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|title =Prince Akishino
|title =Prince Akishino
|image =AkishinoNoMiyaGoFusaiM1089.jpg
|image =AkishinoNoMiyaGoFusaiM1089.jpg
|succession =Prince Akishino
|reign =29 June 1990 - present
|successor =[[Prince Hisahito of Akishino]]
|suc-type =Heir-Apparent
|father =[[Emperor Akihito]]
|father =[[Emperor Akihito]]
|mother =[[Empress Michiko]]
|mother =[[Empress Michiko]]

Revision as of 04:01, 24 June 2009

Fumihito
秋篠宮文仁親王
Prince Akishino
Prince Akishino
Reign29 June 1990 - present
Heir-ApparentPrince Hisahito of Akishino
SpouseKiko Kawashima
IssuePrincess Mako of Akishino
Princess Kako of Akishino
Prince Hisahito of Akishino
FatherEmperor Akihito
MotherEmpress Michiko
Styles of
Prince Akishino (Fumihito) of Japan
Imperial Coat of Arms
Imperial Coat of Arms
Reference styleHis Imperial Highness
Spoken styleYour Imperial Highness
Alternative styleSir

Fumihito, 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 throne.

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 Gakushuin.

In April 1984, he entered the Law Department of Gakushuin University, where he studied law and biology. After graduating from the university, he studied the taxonomy of fish at St John's College, Oxford University in the United Kingdom from October 1988 to June 1990.

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 Ph.D. in ornithology from the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in October 1996. His doctoral dissertation was titled, "Molecular Phylogeny of Jungle fowls, genus Gallus and Monophyletic Origin of Domestic Fowls." He conducted field research in Indonesia in 1993 and 1994, in Yunnan Province in the People's Republic of China. When the current Emperor was still Crown Prince, he introduced tilapia to Thailand 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 Thailand.

He is a big fan of the Beatles and an avid tennis player. As a student, Prince Fumihito ranked among top ten in the tennis doubles players in the Kanto Region.

He is also known as a successor to Arisugawa school of calligraphy.

Marriage

On 29 June 1990, Prince Fumihito married Kawashima Kiko, the daughter of Kawashima Tatsuhiko (professor of economics at Gakushuin University) and his wife, Kazuko.

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:

Since the third child is male, he is in the direct line of succession to the Imperial Throne and will eventually succeed to the throne, although this situation would change if Hisahito's uncle, Crown Prince Naruhito, produces a male heir or if the laws were changed following the Japanese imperial succession controversy.[2]

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 Japan, the Japan Tennis Association, and the Japan-Netherlands Association.

Titles from Birth

  • His Imperial Highness Prince Aya of Japan
  • His Imperial Highness The Prince Akishino of Japan

References

Fumihito, Crown Prince of Japan
Born: 30 November 1965
Japanese royalty
Preceded by Line of succession to the Japanese throne
2nd position
Succeeded by