Current Members of the Imperial Family

The 1947 Imperial Household Law defines the imperial household as: the empress (kõgõ), the empress dowager (kõtaigõ), the grand empress dowager (tai-kõtaigõ), the crown prince (kõtaishi) and his consort, the imperial grandson who is heir apparent (kõtaison) and his consort, the shinnõ and their consorts, the naishinnõ, the õ and their consorts, and the nyoõ. The legitimate children and male line grandchildren of an emperor are shinnõ (imperial princes) in the case of males and naishinnõ (imperial princesses) in the case of females. More distant male line descendants are õ (princes) or nyoõ (princesses). See below for more information on these titles.

After the removal of eleven families from the imperial household in October 1947, the official membership of the imperial family has effectively been limited to the male line descendants of the Taishõ Emperor, excluding females who married outside the imperial family and their descendants. There are presently twenty-two members of the imperial family. Their personal names appear in parentheses:

• His Imperial Majesty the Emperor (Akihito) was born at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on 23 December 1933, the elder son and fifth child of the Shôwa Emperor and Empress Kojun (Nagako). He was married on 10 April 1959 to Her Imperial Majesty the Empress (Michiko). The Empress, formerly Miss Shoda Michiko, was born in Tokyo on 24 October 1934, the eldest daughter of the late Mr. Shoda Hidesaburo, president and honorary chairman of Nisshin Flour Miling Company. Emperor Akihito succeeded his father as emperor on 7 January 1989.

• His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince (Naruhito), the eldest son of the Emperor and the Empress, was born at the Tsugo Palace in Tokyo on 23 February 1960. He became heir apparent upon his father's ascension to the throne. Crown Prince Naruhito married on 6 May 1993 to Miss Owada Masako. Her Imperial Highness the Crown Princess (Masako) was born on 6 December 1963, the daughter of Hisashi Owada, former vice minister of foreign affairs and former permanent representative of Japan to the United Nations. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess have one daughter, Princess Aiko, who was born on 1 December 2001 and who holds the childhood title Princess Toshi (Toshi no miya).

• His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino (Fumihito), the Emperor's second son, was born on 11 November 1965. His childhood title was Prince Aya (Aya no miya). He received the title Prince Akishino (Akishino no miya) and permission to start a new branch of the imperial family upon his marriage to Miss Kawashima Kiko on 29 June 1990. Her Imperial Highness Princess Akishino was born on 11 September 1966, the daughter of Dr. Kawashima Tatsuhiko, professor of economics at Gakushuin University. Prince and Princess Akishino have two daughters: Princess Mako (born 23 October 1991) and Princess Kako (born 29 December 1994).

• Her Imperial Highness Princess Sayako, the third child and only daughter of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, was born on 18 April 1969. Her childhood title is Princess Nori (Nori no miya). On 30 December 2004, the Imperial Household Agency announced the engagement of Princess Sayako to Mr. Kuroda Yoshiki, a staff member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and a longtime friend of Prince Akishino. The wedding will take place in early autumn 2005. Upon marriage, Princess Sayako will leave the Imperial Family, taking the surname of her husband.

• His Imperial Highness Prince Hitachi (Masahito) was born on 28 November 1935, the second son and sixth child of the Emperor Shôwa (Hirohito) and Empress Kojun (Nagako). His childhood title was Prince Yoshi (Yoshi no miya). He received the title Prince Hitachi (Hitachi no miya) and permission to set up a new branch of the imperial family on 1 October 1964, the day after his wedding. Her Imperial Highness Princess Hitachi (Hanako), was born on 19 July 1940, the daughter of late former Count Tsugaru Yoshitaka. Prince and Princess Hitachi have no children.

• His Imperial Highness Prince Mikasa (Takahito) was born on 2 December 1915, the fourth son of Emperor Taisho and Empress Teimei (Sadako). He is the surviving brother of Emperor Shôwa and the surviving parternal uncle of Emperor Akihito. His childhood title was Prince Sumi (Sumi no miya). He received the title Prince Mikasa (Mikasa no miya) and permission to start a new branch of the imperial family on 2 December 1935. He married on 22 October 1941. Her Imperial Highness Princess Mikasa (Yuriko) was born on 6 June 1923, the second daughter of the late Viscount Takagi Masanori. Prince and Princess Mikasa have two daughters and three sons. Their youngest son, Prince Takamado (Norihito), is deceased.

• His Imperial Highness Prince Tomohito of Mikasa is the eldest son of Prince and Princess Mikasa and a first cousin of Emperor Akihito. He is also heir apparent to his father's title, Mikasa no miya. He was born on 5 January 1946. Prince Tomohito was married Miss Aso Nobuko on 7 November 1980. Her Imperial Highness Princess Tomohito of Mikasa was born on 9 April 1955, the daughter of the late Mr. Aso Takakichi, chairman of Aso Cement Co. and his wife, Kazuko, a daughter of former prime minister Yoshida Shigeru. Prince and Princess Tomohito of Mikasa have two daughters: Princess Akiko (born 20 December 1981) and Princess Yoko (born 25 October 1983).

• His Imperial Highness Prince Katsura (Yoshihito) is the second son of Prince and Princess Mikasa and a first cousin of Emperor Akihito. He was born on 11 February 1948. Originally known as Prince Yoshihito of Mikasa, he received the title Prince Katsura (Katsura no miya) and authorization to start a new branch of the imperial family on 1 January 1988.

• Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado (Hisako) is the widow of His Imperial Highness Prince Takamado (Norihito) (born 29 December 1954, died 21 November 2002), the third son of Prince and Princess Mikasa and a first cousin of Emperor Akihito. The princess was born 10 July 1953, the daughter of Mr. Tottori Shigejiro. She married the prince on 6 December 1984. Originally known as Prince Norihito of Mikasa, he received the title Prince Takamado (Takamado no miya) and permission to start a new branch of the imperial family on 1 December 1984. Princess Takamado has three daughters: Princess Tsuguko (born 6 March 1986), Princess Noriko (born 21 July 1988), and Princess Ayako (b. 15 September 1990).