Prince Kitashirakawa Naruhisa
Encyclopedia
, was the 3rd head of a collateral branch
of the Japanese Imperial Family.
and Princess Tomiko. Prince Naruhisa succeeded as head of the house of Kitashirakawa-no-miya
after the death of his father in November 1895 during the First Sino-Japanese War
. He was the brother of Prince Takeda Tsunehisa
and classmate of Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko and Prince Konoe Fumimaro (peer). Prince Naruhisa graduated from the 20th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy with a commission as a sub-lieutenant in 1904, and the 27th class of the Army Staff College
with the rank of colonel
. His field of study as artillery
.
. Prince and Princess Kitashirakawa Naruhisa had one son and three daughters:
at the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr
in France
, along with his cousins Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko and Prince Asaka Yasuhiko. However, on April 1, 1923, he was killed in automobile accident in a Paris suburb that seriously injured Princess Kitashirakawa (who had accompanied her husband to Paris), and which left Prince Asaka with a limp for the rest of his life.
Dowager Princess Kitashirakawa Fusako became a commoner on October 14, 1947, with the abolition of the collateral branches of the Japanese Imperial Family by the American occupation authorities
. The former princess served as custodian and chief priestess of the Ise Shrine
until her death on August 11, 1974.
Oke
The , were branches of the Japanese Imperial Family created from branches of the Fushimi-no-miya house. All but one of the ōke were formed by the descendants of Prince Fushimi Kuniye. The ōke were stripped of their membership in the Imperial Family by the American Occupation Authorities in...
of the Japanese Imperial Family.
Early life
Prince Kitashirakawa Naruhisa was the son of Prince Kitashirakawa YoshihisaPrince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa
of Japan, was the 2nd head of a collateral branch of the Japanese imperial family.- Early life :Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa was the ninth son of Prince Fushimi Kuniye . He entered the Buddhist priesthood under the title Rinnoji-no-miya...
and Princess Tomiko. Prince Naruhisa succeeded as head of the house of Kitashirakawa-no-miya
Kitashirakawa-no-miya
The Kitashirakawa ōke was the fifth oldest branch of the Japanese Imperial Family created from branches of the Fushimi-no-miya house.-Kitashirakawa-no-miya:...
after the death of his father in November 1895 during the First Sino-Japanese War
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
. He was the brother of Prince Takeda Tsunehisa
Prince Takeda Tsunehisa
was the founder of the Takeda-no-miya collateral branch of Japanese Imperial Family.- Biography :Prince Takeda Tsunehisa was the eldest son of Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa and thus the brother of Prince Kitashirakawa Naruhisa...
and classmate of Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko and Prince Konoe Fumimaro (peer). Prince Naruhisa graduated from the 20th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy with a commission as a sub-lieutenant in 1904, and the 27th class of the Army Staff College
Army War College (Japan)
The ; Short form: of the Empire of Japan was founded in 1882 in Minato, Tokyo to modernize and Westernize the Imperial Japanese Army. Much of the empire's elite including prime ministers during the period of Japanese militarism were graduates of the college....
with the rank of colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. His field of study as artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
.
Marriage & family
On April 29, 1909, Prince Kitashirakawa married Princess Kane-no-Miya Fusako (1890–1974), the seventh daughter of Emperor MeijiEmperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
. Prince and Princess Kitashirakawa Naruhisa had one son and three daughters:
- ; Married Viscount Tachibana Tanekatsu
- ; Married Viscount Higashizono Motofumi
- ; Married Tokugawa Yoshihisa.
Later life
Between 1920 and 1923, Prince Naruhisa studied military tacticsMilitary tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
at the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr
École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr
The École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr is the foremost French military academy. Its official name is . It is often referred to as Saint-Cyr . Its motto is "Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre": literally "They study to vanquish" or "Training for victory"...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, along with his cousins Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko and Prince Asaka Yasuhiko. However, on April 1, 1923, he was killed in automobile accident in a Paris suburb that seriously injured Princess Kitashirakawa (who had accompanied her husband to Paris), and which left Prince Asaka with a limp for the rest of his life.
Dowager Princess Kitashirakawa Fusako became a commoner on October 14, 1947, with the abolition of the collateral branches of the Japanese Imperial Family by the American occupation authorities
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the Occupation of Japan following World War II...
. The former princess served as custodian and chief priestess of the Ise Shrine
Ise Shrine
is a Shinto shrine dedicated to goddess Amaterasu-ōmikami, located in the city of Ise in Mie prefecture, Japan. Officially known simply as , Ise Jingū is in fact a shrine complex composed of a large number of Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, and ....
until her death on August 11, 1974.