Overview

• In the Kakan-no-Gi ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, the 19-year-old received a black lacquer-and-silk crown before changing from a yellow youth robe to an adult garment.
• He was formally recognized as an adult at 19 after a one-year scheduling delay, thanking the emperor and empress and pledging to fulfill his duties.
• It was the first ceremony of its kind in roughly four decades, with the previous one held for his father, Crown Prince Akishino.
• Hisahito remains second in line under the 1947 male-only Imperial Household Law, which excludes Princess Aiko and his two older sisters from succession.
• A Kyodo poll reports about 90% of Japanese support allowing a woman to reign, while experts warn the dynasty’s continuity could be at risk if no male heir is born to Hisahito.