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For the first time in his 19 years, Prince Hisahito of Japan has carried out official duties entirely on his own. He delivered his first official public address at the 19th Nippon Scout Jamboree, the country’s largest national camping and scouting event held every four years, in the prefecture of Hiroshima on Friday. Speaking to an audience of approximately 8,000 scouts and attendees from Japan and abroad, he opened with a solemn note, expressing condolences for victims of the Kumamoto earthquake on July 28 before turning to the spirit of the gathering itself.
“I believe this will be an opportunity to work together, take on challenges, deepen our understanding of various issues including disaster prevention, and move forward strongly towards a better future,” he said in his speech. “I myself hope to learn many things by participating in your activities.”
That same day, Prince Hisahito laid flowers at the cenotaph for atomic bomb victims at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, one day after the 81st anniversary of the United States’ atomic bombing of the city on August 6, 1945, one of the deadliest single attacks in human history. Per The Japan Times, he also visited Honkawa Elementary School Peace Museum, where part of a school building destroyed by the bombing has been preserved.
Prince Hisahito is the son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, and the nephew of Emperor Naruhito. He is currently second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne, behind his father, making him the most likely future emperor of Japan despite not being the current Emperor’s son. He holds this position because Japan’s Imperial House Law bars women from succeeding to the throne, meaning Princess Aiko, the Emperor’s only child, cannot succeed her father.
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The prince at the traditional coming-of-age ceremony in September 2025.
Japan’s parliament passed revisions to the Imperial House Law in July to address a growing succession crisis, though the ban on female emperors remained in place. The new law, which takes effect on October 24, allows male descendants from former imperial family branches to be adopted into the royal family, potentially expanding the pool of future successors. However, under the revised rules, Prince Hisahito still remains the most direct male heir currently within the Japanese royal family.
Rachel King (she/her) is a news writer at Town & Country. Before joining T&C, she spent nearly a decade as an editor at Fortune. Her work covering travel and lifestyle has appeared in Forbes, Observer, Robb Report, Cruise Critic, and Cool Hunting, among others. Originally from San Francisco, she lives in New York with her wife, their daughter, and a precocious labradoodle. Follow her on Instagram at @rk.passport.