Prince Nobuhiko Higashikuni

Prince Nobuhiko Higashikuni (b. 東久邇 信彦; 10 March 1945）is a Japanese aristocrat. The eldest grandson of Emperor Hirohito, he is the eldest son of Shigeko, Princess Teru (the eldest daughter of Emperor Hirohito, and eldest sister of present Emperor Akihito) and Prince Morihiro Higashikuni, a grandson of Emperor Meiji. He is nephew of reigning Emperor Akihito.^[1]

Biography

He was born in a shelter home amid the air raid on Tokyo as the eldest son of Prince Morihiro Higashikuni and Shigeko, Princess Teru, the eldest daughter of Hirohito, then the reigning Emperor of Japan.

After departing from the Imperial Palace, he studied at the Keio University Law School and worked at Mitsui Bank. He was appointed as a member of the Thai Association of Japan, executive director, managing director, Kakari member, etc. In 2008 (June 2008), assumed the honorary president of the All Japan Baseball Conference. In 2009 (Heisei 21) July, assumed the honorary adviser of the Japan-US Friendship Bridge Executive Committee. Honorary Chairman of the Society "Togo Association" and Honorary President of the Association to Protect Japanese Tradition.^[2]

Higashikuni married in June 1972 to Yoshiko Shimada. The Shimada family is a commoner family who runs real estate management business (apartment / parking lot management) in Yokohama, but Emperor Hirohito liked Shimada's homely appearance and blessed Nobuhiko's marriage. In the following year a boy was born to the couple.^[3]

Genealogy

Since his parents and grandparents were Imperial family members and very closely related to the present Imperial family, the existence of Nobuhiko and his son Yukihiko was noted when discussing the problem of succession to the throne due to the lack of male royalty.

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