Prince Hisahito of Akishino

nihongo|Prince Hisahito of Akishino|悠仁親王|Hisahito shinnō| born 6 September 2006, currently third in line to the Japanese throne, is the third child of the Prince and Princess Akishino, and their first son. [cite news
title = Japan princess gives birth to boy
work = BBC News
date = 2006-09-06
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5316266.stm
accessdate = 2006-09-05 ] [cite news
last = Walsh
first = Bryan
title = Japan Celebrates: It's a Boy!
work = Time
date = 2006-09-05
url = http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1531895,00.html
accessdate = 2006-09-05 .] He was born at 8:27 a.m. (Japan Standard Time) by Caesarean section in a private clinic in Tokyo following complications in the pregnancy, diagnosed as partial placenta praevia, which resulted in the birth taking place some two weeks early. He weighed 2.556 kg (5 lb 10 oz) at birth. According to the current law of succession, he is third in line of succession to become Emperor of Japan. He is the first male child born to the Japanese Imperial family since his father, 41 years ago.

In January 2007, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that he would drop the proposal to alter the Imperial Household Law. Therefore, it seems increasingly unlikely that the succession laws will be changed to allow Hisahito's cousin, Princess Aiko, to become reigning Empress. Although Imperial chronologies include eight reigning empresses in the course of Japanese history, their successors were most often selected from amongst the males of the paternal Imperial bloodline, which is why some conservative scholars argue that the women's reigns were temporary and that male-only succession tradition must be maintained in the 21st century. [ [http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070327i1.html "Life in the Cloudy Imperial Fishbowl,"] "Japan Times." March 27, 2007.]

His personal name means "serene and virtuous," according to the Imperial Household Agency. An alternative translation is "virtuous, calm, everlasting." His name was chosen by his father, and the Imperial crest used to mark his belongings is "koyamaki" (Japanese Umbrella-pine) tree. Princess Kiko has offered to donate the umbilical cord blood to the Japanese Cord Blood Bank Network for the general public and not for private use. [cite news
title = Imperial baby joins his mother
work = Japan Times
date = 2006-09-08
url = http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20060908a4.html
accessdate = 2006-09-08 ]

Prince Hisahito has two older sisters, Princess Mako of Akishino (born 23 October 1991) and Princess Kako of Akishino (born 29 December 1994).

Birthday

On September 6, 2007, Prince Hisahito celebrated his 1st birthday amid glare of cameras at the imperial palace. Newspapers published front-page pictures of the smiling prince standing on a table in pale blue rompers. The Imperial Household Agency stated his weight as 9,285 grams (20.4 pounds) and is 75 centimetres (30 inches) tall. [ [http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5i9WeoeVmpRMnJg23ED0SAcHB8F-Q AFP.google.com, Japan's new prince turns one amid public glare] ]

ee also

* Japanese Imperial succession controversy
* Emperor Go-Fukakusa, 1246-1259 (formerly Prince Hisahito)

References