Prince Hitachi
Encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Masahito (disambiguation)MasahitoMasahito is a male Japanese name, normally used only for members of The Japanese Imperial Family. Although written romanized the same way, the kanji can be different.Masahito may refer to:...
is a member of the Imperial House of Japan
Imperial House of Japan
The , also referred to as the Imperial Family or the Yamato Dynasty, comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present Constitution of Japan, the emperor is the symbol of the state and unity of the people...
and the younger brother of current Emperor Akihito
Akihito
is the current , the 125th emperor of his line according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He acceded to the throne in 1989.-Name:In Japan, the emperor is never referred to by his given name, but rather is referred to as "His Imperial Majesty the Emperor" which may be shortened to . In...
. He is the second son and sixth born child of HIM
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun
Empress Kojun
' was empress consort of Emperor Hirohito of Japan. Born , she was the mother of the present Emperor .Her posthumous name is Kōjun, which means "fragrant purity"...
and is fourth in line to the Chrysanthemum throne
Chrysanthemum Throne
The 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....
. Prince Hitachi is mainly known for philanthropic activities and his research on the causes of cancer.
Education
Born at the Tokyo Imperial Palace, Prince Masahito held the childhood appellation .He received his primary and secondary schooling at the Gakushuin
Gakushuin
The 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...
Peers’ School. In late 1944, the Imperial Household Ministry
Imperial Household Agency
The is a government agency of Japan in charge of the state matters concerning Japan's imperial family and also keeping the Privy Seal and the State Seal...
evacuated Prince Yoshi and the Crown Prince to Nikkō, to escape the American bombing of Tokyo.
After the war, from 1947 to 1950, Mrs. Elizabeth Gray Vining
Elizabeth Gray Vining
Elizabeth Janet Gray Vining , born Elizabeth Janet Gray and also known as Elizabeth Gray Vining, was a professional librarian who tutored Emperor Akihito of Japan in English while he was the crown prince...
tutored both princes and their sisters, the Princesses Kazuko
Kazuko Takatsukasa
-External links:***...
, Atsuko
Atsuko Ikeda
, is the wife of Marquis Takamasa Ikeda and fourth daughter of Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun. As such, she is the older sister to the present Emperor of Japan, Emperor Akihito.- Biography :...
, and Takako
Takako Shimazu
-Notes:...
, in the English language. Her account of the experience is entitled Windows for the Crown Prince (1952).
Prince Yoshi received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from the Faculty of Science at Gakushuin University
Gakushuin University
is 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...
in 1958. He subsequently did postgraduate work in the Faculty of Science at Tokyo University. In 1969, he became a Research Associate of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research specializing in the study of cellular division. The results of his research have been reported in the technical journals of the Japanese Cancer Association, as well as of the American Association for Cancer Research.
In 1997, Prince Hitachi received an honorary doctorate from George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
in the United States, and in April 2001 received another from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. In March 1999, he became an honorary member of the German Association for Cancer Research, in recognition of his significant scientific contributions to the field of cancer research.
Marriage and family
On 30 September 1964, the Prince married Hanako TsugaruPrincess Hitachi
, née was born on 19 July 1940. She is the fourth daughter of Count Yoshitaka Tsugaru, a descendant of the Tsugaru daimyō of Tsugaru Domain , née was born on 19 July 1940. She is the fourth daughter of Count Yoshitaka Tsugaru, a descendant of the Tsugaru daimyō of Tsugaru Domain , née was born...
(born 19 July 1940), fourth daughter of the late Yoshitaka Tsugaru, a former count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
and a descendant of the daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of Tsugaru Domain. The following day, Emperor Shōwa granted him the title Hitachi-no-miya (Prince Hitachi), and authorization to start a new branch of the Imperial Family in celebration of his wedding.
Prince Hitachi and Princess Hitachi have their official residence in a palace in large gardens off Komazawadori in Higashi, Tokyo
Higashi, Tokyo
is a residential district of the Shibuya ward in Tokyo surrounded by the prime residential areas of Hiroo, Ebisu, Daikanyama Aoyama and Minami Aoyama.-Notable buildings:...
Prince and Princess Hitachi have no children.
Public service
Prince Hitachi is the honorary president of a wide variety of charitable organizations, especially those involving international exchange. Most recently, Prince and Princess Hitachi visited NicaraguaNicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
and El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with both countries in October 2005. They also made a visit to France in September 2007 and Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, marking the celebration of 110 years since the establishment of a Japanese community in this country, June 2009.
Honorary positions
- Reserve Member of the Imperial Household CouncilImperial Household Councilis a ten-member body to approve the statutory matters on the Imperial House of Japan. The Council was established in 1947, when the current Imperial Household Law took effect.- Functions :...
- President of the Japanese Society for the Preservation of Birds
- President of the Japanese Society for Disabled Children
- President of the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation
- President of the Japan-Denmark Society
- President of the Dainippon Silk Foundation
- President of the Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities
- President of the Japan Art Association
- President of the Japan Amateur Basketball Association
- President of the Tokyo Zoological Park Society
- President of Maison Franco-Japonaise
- Honorary President of the Japan-Sweden Society
- Honorary President of the Japan-Belgium Society
- Honorary President of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research
- Honorary President of Association Pasteur Japon
- Honorary Vice-President of the Japanese Red CrossJapanese Red CrossThe ' is the Japanese affiliate of the International Red Cross.The Imperial Family of Japan traditionally has supported the society, with Empress as Honorary President and other royal family members as vice-presidents. Its headquarters is located in Tokyo and local chapters are set up in all 47...
Society
Ancestry
| Masahito | Father: Hirohito, Emperor Shōwa Hirohito , posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to... |
Paternal Grandfather: Yoshihito, Emperor Taishō Emperor Taishō The was the 123rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 30 July 1912, until his death in 1926.The Emperor’s personal name was . According to Japanese customs, the emperor has no name during his reign and is only called the Emperor... |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Mutsuhito, Emperor Meiji Emperor Meiji The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death... |
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Adopted: Haruko, Empress Shōken; Biological: Lady Yanagihara Naruko , concubine |
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| Paternal Grandmother: Princess Sadako of the Fujiwara Clan, Empress Teimei |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Prince Kujō Michitaka of the Fujiwara Clan |
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| Paternal Great-grandmother: Lady Noma Ikuko, concubine |
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| Mother: Nagako, Empress Kōjun Empress Kojun ' was empress consort of Emperor Hirohito of Japan. Born , she was the mother of the present Emperor .Her posthumous name is Kōjun, which means "fragrant purity"... |
Maternal Grandfather: Imperial Prince Kuniyoshi Kuni |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Prince Kuni Asahiko Prince Kuni Asahiko align=right|, was a member of a collateral line of the Japanese imperial family who played a key role in the Meiji Restoration. Prince Asahiko was an adopted son of Emperor Ninkō and later a close advisor to Emperor Kōmei and Emperor Meiji... |
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| Maternal Great-grandmother: Lady Isume Makiko, concubine |
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| Maternal Grandmother: Princess Shimazu Chikako of Satsuma |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Prince Shimazu Tadayoshi, 29th and last Daimyo of Satsuma, Osumi and Hyuga |
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| Maternal Great-grandmother: Lady Hiro Sumako, concubine |