Japan’s Prince Hisahito Turns 17; High School Student Building Skills in Science, Sports

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:21 JST, September 6, 2023

Prince Hisahito, the son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, turned 17 on Wednesday.

The prince is now a second-year student of the Senior High School at Otsuka, the University of Tsukuba.

According to the Imperial Household Agency, the prince is having fulfilling days, proactively engaging in studies as well as school events. He happily takes on schoolwork. Sometimes the prince and his classmates teach each other how to solve problems during breaks.

The prince is a member of the high school’s badminton club and kindly gives advice to first-year students in the club. He has practiced the sport independently and improved his skills, now showing strength in rallies with other members.

Since starting high school, he has been gaining more opportunities to accompany his parents when they travel for their official duties. In July, the prince joined Crown Prince Akishino on a trip to Kagoshima Prefecture, where they attended the opening ceremony of the All Japan Senior High School Cultural Festival. From October to December last year, the prince spent time with visiting members of the royal families of Bhutan and Belgium at the Imperial Palace.

As for his personal interests, the prince is continuing his dragonfly habitat research and crossbreeding experiments on rice on the grounds of the Akasaka Estate, where he lives. During school summer holidays, the prince visited the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture.