Masahito, Prince Hitachi

Early life and education

Masahito, known as Prince Yoshi in childhood, was born at the Tokyo Imperial Palace. He completed his early education at the Gakushūin Peers' School. In late 1944, to avoid American bombing raids on Tokyo, the Imperial Household Ministry sent him and the Crown Prince to Nikkō. Between 1947 and 1950, Elizabeth Gray Vining taught English to both princes and their sisters, Princesses Kazuko, Atsuko, and Takako.

Prince Yoshi earned a chemistry degree from Gakushuin University in 1958, followed by postgraduate studies at Tokyo University. In 1969, he joined the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research as a Research Associate, focusing on cell division. His findings have been published in journals of the Japanese Cancer Association and the American Association for Cancer Research. He received honorary doctorates from George Washington University in 1997 and the University of Minnesota in 2001.

In 1999, the German Association for Cancer Research named him an honorary member for his contributions to cancer research.

Marriage

On 30 September 1964, the Prince married Hanako Tsugaru, fourth daughter of the late Yoshitaka Tsugaru, a former count and descendant of the daimyō of Tsugaru Domain. The following day, Emperor Shōwa granted him the title Hitachi-no-miya and authorization to start a new branch of the Imperial Family. Prince and Princess Hitachi reside in a palace off Komazawadori in Higashi, Shibuya, and have no children. In September 2021, the Japanese government considered plans to amend the Imperial Household Law to allow Prince Hitachi to adopt a male member of the former shinnōke or ōke collateral branches to address the succession debate.

Public service

Prince Hitachi serves as honorary president of numerous charitable organizations, especially those focused on international exchange. In October 2005, he and Princess Hitachi visited Nicaragua and El Salvador to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations with both countries. They visited France in September 2007 and Peru in June 2009, celebrating 110 years since the establishment of a Japanese community there.

Health

In late February 2023, Prince Hitachi fell ill with a fever. He was admitted to the Japanese Red Cross Medical Center on March 1, where doctors found ureteral stones.

The next day, he had a ureteral stent placed, and he left the hospital on March 5. He returned for ureteral lithotripsy on March 21 and was discharged on March 24. On April 2, he was readmitted with a fever and poor appetite, diagnosed with a urinary tract infection, and finally released on April 24.

Did You Know?

• Prince Hitachi's childhood appellation was Prince Yoshi, and he was evacuated to Nikkō in late 1944 to escape American bombing of Tokyo.
• He underwent ureteral stenting on 2 March 2023 and ureteral lithotripsy on 21 March 2023, both at the Japanese Red Cross Medical Center.