Overview

• At the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, the 19-year-old donned a lacquered black silk headpiece, pledged to fulfill his duties, shifted to adult regalia, and departed by carriage for the continuation of the ceremony.
• Hisahito, the son of Crown Prince Akishino, is second in line to the throne and the only young male member of the imperial family.
• Although he became a legal adult at 18, the ceremony was delayed by a year so he could complete secondary school.
• Under the 1947 Imperial House Law, Princess Aiko cannot succeed to the throne, a restriction criticized by a UN committee, while the monarchy remains a symbolic institution without political power.
• Lawmakers reopened succession talks in 2024, and a Kyodo poll indicates roughly nine in ten Japanese support allowing a reigning empress, as conservatives promote alternatives centered on male-line relatives.