Prince Hisahito turns 16, enjoys high-school life

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:38 JST, September 6, 2022

Prince Hisahito, the son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, turned 16 on Tuesday.

The prince is currently a first-year student at Senior High School at Otsuka, University of Tsukuba, in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo.

The prince, who began attending the school in April, is enjoying high school and is actively engaging himself in classes and other school activities with his classmates, according to the Imperial Household Agency. As he has joined the school’s badminton club, he is focusing on working out and practicing the basics of the sport.

During the summer holidays, he went on a three-day school excursion to Tateshina, Nagano Prefecture. While there, he learned to navigate the mountain using a compass and a map, and also hiked up Mt. Tateshina.

In his personal time, the prince continues to study the habitat of dragonflies at his home at the Akasaka Imperial Grounds in Minato Ward, Tokyo. He has also become interested in the conservation of biodiversity and has created a biotope at his home.

As the prince and his family grow rice on the imperial grounds, he also continues to conduct his experiments crossing rice varieties, something he started when he was in junior high.

The prince has also started accompanying his parents when they perform their public duties. On July 31, he attended the opening ceremony of the All Japan Senior High School Cultural Festival and met other high school students from across the country.