Figure 1.--Here wec see the Japanese royal family in 1967. Crown Prince Akhito of Japan with his wife (Michiki) and their two sons, Prince Naruhito (1960- ) and Prince Fumihito (1965- ). The boys in this photo would thus be respectively seven and two years old. The photograph shows the royal couple bidding their two sons goodbye before embarking on a good will tour of Latin America in May 1967. |
The Crown Prince Akahito was born in 1933. Emperor Akihito acceded the throne on January 7, 1989, upon the death of his father, the Emperor Hirohito
(posthumously Emperor Showa). Akihito was born in Tokyo on December 23, 1933. Emperor Akihito is the eldest son of Eperor Hirohito and Her Imperial
Majesty the Empress Dowager Nagako. He was born Akihito Tsugonimaya in Tokyo. I have no information on his childhood or what he wore as a boy. Akihito
graduated from Gakushuin Upper Secondary School in 1952. He studied at the Department of Politics in the Faculty of Politics and Economics of Gakushuin
University until 1956. In addition, he received private lectures on a number of subjects by eminent professionals, including the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. In
1952 he was officially proclaimed heir to the throne. In 1953, His Majesty the Emperor (then His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince Akihito) made a six-month
tour of 14 countries in North America and Western Europe. The tour centred on his visit to London as Emperor Showa's representative at the coronation of Her
Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II of the Great Britain. Akihito married a commoner, Michiko Shoda, in 1959.
Emperor Akihito is the eldest son of Emperor Hirohito and Her Imperial Majesty the Empress Dowager Nagako.
Akihito was born in Tokyo on December 23, 1933. He was born Akihito Tsugonimaya in Tokyo. We know very little about his childhood. We know very little about his childhood. We do know that he lived through World war II, although he was very young. After the War the status of the monarchy was significantly changed. This must have affected the imperial court and his upbringing, but we do not have details at this time.
I have no information on what Prince Akahito wore as a boy. We do know that he attended regular schools and wore school uniforms.
We do not have details on Prince Akahito's primary school. We know that he attended regular schools and have photographs of him in his school unifirms. Akihito graduated from Gakushuin Upper Secondary School in 1952. He studied at the Department of Politics in the Faculty of Politics and
Economics of Gakushuin University until 1956. In addition, he received private lectures on a number of subjects by eminent professionals, including
the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. In 1952 he was officially proclaimed heir to the throne.
His Majesty the Emperor (then His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince Akihito) in 1953 made a six-month tour of 14 countries in North America and Western Europe. The tour centred on his visit to London
as Emperor Showa's representative at the coronation of Her Majesty
the Queen Elizabeth II of the Great Britain.
Akihito married a commoner, Michiko Shoda, in 1959. Miss Michiko Shoda, the eldest daughter of Mr. Hidesaburo Shoda, the Former President of the Nishiin Flour Manufacturing Company. She was born in Tokyo on October 20, 1934. The Shodas are a scholarly family that has produced two recipients of the Order of Cultural Merit, the highest academic honour conferred by the Emperor upon distinguished scholars. In 1953, she entered the University of the Sacred Heart ( Seishin Jyoshi Daigaku ), specializing in English literature in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature. At her graduation ceremony, she
was valedictorian of her class. The Imperial Household Council, headed by
the Prime Minister and composed of representatives of the Imperial Family, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the House of Councilors, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and others, gave their
unanimous consent to the marriage, which was warmly welcomed by
the nation.
Their Majesties since their marriage, have paid official visits to 37 countries at the invitation of their governments. They have enjoyed
listening to talks and reports, or having discussions with scholars,
artists, and other experts in various fields as well as young people, such
as the Japan Overseas Co-operation Volunteers. Their Majesties also
have attended various national and international ceremonies and
meetings held in Tokyo and other parts of the country. In addition,
they made it a rule to travel out of the capital several times a year to
observe local affairs and to come into direct contact with all sorts of
people in various parts of the country. They often visited social welfare
institutions, industrial establishments, and academic institutes; they
also attended various art exhibitions and charity concerts.
In September 1987, the then Crown Prince took over the duties of the failing Emperor Showa, which included the opening of the Diet and, with the future Her Majesty the Empress Michiko, attending the autumn session of the National Sports Festival, National Arbor Day, and other such functions. When his father, Emperor Hirohito, died on 7 January 1989, Prince Akhito assumed the throne and officially became the 125th Japanese monarch on 12 November 1990. The Emperor, once considered divine but no longer, still commands the reverence and respect of the Japanese people. Akihito succeeded to the throne on January 7, 1989, upon the death of his father, the Emperor Hirohito (posthumously Emperor Showa). The new Emperor designated his reign Heisei ("achieving peace"). Emperor Akihito acceded the throne on January 7, 1989, The new Emperor, holding his first public audience, 2 days after ascending the throne, vowed to fulfil his responsibilities. "I pledge I will always be at one with the people and uphold the Constitution," he said. The Emperor indicated he would follow the footsteps of his father and keep in mind the late Emperor's wish to be with the people. Expressing his hopes for further progress in the nation's fortune, world peace, and the welfare of humankind, the Emperor indicated he would adhere to his status as the symbol of the people's unity, as provided by the Constitution.
Akahito, like his father, is interested in the study of fish and has published 25 papers on gobies in the Japanese Journal of Ichthyology. He was elected an honorary member of the Linnean Society of London, an
international biological society, in 1896. The E,peror is also interested in history. His favorite sport is tennis and he plays often. He also greatly enjoys riding.
The Emperess enjoys playing the piano and harp, as well as doing embroidery, weaving, and other andicrafts. She is also known for her love of literature and lowers. Like her husband, her favorite sport is tennis. In fact the two became acquainted on the tennis court.
Emperor Akahito and Emperess Michiko have two sons and a daughter. In spite of their busy lives with many official duties and some concern from court cirles, they raised their children on their own. This was a major
departure from imperial tradition. They have tried to spend as much
time as possible with their family in order to maintain close ties. Their
constant visits to the Imperial Palace together with their children gave
Emperor Showa and Her Imperial Majesty the Empress Dowager much joy. The royal children include:
Their first son and heir, Prince Naruhito, was born in 1960. We do not know a great deal about Prince Naruhito's childhood. We have some information about his clothing. As a todler he wire French style rompers. We note him as a younger boy wearing short panrs suits, often with ankle socks rather than kneesocks.
The royal couples's second son was His Imperial Highness the Prince Akishino. The Prince was born on November 30, 1965. He know little about his childhood. He attended regular Japanese schools like his brother. And like his brother he attended universities in Japan and Enfland. He graduated from Gakushuin University in March 1988 and studied at St. John's College of Oxford University from October 1988 to June 1990. Since his graduation, he has paid a number of official visits to other countries and has undertaken official duties at home. In June 1990 he married Miss Kiko Kawashima, daughter of Dr. Tatsuhiko Kawashima, a professor at Gakushuin University.
Their Majesties's daughter, Her Imperial Highness the Princess Sayako, who holds the title "Nori-no-Miya", was born on April 18, 1969. She graduated from Gakushuin University and is currently a
researcher at the Yamashina Institute of Ornithology.
Prince Naruhito, a boy of seven here wears a grey double breasted short pants suit
with white shirt and tie (fugure 1). He wears white ankle socks and Oxford-style shoes. His younger brother Fumihito wears rompers held up by suspender straps with a white long-sleeved top, white hightop shoes, and white socks.
In postwar Japan, the everyday life of the imperial family was reported in detail. The marriage in 1959 of Crown Prince Akihito (born 1933) to Michiko Shoda, the daughter of an industrialist, was eagerly accepted by the people. Akihito's reign is called Heisei, meaning ("the achievement of complete peace on earth and in the
heavens"). Because of the pervasive influence of the Emperor on Japanese life, the adoption of this name for Akihito's reign can be expected to influence Japan's policy. Akihito is the first Japanese emperor who has tried to bring the imperial family down to earth. He is not only the Emperor for
his people but also a loving husband and a caring father. He and his wife, the Empress Michiko, often visit foreign countries, especially the Asian countries Japan once invaded, and play a role in promoting friendship between nations. Many Japanese respect and are proud of the imperial family that Akihito has created. In January of 1995, Akihito and Michiko visited people in Kobe right after the destructive earthquake. Some people who lost their houses were interviewed on TV and said, It is my honor to have seen the Emperor and the Empress. I will be OK because they gave me power. Clearly, even today, the Emperor and the imperial family are a source of authority and power for the Japanese people.
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