| Fumihito 秋篠宮文仁親王 |
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|---|---|
| Prince Akishino | |
| Spouse | Kiko Kawashima |
| Issue | |
| Princess Mako of Akishino Princess Kako of Akishino Prince Hisahito of Akishino |
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| Father | Emperor Akihito |
| Mother | Empress Michiko |
| Born | 30 November 1965 Tokyo, Japan Imperial Household Agency Hospital |
Fumihito, The 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.[1]
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.[2]
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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 in the United Kingdom from October 1988 to June 1990. In 1996, he was awarded a PhD from the National University for General Research.[2]
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 PhD 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 the top ten in the tennis doubles players in the Kanto Region.
He is also known as a successor to Arisugawa school of calligraphy.
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On 29 June 1990, Prince Fumihito married Kawashima Kiko, the daughter of Kawashima Tatsuhiko (professor of economics at Gakushuin University) and his wife, Kazuyo.
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.
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 is likely to eventually succeed to the throne, unless Hisahito's uncle, Crown Prince Naruhito, produces a male heir, or the succession laws are changed (see succession controversy).[3]
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.[2]
Prince and Princess Akishino also foster friendly relations with foreign countries by representing Japan at select international events.[4] For example, they traveled to the Netherlands in August 2009 to commemorate 400 years of trade between Holland and Japan. They were invited by the Dutch government and were hosted by Queen Beatrix in The Hague. Their public activities included meeting Japanese language students, visiting the Siebold House, a university hospital, and two other museums. At the Dutch National Archives, they attended the opening of a major exhibition of Japan-related material, "From Here to Tokyo, 400 Years of Trade with Japan;" they were accompanied by Dutch Princess Laurentien who lived and studied in Japan in her youth. In addition, this official visit also included talks with the Dutch head of government.
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| Styles of Prince Akishino (Fumihito) of Japan |
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| Reference style | His Imperial Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Imperial Highness |
| Alternative style | Sir |
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Prince Akishino
Born: 30 November 1965 |
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| Japanese royalty | ||
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| Preceded by Crown Prince Naruhito |
Line of succession to the Japanese throne 2nd position |
Succeeded by Prince Hisahito |