Prince Hitachi
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Prince Hitachi (Masahito) of Japan (常陸宮正仁親王, Hitachi no miya Masahito Shinnō) (born 28 November 1935) is a member of the Japanese imperial family and the younger brother of the Emperor Akihito. The prince is the second son and sixth born child of the HIM Shōwa Emperor and HIM Empress Kōjun. Currently, he is fourth in line to the Chrysanthemum throne. Prince Hitachi is mainly known for philanthropic activities and his research on the causes of cancer.
Born at the Kokyo Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Prince Masahito held the childhood appellation Prince Yoshi (義宮正仁, Yoshi-no-miya Masahito).
He received his primary and secondary at the then-boys department of the Gakushuin. In late 1944, the Imperial Household Ministry evacuated Prince Yoshi and the Crown Prince to Nikkō, to escape the American bombing of Tokyo. From 1947 to 1950, Mrs. Elizabeth Gray Vining tutored both princes and their sisters, the Princesses Kazuko, Atsuko, and Takako, in English. 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 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.
On 30 September 1964, the Prince married Tsugaru Hanako (born 19 July 1940), fourth daughter of the late Tsugaru Yoshitaka, a former count in the abolished kazoku and a descendant of the former daimyo of Tsugaru. The following day, Emperor Shōwa granted his second son the title Hitachi-no-miya (Prince Hitachi). He had previously received authorization from the Imperial Household Council to form an independent imperial household. Prince and Princess Hitachi have no children.
Prince and Princess Hitachi are currently presidents of societies concerned with international exchange (such as the Japan-Sweden Society, Japan-Belgium Society), the disabled (Japanese Society for Disabled Children, etc.), and the conservation of nature (Japanese Society for the Preservation of Birds). Prince Hitachi currently hold positions as president and honorary positions in at least fourteen organisations.
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| Styles of Prince Hitachi (Masahito) of Japan |
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| Reference style | His Imperial Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Imperial Highness |
| Alternative style | Sir |
| Preceded by Prince Hisahito |
Line of Succession to the Japanese throne | Succeeded by Prince Mikasa |
