Prince Hisahito turns 20: Tsukuba sophomore marks coming-of-age with pledge to “fulfil my role” after a year balancing study and state

September 6, 2026

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Summary

Prince Hisahito has turned 20 and completed his coming-of-age rites, reaffirming he wants to “fulfil my role” as a member of Japan’s Imperial Family. He remains a full-time biology sophomore at the University of Tsukuba, mixing labs and fieldwork with carefully selected public duties. Highlights include his first state banquet for the Philippine President, his debut poem at the New Year Poetry Reading, and visits to Hiroshima for reflection and peace education. He toured Expo 2025 pavilions, backed the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics (using sign language to cheer athletes), and joined scouts at the Japan Scout Jamboree. Environmental themes ran throughout—from school biotope projects to his ongoing observations of dragonflies and habitat restoration. He met foreign royals from Bahrain, the UK, and Tonga, underscoring Japan’s warm diplomatic ties. The IHA notes he is grateful for public support and mindful of those affected by recent disasters. Read the full article for context on why age 20 matters in Imperial tradition—and what this busy year signals for Japan’s future.

A milestone for Japan’s Imperial Family

Prince Hisahito, the only son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, marked his 20th birthday on 6 September 2026—an important threshold in Imperial tradition. After completing all rites linked to his coming-of-age, the Prince renewed his intention “to fulfil my role as a member of the Imperial Family,” the Imperial Household Agency (IHA) confirmed. Over the past year he prioritized university study while steadily expanding his public duties, describing the period as healthy and fulfilling.

Why 20 matters—even after Japan lowered adulthood to 18

While Japan’s Civil Code recognizes adulthood from 18, within the Imperial Household the public-facing “seinen-shiki” coming-of-age is traditionally marked at 20. For foreign readers: the Imperial Family performs constitutional and ceremonial duties that symbolize national unity and continuity. Hisahito, born in 2006, is second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne after his father, making his development a point of national and international interest.

Student first: a focused year at the University of Tsukuba

Now a second-year student in Biology within the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Tsukuba, the Prince commutes to campus for in-person classes, including English for reading scientific papers, physical education, advanced biology lectures, laboratory practicums, and summer fieldwork. Faculty report he is broadening his perspective across the life sciences. A long-time nature enthusiast, he continues to observe insects and ecosystems, with a particular fondness for dragonflies, a theme that appears in his cultural pursuits as well.

Coming-of-age rites and reverence for tradition

Central ceremonies last September included the Kakan-no-Gi (capping rite), solemn audiences at the Kashikodokoro, Kōreiden and Shinden, and the Chōken-no-Gi. The Prince then reported the completion of his rites at the Ise Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture and at Emperor Jimmu’s mausoleum in Nara. He later paid respects at the mausoleums of Emperor Shōwa, Emperor Taishō, Empress Teimei, and Empress Kōjun. In February, he visited Kyoto to honor the mausoleums of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken, offered incense at the Imperial family temple of Sennyū-ji, and paid respects at the mausoleums of Emperor Kōmei and Empress Eishō. A tea gathering at the Akasaka Estate in late February concluded the cycle of coming-of-age events.

At the Palace: first state banquet and court ceremonies

Within limits set by his coursework, Prince Hisahito attended court events as an adult royal, including birthday celebrations for Their Majesties, New Year audiences, the public New Year’s greeting, the annual Imperial Lectures, and the New Year Poetry Reading (Utakai Hajime). Under the theme “Bright,” he submitted his first waka evoking the quiet joy of watching his beloved dragonflies at dusk. In May he debuted at a state banquet, joining Their Majesties in welcoming Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos. He also attended key Shinto rites at the Palace, paying respects in the forecourt in accordance with tradition.

War memory and peace education

Emphasizing reflection and learning, the Prince viewed the Ryukyuan dance production “Maki no Kai” with his parents and sister, Princess Kako, and visited the Itabashi Art Museum’s “War and Children, 80 Years On” exhibition. In Hiroshima, he laid flowers at the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims in Peace Memorial Park and at the memorial by Honkawa Elementary School Peace Museum—an institution that lost nearly all its pupils in 1945—listening to explanations and honoring survivors’ testimony. The IHA said he felt deep sorrow and respect for those who preserved their stories for the sake of peace.

Global stage: Expo 2025, Deaflympics, and world sport

The Prince engaged with an exceptional run of international events. He toured Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025 pavilions—including the Japan, Belgium, Netherlands, and Thailand pavilions, and the “Commons-D” zone showcasing Bhutan, Laos, and Madagascar—speaking with representatives and exploring themes of culture and sustainability. He watched thrilling sessions of the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships. At the Tokyo 2025 Summer Deaflympics—Japan’s first hosting—he attended the opening with his family, met Japan’s team at the Akasaka residence, and used sign language to cheer athletes. With Crown Princess Kiko, he traveled to Izu Ōshima to watch the orienteering events, met local residents, honored victims of the 2013 mudslide at the town memorial, visited an eldercare facility, observed a camellia oil press, explored a local nature-and-geology museum, and walked a post-eruption trail to study vegetation recovery.

Youth, environment, and community

Reflecting his scientific interests, the Prince attended the 2025 National School and Kindergarten Biotope Contest, listening closely to students and teachers restoring habitats on school grounds. He met recipients of the Fuji Scout Award—the highest rank for Venture Scouts in Japan—discussing their projects and community service. At the 19th Japan Scout Jamboree in Hiroshima’s Jinsekikōgen, he pitched tents with scouts, delivered his first public remarks at a mass gathering, joined breakfast preparation, tried coaster-making, and participated in disaster-preparedness programs, later visiting the Hiroshima Prefectural Museum of History in Fukuyama. In Hokkaidō’s Rusutsu, he and Crown Princess Kiko attended the 2026 World Ski Orienteering Championships, joining the awards and closing ceremonies and encouraging young families at a local childcare hub, even leading a karuta reading game.

Diplomatic ties with fellow monarchies

During visits by foreign royals to Japan, the Prince greeted Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman and his son Shaikh Isa, and the UK’s Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. In February he joined family talks with Tonga’s Crown Prince Tupouto‘a ‘Ulukalala and Crown Princess.

Continuity, curiosity, and service—what it means

For international readers and Japan watchers, Prince Hisahito’s year underscores how the Imperial Family blends tradition with modern education and soft-power engagement. As a biologist-in-training and second in line to the throne, he bridges laboratories and state banquets, schoolyard ecosystems and global sporting stages, highlighting Japan’s strengths in culture, science, inclusivity, and international hospitality ahead of major events like the Expo and world championships. Between classes in Tsukuba and time at the Akasaka residence, he still tends vegetable plots and rice paddies and continues long-term observations of dragonflies and habitats—quiet, hands-on habits that mirror Japan’s broader dedication to nature and resilience.

Gratitude and compassion

The IHA said the Prince expressed deep gratitude to those who met and supported him this year and offered condolences to people affected by earthquakes, heavy rains, and other disasters across Japan. It is a measured, forward-looking stance—dutiful, studious, and distinctly Japan—that sets the tone for his public life in the years ahead.