Prince Kaya Tsunenori

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HIH Prince Kaya Tsunenori
23 July 1900 - 2 January 1978

His Imperial Highness Prince Kaya Tsunenori
Place of birth Tokyo, Japan
Place of death Tokyo, Japan
Allegiance Empire of Japan
Service/branch Imperial Japanese Army
Years of service 1920-1945
Rank General
Battles/wars World War II

His Imperial Highness Prince Kaya Tsunenori (賀陽宮恒憲王 Kaya no miya Tsunenori ō?) (23 July 1900 - 2 January 1978), was the second head of the Kaya-no-miya collateral branch of the Japanese imperial family. He was first cousin to Empress Kojun (Nagako), the wife of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito).

Contents

[edit] Early life

Prince Kaya Tsunenori was born in Tokyo, the first son of Prince Kaya Kuninori and his wife, the former Daigo Yoshiko. He received his primary and secondary education at the boys' department of the Gakushuin Peers’ School. On 8 December 1909, he became the second head of the Kaya-no-miya house upon his father's death.

[edit] Marriage and family

On 3 May 1921, Prince Kaya married Kujō Toshiko (16 May 1903 - 23 March 1993), the third daughter of Prince Kujō Michiazane, 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 Taishō. The couple had eight children:

  1. HIH Prince Kaya Kuninaga (21 April 1922 - 19 April 1986)
  2. HIH Prince Kaya Kuniaki (b.1922)
  3. HIH Princess Kaya Michiko (b. 29 July 1923)
  4. HIH Prince Kaya Harunori (b. 3 July 1926)
  5. HIH Prince Kaya Akinori (b. 17 August 1929)
  6. HIH Prince Kaya Fuminori (b. 12 July 1931)
  7. HIH Prince Kaya Munenori (b. 24 November 1935)
  8. HIH Prince Kaya Takenori (b.1942)

[edit] 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 lieutenant (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 brigadier general in 1940 and lieutenant general in 1943 in command of the IJA 43th 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.

[edit] Commoner life

After 14 October 1947, Prince Kaya Tsunenori and his family were divested of their imperial status and become commoners due to the American occupation authorities' 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 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 died of a heart ailment on 2 January 1978 at his home in Chiba.

The former Kaya-no-miya palace is now the site of the Chidori-ga-fuchi war memorial in downtown Tokyo.

[edit] Gallery

HIH Prince Kaya Tsunenori

HIH Kaya Tsunenori and consort Princess Toshiko

Wedding photo, HIH Prince Kaya Tsunenori and Princess Toshiko

HIH Princess Kaya Toshiko

HIH Prince Kaya Kuninaga

[edit] Sources

  1. Foreign Affairs Association of Japan, The Japan Year Book, 1939-40 (Tokyo: Kenkyusha Press, 1939).
  2. Foreign Affairs Association of Japan, The Japan Year Book, 1945 (Tokyo: Kenkyusha Press, 1946).
  3. "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.
  4. "Britain And Japan: Prince Kaya's Visit," The Times, 3 May 1934, p. 16.
  5. Japan Biographical Encyclopedia and Who's Who. Tokyo, Rengo-Press: 1965.
  6. "Obituary 1--No Title," New York Times, 4 January 1978, p. D19.
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