
succession controversyThe Japanese imperial succession controversy refers to desires to change the laws of succession to the Japanese Throne, which is currently limited to males of the Japanese imperial family.- Overview :...
).
Functions
Prince Akishino serves as the president of the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology and the Japanese Association of Zoological Gardens and Aquariums. He is also the honorary president of the
World Wide Fund for Nature JapanThe World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
, the Japan Tennis Association, and the Japan-Netherlands Association.
Prince and Princess Akishino also foster friendly relations with foreign countries by representing Japan at select international events. For example, they traveled to the Netherlands in August 2009 to commemorate 400 years of trade between Holland and Japan. They were invited by the Dutch government and were hosted by Queen Beatrix in The Hague. Their public activities included meeting Japanese language students, visiting the Siebold House, a university hospital, and two other museums. At the
Dutch National ArchivesThe Nationaal Archief is the national archive of the Netherlands, located in The Hague. It houses collections for the central government, the province of Zuid-Holland, and the former County of Holland. There is also material from private institutions and individuals with an association to the Dutch...
, they attended the opening of a major exhibition of Japan-related material, "From Here to Tokyo, 400 Years of Trade with Japan;" they were accompanied by Dutch
Princess LaurentienPrincess Laurentien of the Netherlands is the wife of Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands, the third son of Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus of the Netherlands, Jonkheer van Amsberg.-Early life:Petra Laurentien Brinkhorst was born in Leiden on 25 May 1966, the daughter of the former Dutch minister...
who lived and studied in Japan in her youth. In addition, this official visit also included talks with the Dutch head of government.
Honorary degree
- Honorary degree (Kasetsart University
Kasetsart University is a public university in Thailand and a top-ranked Public University in Thailand. It is ranked No.401-500 in the world by QS. It was also the first agricultural university and the third oldest university in Thailand...
, 1995)
- Honorary degree (Burapha University
Burapha University is one of Thailand's major public universities located in the coastal town of Bangsaen, Chonburi Province. The campus hosts approximately 36,245 students , aided by 992 teaching staff and 300 general employees. The university offers degrees in more than 50 programs of study,...
, 1995)
- Honorary degree (Khon Kaen University
Khon Kaen University is an internationally-recognized university in Asia. It is located in the Isan region of Thailand. The university is a central hub of education in north-east Thailand.-History:...
, 1999)
- Honorary degree (Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
, 2001)
- Honorary degree (Srinakharinwirot University
Srinakharinwirot University is a government sponsored university located in Bangkok, Thailand. The university was founded in 1949. It was named by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and is the leading Thai university in the field of Education and Fine Arts...
, 2001)
- Honorary degree (Ubon Rajathanee University, 2003)
- Honorary degree (King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang
King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang is a leading research and educational institution and one of Thailand's leading universities. It is in the city of Bangkok, Thailand...
, 2007)
- Honorary degree (Chiang Mai University
Chiang Mai University is a public research university in northern Thailand founded in 1964 with a strong emphasis on engineering, science, and agriculture. Its instructional mission includes undergraduate, graduate, professional and continuing education offered through resident instruction...
, 2011)
- Honorary degree (Kasetsart University
Kasetsart University is a public university in Thailand and a top-ranked Public University in Thailand. It is ranked No.401-500 in the world by QS. It was also the first agricultural university and the third oldest university in Thailand...
, 2011)
Titles from birth
- His Imperial Highness Prince Aya of Japan
- His Imperial Highness The Prince Akishino of Japan
Ancestry
External links