| Hisahito | |
|---|---|
 Hisahito in 2020 | |
| Born | 6 September 2006 Aiiku Hospital, Minato, Tokyo, Japan |
| House | Imperial House of Japan |
| Father | Fumihito, Crown Prince of Japan |
| Mother | Kiko Kawashima |
 |
Prince Hisahito of Akishino (悠仁親王, Hisahito Shinnō, born 6 September 2006) is the youngest child and only son of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan.[1][2] He is the nephew of Emperor Naruhito and second in line to the throne after his father, Fumihito.
Preceding his birth, the paucity of male heirs in the imperial family had triggered the Japanese imperial succession debate, with some politicians favoring the abandonment of agnatic primogeniture which has prevailed in Japan since its monarchy was established in 660 BC, with eight exceptions (the last reigning empress being Go-Sakuramachi, r. 1762–1771), and which remains the law of imperial succession under the post-war constitution of Japan. The birth of Hisahito in 2006 removed the need to make any non-traditional provision for the succession. He became, at birth, next in the line of succession after his uncle and father.
- ^ "Japan princess gives birth to boy". BBC News. 6 September 2006. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2006.
- ^ Walsh, Bryan (5 September 2006). "Japan Celebrates: It's a Boy!". Time. Archived from the original on 13 May 2007. Retrieved 5 September 2006.