Imperial House of Japan

The Imperial House of Japan (also referred to as the Imperial Family or kōshitsu, 皇室) comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties, as well as their minor children. Under the present Constitution of Japan, the emperor is the symbol of the state and unity of the people. Other members of the imperial family perform ceremonial and social duties, but have no role in the affairs of government.

The Japanese monarchy is the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world, and as last empire the highest ranking in protocol. The imperial house recognizes one hundred and twenty-five legitimate monarchs since the accession of Emperor Jimmu (traditionally dated to February 11, 660 BCE), including the reigning emperor, Akihito. Most historians regard the first fourteen emperors (Emperor Jimmu to Emperor Chuai) as legendary figures.

Current members of the imperial family

The 1947 Imperial House Law defines the imperial house as: the empress (kōgō 皇后), the empress dowager (kōtaigō 皇太后), the grand empress dowager (tai-kōtaigō 太皇太后), the crown prince (kōtaishi 皇太子) and his consort, the imperial grandson who is heir apparent (kōtaison 皇太孫) and his consort, the shinnō (親王) and their consorts, the naishinnō (内親王), the ō (王) and their consorts, and the nyoō (女王). The legitimate children and male line grandchildren of an emperor are shinnō (imperial princes) in the case of males and naishinnō (imperial princesses) in the case of females. More distant male line descendants are ō (princes) or nyoō (princesses). See below for more information on these titles.

After the removal of eleven families from the imperial house in October 1947, the official membership of the imperial family has effectively been limited to the male line descendants of the Taishō Emperor, excluding females who married outside the imperial family and their descendants. There are presently 22 members of the imperial family. Their personal names appear in parentheses:

His Imperial Majesty The Emperor (Akihito) was born at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on 23 December 1933, the elder son and sixth child of the Shōwa Emperor and Empress Kōjun (Nagako). He was married on 10 April 1959 to Her Imperial Majesty The Empress (Michiko). The Empress, formerly Miss Shoda Michiko, was born in Tokyo on 24 October 1930, the eldest daughter of the late Mr. Shoda Hidesaburo, president and honorary chairman of Nisshin Flour Milling Company. Emperor Akihito succeeded his father as emperor on 7 January 1989.

His Imperial Highness The Crown Prince (Naruhito), the eldest son of the Emperor and the Empress, was born at the Tsugo Palace in Tokyo on 23 February 1960. He became heir apparent upon his father's ascension to the throne. Crown Prince Naruhito married on 10 June 1991 to Miss Owada Masako. Her Imperial Highness The Crown Princess (Masako) was born on 6 December 1963, the daughter of Hisashi Owada, former minister of foreign affairs and former permanent representative of Japan to the United Nations. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess have one daughter, Her Imperial Highness Princess Aiko, who was born on 1 December 2001 and who holds the childhood title Princess Toshi (Toshi-no-miya).

His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino (Fumihito), the Emperor's second son, was born on 11 November 1965. His childhood title was Prince Aya (Aya-no-miya). He received the title Prince Akishino (Akishino-no-miya) and permission to start a new branch of the imperial family upon his marriage to Miss Kawashima Kiko on 29 June 1988. Her Imperial Highness Princess Akishino was born on 11 September 1966, the daughter of Dr. Kawashima Tatsuhiko, professor of economics at Gakushuin University. Prince and Princess Akishino have two daughters: Her Imperial Highness Princess Mako (born 23 October 1991) and Her Imperial Highness Princess Kako (born 29 December 1994).

His Imperial Highness Prince Hitachi (Masahito) was born on 28 November 1934, the second son and seventh child of the Emperor Shôwa (Hirohito) and Empress Kojun (Nagako). His childhood title was Prince Yoshi (Yoshi-no-miya). He received the title Prince Hitachi (Hitachi-no-miya) and permission to set up a new branch of the imperial family on 1 October 1961, the day after his wedding. Her Imperial Highness Princess Hitachi (Hanako), was born on 19 July 1940, the daughter of the late former Count Tsugaru Yoshitaka. Prince and Princess Hitachi have no children.

His Imperial Highness Prince Mikasa (Takahito) was born on 2 December 1914, the fourth son of the Taisho Emperor and Empress Teimei (Sadako). He is the surviving brother of Emperor Shōwa and the surviving parternal uncle of Emperor Akihito. His childhood title was Prince Sumi (Sumi-no-miya). He received the title Prince Mikasa (Mikasa-no-miya) and permission to start a new branch of the imperial family on 2 December 1935. He married on 22 October 1936. Her Imperial Highness Princess Mikasa (Yuriko) was born on 6 June 1921, the second daughter of the late Viscount Takagi Masanori. Prince and Princess Mikasa have two daughters and three sons. Their youngest son, Prince Takamado (Norihito), is deceased.

His Imperial Highness Prince Tomohito of Mikasa is the eldest son of Prince and Princess Mikasa and a first cousin of Emperor Akihito. He is also heir apparent to his father's title, Mikasa-no-miya. He was born on 5 January 1941. Prince Tomohito married Miss Aso Nobuko on 7 November 1980. Her Imperial Highness Princess Tomohito of Mikasa was born on 9 April 1955, the daughter of the late Mr. Aso Takakichi, chairman of Aso Cement Co. and his wife, Kazuko, a daughter of former prime minister Yoshida Shigeru. Prince and Princess Tomohito of Mikasa have two daughters: Her Imperial Highness Princess Akiko (born 20 December 1981) and Her Imperial Highness Princess Yoko (born 25 October 1983).

His Imperial Highness Prince Katsura (Yoshihito) is the second son of Prince and Princess Mikasa and a first cousin of Emperor Akihito. He was born on 11 February 1948. Originally known as Prince Yoshihito of Mikasa, he received the title Prince Katsura (Katsura-no-miya) and authorization to start a new branch of the imperial family on 1 January 1988.

Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado (Hisako) is the widow of His Imperial Highness Prince Takamado (Norihito) (born 29 December 1954, died 21 November 2002), the third son of The Prince and The Princess Mikasa and a first cousin of Emperor Akihito. The princess was born 10 July 1953, the daughter of Mr. Tottori Shigejiro. She married the prince on 6 December 1981. Originally known as Prince Norihito of Mikasa, he received the title Prince Takamado (Takamado-no-miya) and permission to start a new branch of the imperial family on 1 December 1981. Princess Takamado has three daughters: Her Imperial Highness Princess Tsuguko (born 6 March 1984), Her Imperial Highness Princess Noriko (born 21 July 1986), and Her Imperial Highness Princess Ayako (b. 15 September 1988).

Living former members of the imperial family

Under the terms of the 1947 Imperial House Law, naishinnō (imperial princesses) and nyoō (princesses) lose their titles and membership in the imperial family upon marriage, unless they marry the Emperor or another member of the imperial family. Three of the five daughters of Emperor Shōwa, the two daughters of Prince Mikasa, and most recently, the only daughter of the Emperor Akihito left the imperial family upon marriage, taking the surnames of their husbands. (The eldest daughter of Emperor Shōwa married the eldest son of Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko in 1943. The Higashikuni family lost its imperial status along with the other collateral branches of the imperial family in October 1947). The living former imperial princesses (whose personal names are in parentheses) are:

Mrs. Ikeda Takamasa (Atsuko), born 7 March 1931, fourth daughter of Emperor Shōwa and surviving elder sister of Emperor Akihito.
Mrs. Shimazu Hisanaga (Takako), born 2 March 1939, fifth daughter and youngest child of Emperor Shōwa and younger sister of Emperor Akihito.
Mrs. Konoe Tadateru (Yasuko), born 26 April 1944, eldest daughter and eldest child of Prince and Princess Mikasa.
Mrs. Sen Soshitsu (Masako), born 23 October 1951, second daughter and fourth child of Prince and Princess Mikasa.
Mrs. Kuroda Yoshiki (Sayako), born 18 April 1969, third child and only daughter of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.

In addition to these former princesses, there are also descendants of the eleven cadet branches of the dynasty (Asaka, Fushimi, Higashi-Fushimi, Higashi-kuni, Kan'in, Kaya, Kitashirakawa, Kuni, Nashimoto, Takeda, and Yamashina) that left the imperial family in October 1947.

Succession

See also Emperor of Japan: Succession.

Historically, the succession to Japan's Chrysanthemum Throne has generally passed in male line of the imperial lineage. The imperial clan previously included specially designated collateral lines or shinnōke (princely houses), too. The surviving shinnōke and several other branches of the extended imperial clan (the ōke were reduced to commoner status in 1947.

Before the Meiji Restoration, Japan had eight female tennō or reigning empresses, all of them daughters of male line of the imperial clan. None ascended purely as a wife or as a widow of emperor. None of these empresses married or gave birth after ascending the throne.

Article 2 of the Constitution of Japan provides that "The Imperial Throne shall be dynastic and succeeded to in accordance with the Imperial House Law passed by the Diet." The Imperial House Law of 16 January 1947, enacted by the ninety-second and last session of the Imperial Diet, retained the exclusion on female dynasts found in the 1889 law. The government of Prime Minister Yoshida Shigeru hastily cobbled together the legislation to bring the Imperial House in compliance with the American-written Constitution of Japan that went into effect in May, 1947. In an effort to control the size of the imperial family, the law stipulates that only legitimate male descendants in the male line can be dynasts; that imperial princesses and princesses lose their status as imperial family members if they marry outside the imperial family; and that the Emperor and other members of the Imperial Family may not adopt children.

There is a potential succession crisis since no male child has been born into the imperial family since Prince Akishino in 1965. Following the birth of Princess Aiko, there was some public debate about amending the Imperial House Law to allow female descendants of an emperor and their descendants to succeed to the throne. In January 2005 Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro appointed a special panel comprised of judges, university professors, and civil servants to study changes to the Imperial House Law and to make recommendations to the government. On October 25, 2005, the commission recommended amending the law to allow females in the male line of imperial descent to succeed to the throne. There is broad public support for such a change. See Japanese Imperial succession controversy.

Current order of succession

His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito, the current Emperor's first son
His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino (Fumihito), the current Emperor's second son
His Imperial Highness Prince Hitachi (Masahito), the current Emperor's brother
His Imperial Highness Prince Mikasa (Takahito), the current Emperor's uncle
His Imperial Highness Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, Prince Mikasa's first son (the current Emperor's eldest male cousin)
His Imperial Highness Prince Katsura (Yoshihito), Prince Mikasa's second son (the current Emperor's second eldest male cousin)

Except for Prince Mikasa, none of the princes now in the line of succession have sons. Crown Prince Naruhito has a daughter (Aiko) and Prince Akishino currently has two daughters (Mako and Kako). The emperor's brother, Prince Hitachi, is childless. Of the three sons of Prince Mikasa: Prince Tomohito of Mikasa has two daughters (Akiko and Yōko), Prince Katsura is childless, and the late Prince Takamado had three daughters (Tsuguko, Noriko, and Ayako).

Possible succession solutions

Aside from amending the Imperial House Law to allow women to succeed to the throne, allowing members of the imperial family to adopt children, or reinstating one or more of the abolished cadet lines to imperial status, there are a limited number of viable solutions.

Crown Prince Naruhito attempts to produce a male heir.
Prince Akishino attempts to produce a male heir.
Prince Katsura could marry and produce a male heir.

In theory, one of other male members of the imperial family could have a son, but this is considered to very unlikely for various reasons. Princess Hitachi and Princess Tomohito of Mikasa are long past child bearing age. Crown Princess Masako is approaching the end of her child bearing years. Furthermore, if the widowed Princess Takamado were to remarry she would lose her status as a member of the imperial family. Prince Katsura has been paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair since suffering a series of strokes in 1988. The remaining members of the imperial family are all female, namely the daughters of the above mentioned princes. These female members would all lose their Imperial status upon marrying a commoner. Since there are no eligible male members of the imperial family for them to marry, they will all eventually become commoners. Furthermore, according to the succession law, an heir must descend from the male line, thus excluding any children from any of these princesses. Theoretically, the imperial family may come to end after the last male heir dies.

On February 6, 2006, it was announced that Princess Akishino is pregnant. If the baby is male, he will be third in line to the throne. ^*

History of titles

Ō (王) is a title (commonly translated Prince) given to male members of the Japanese Imperial Family who do not have the higher title of shinnō. The female equivalent is nyoō (女王). Ō can also be translated as "king". The origin of this double meaning is a copying of the Chinese pattern. Unlike in China, however, ō was only used for imperial family members. Interestingly, "queen" is joō, using the same characters as nyoō.

Historically, any male member of the Imperial Family was titled ō by default, with shinnō (親王; literally relative-prince) and its female equivalent naishinnō (内親王; literally relative-princess) being special titles granted by the Emperor. After the Meiji Restoration, the difference between ō and shinnō were altered. A shinnō or naishinnō was a legitimate Imperial Family member descended from an Emperor down to the great grandchild. The term "legitimate Imperial Family" excludes anyone not connected by a direct male line descent, as well as the descendants of anyone who renounced their membership in the Imperial Family, or were expelled from the Imperial Family. Shinnō also included the heads of any of the shinnōke. A provision of law which never had an opportunity to be applied also stipulated that if the head of a shinnōke succeeded to the Chrysanthemum Throne, then his brothers would acquire the title of shinnō, as well as their descendants (down to the grandchildren?). The Emperor could also specially grant the title of shinnō to any ō.

In 1947, the law was changed so that shinnō only extended to the male-line grandchildren of an Emperor. The Imperial Family was also drastically pruned, disestablishing the ōke and shinnōke. The consort of an ō or shinnō has the suffix -hi (妃) to ō or shinnō.