Prince Kaya Tsunenori
Encyclopedia
, was the second head of the Kaya-no-miya collateral branch
of the Japanese imperial family
. He was first cousin to Empress Kōjun (Nagako)
, the wife of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito)
.
, the first son of Prince Kaya Kuninori
and his wife, the former Daigō Yoshiko. He received his primary and secondary education at the boys' department of the Gakushuin
Peers’ School. On December 8, 1909, he became the second head of the Kaya-no-miya house upon his father's death.
(2nd class) in the cavalry
. In August 1925, he became commander of the Tenth Cavalry Regiment (at the rank of captain) and graduated from the 38th class of Army Staff College
. The following year, he rose to the rank of major
in the cavalry, and was appointed an instructor at the Army Staff College the following year. He joined the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff in 1933 and was promoted to colonel
two years later.
Prince and Princess Kaya undertook a seven-month world tour in 1934, visiting the United States
, Great Britain
, France
, and Germany
. The tour received extensive press coverage at the time.
After his return to Japan, he replaced his uncle, Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, as the emperor's personal envoy to Nanking
, the occupied capital of Nationalist China, following the Nanjing Massacre in January 1938. He was promoted to major general
in 1940 and lieutenant general
in 1943 in command of the IJA 43rd Division. Prince Kaya became commander of the Third Imperial Guard Division
in 1944 and briefly served as president of the Army Staff College during the closing stages of World War II
.
reform of the Japanese imperial household. Barred from holding public office because of his military career, the former prince received a lump payment from the reconstituted Imperial Household Council
in order to "maintain his dignity." The former prince later served on the boards of directors of the Taishō Life Insurance Company and Nissan Mutual Life Insurance
Company. He served as the honorary president of the International Martial Arts Federation
from its founding in 1953 until 1957. The former prince was a noted fan and supporter of Japanese baseball
. In 1970, he founded a retirement home in Nagano Prefecture
.
The former prince died of a heart ailment on January 2, 1978 at his home in Chiba Prefecture
.
The former Kaya-no-miya palace is now the site of the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery
in downtown Tokyo.
. The couple had seven children:
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
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...
. He was first cousin to Empress Kōjun (Nagako)
Nagako
Nagako is an uncommon Japanese given name for females. Although written romanized the same way, the kanji can be different., later Empress Kōjun of Japan *Nagako Konishi , a female composer...
, the wife of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito)
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...
.
Early life
Prince Kaya Tsunenori was born in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, the first son of Prince Kaya Kuninori
Prince Kaya Kuninori
align=right| was a member of the Japanese imperial family and the founder of one of the nine ōke in the Meiji period.-Early life:...
and his wife, the former Daigō Yoshiko. He received his primary and secondary education at the boys' department of 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. On December 8, 1909, he became the second head of the Kaya-no-miya house upon his father's death.
Military career
Like the other imperial princes of his generation, Prince Kaya was a career military officer. In 1920, after serving a term in the House of Peers, he graduated from the 32nd class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy and received a commission as a lieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
(2nd class) in the cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
. In August 1925, he became commander of the Tenth Cavalry Regiment (at the rank of captain) and graduated from the 38th class of 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....
. The following year, he rose to the rank of major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the cavalry, and was appointed an instructor at the Army Staff College the following year. He joined the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff in 1933 and was promoted to 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...
two years later.
Prince and Princess Kaya undertook a seven-month world tour in 1934, visiting the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, 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...
, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The tour received extensive press coverage at the time.
After his return to Japan, he replaced his uncle, Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, as the emperor's personal envoy to Nanking
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, the occupied capital of Nationalist China, following the Nanjing Massacre in January 1938. He was promoted to major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in 1940 and lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
in 1943 in command of the IJA 43rd Division. Prince Kaya became commander of the Third Imperial Guard Division
Imperial Guard of Japan
The Japanese is an organization which is dedicated to protection of the Emperor of Japan and his family, palaces and other imperial properties. Following the end of World War II the traditional Guard, which also served as a unit in the Imperial Japanese Army, was dissolved and in 1947 a civil...
in 1944 and briefly served as president of the Army Staff College during the closing stages of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Commoner life
After October 14, 1947, Prince Kaya Tsunenori and his family were divested of their imperial status and become commoners due to 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...
reform of the Japanese imperial household. Barred from holding public office because of his military career, the former prince received a lump payment from the reconstituted Imperial Household Council
Imperial Household Council
is 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 :...
in order to "maintain his dignity." The former prince later served on the boards of directors of the Taishō Life Insurance Company and Nissan Mutual Life Insurance
Nissan Mutual Life Insurance
Nissan Mutual Life Insurance Company was a Japanese company that went bankrupt on April 25, 1997. It was the first time since the postwar period that a life insurer went bankrupt....
Company. He served as the honorary president of the International Martial Arts Federation
International Martial Arts Federation
' is a Japanese Budō organization founded in 1952 to provide access to archives of historical information and sources of traditional instruction, as well as to promote Japanese martial arts. It is the civil successor organization of the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai and a foundation of the Japanese...
from its founding in 1953 until 1957. The former prince was a noted fan and supporter of Japanese baseball
Japanese baseball
Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning Professional Baseball. Outside of Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball." The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation of the in 1934 and the...
. In 1970, he founded a retirement home in Nagano Prefecture
Nagano Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Nagano.- History :Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano...
.
The former prince died of a heart ailment on January 2, 1978 at his home in Chiba Prefecture
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
.
The former Kaya-no-miya palace is now the site of the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery
Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery
is the national Japanese cemetery for 352,297 unidentified war dead in the Second World War , near the Imperial Palace and Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, Japan....
in downtown Tokyo.
Marriage and family
On May 3, 1921, Prince Kaya married Kujō Toshiko (May 16, 1903 - March 23, 1993), the third daughter of Prince Kujō Michizane, head of one of the Five regent houses of the Fujiwara clan. His wife also a niece of Empress Teimei, the consort of the Emperor TaishōEmperor 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...
. The couple had seven children:
- , (April 21, 1922 - April 19, 1986)
- (b. July 29, 1923)
- , (b. July 3, 1926)
- , (b. August 17, 1929)
- , (b. July 12, 1931)
- , (b. November 24, 1935)
- , (b.1942)
Sources
- Foreign Affairs Association of Japan, The Japan Year Book, 1939-40 (Tokyo: Kenkyusha Press, 1939).
- Foreign Affairs Association of Japan, The Japan Year Book, 1945 (Tokyo: Kenkyusha Press, 1946).
- "Royal Japanese Greeted Here; Spend Afternoon Seeing Sights; Prince and Princess Kaya Saluted in Harbor and Received by Notables," New York Times, 15 August 1934, p. 19.
- "Britain And Japan: Prince Kaya's Visit," The Times, 3 May 1934, p. 16.
- Japan Biographical Encyclopedia and Who's Who. Tokyo, Rengo-Press: 1965.
- "Obituary 1--No Title," New York Times, 4 January 1978, p. D19.