The is the reigning dynasty of Japan, consisting of those members of the extended family of the reigning emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present constitution of Japan, the emperor is "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people". Other members of the imperial family perform ceremonial and social duties, but have no role in the affairs of government. The duties as an emperor are passed down the line to their male children. The Japanese monarchy is the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world.
Origins and name The imperial house recognizes 126 monarchs, beginning with Emperor Jimmu (traditionally dated to 11 February 660 BC), and continuing up to the current emperor, Naruhito. However, scholars have agreed that there is no evidence of Jimmu's existence, that the traditional narrative of the imperial family's founding is mythical, and that Jimmu is a mythical figure. Historical evidence for the first 25 emperors is scant, and they are considered mythical, but there is sufficient evidence of an unbroken agnatic line since the early 6th century. Historically, verifiable emperors of Japan start from 539 CE with Emperor Kinmei, the 29th tennō.
The earliest historic written mentions of Japan were in Chinese records, where it was referred to as Wa ( later ), which later evolved into the Japanese name of . Suishō (ca. 107 CE) was a king of Wa, the earliest Japanese monarch mentioned in Volume 85 of the Book of the Later Han from 445 CE. Further records mention the five kings of Wa, of which the last one Bu of Wa is generally considered to be Emperor Yūryaku (417/18 – 479 CE). The existence of his reign has been established through modern archaeological research.
While the main line of the dynasty does not have a name and is referred to as , there are agnatic cadet branches which split during the course of centuries who received their own family names in order to distinguish them from the main line. They were considered a part of the imperial family ( ), with members carrying the title "Imperial Highness", until the laws changed in 1947. The most important branches were the Shinnōke of which the most senior branch Fushimi-no-miya is first in the order of succession. Out of the Fushimi branch the Ōke branches split, which are the Kuni, Kaya, Asaka, Higashikuni and Takeda families as of 2024. Furthermore there are branches created from sons of the emperor who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the court (kuge) or sword (buke) nobility. Such families are the Minamoto ( also known as Genji), Taira ( also known as Heishi), as well as through in-laws the Tachibana for example. Out of these families further branches split through male descent who were also considered noble Japanese clans. The line of legitimate direct male descendants of emperors is therefore numerous.
Other terms used for the dynasty are also . Formerly the term was also used under the old Imperial Constitution and the Imperial Household Law, as well as .
List of current members
The is the head of the Japanese imperial family.
Article 3 and 4 of the Emperor Abdication Law define the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita.
Article 5 of the Imperial Household Law defines the Imperial Family members as the Empress; the grand empress dowager; the empress dowager; the Emperor's legitimate sons and legitimate grandsons in the legitimate male line, and their consorts; the Emperor's unmarried legitimate daughters and unmarried legitimate granddaughters in the legitimate male line; the Emperor's other legitimate male descendants in the third and later generations in the legitimate male line and their consorts; and the Emperor's other unmarried legitimate female descendants in the third and later generations in the legitimate male line.
In English, () and () are both translated as "prince" as well as (), (), () and () as "princess".
After the removal of 11 collateral branches from the imperial house in October 1947, the official membership of the imperial family has effectively been limited to the male-line descendants of the Emperor Taishō, excluding females who married outside the imperial family and their descendants.
There are currently 16 members of the imperial family: Emperor Naruhito, the eldest son and first child of the Emperor Emeritus Akihito and the Empress Emerita Michiko, was born in the Hospital of the Imperial Household in Tokyo on 23 February 1960. He became heir apparent upon his father's accession to the throne. Crown Prince Naruhito married Masako Owada on 9 June 1993. He ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne and became the 126th emperor upon his father's abdication on 1 May 2019. Empress Masako was born on 9 December 1963, the daughter of Hisashi Owada, a former vice minister of foreign affairs and former permanent representative of Japan to the United Nations. She became empress consort upon her husband's succession to the throne on 1 May 2019. Aiko, Princess Toshi was born on 1 December 2001, and is the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako. Emperor Emeritus Akihito was born at Tokyo Imperial Palace on 23 December 1933, the eldest son and fifth child of the Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun. He married Michiko Shōda on 10 April 1959. When his father died on 7 January 1989, Akihito became emperor of Japan. He abdicated on 30 April 2019, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Naruhito on 1 May 2019. Empress Emerita Michiko was born in Tokyo on 20 October 1934, the eldest daughter of Hidesaburō Shōda, president and honorary chairman of Nisshin Flour Milling Inc. Fumihito, Crown Prince Akishino is the Emperor Emeritus' second son, the Emperor's younger brother and the current heir presumptive. He was born on 30 November 1965 in the Hospital of the Imperial Household in Tokyo. His childhood title was Prince Aya. He received the title Prince Akishino and permission to start a new branch of the Imperial Family upon his marriage to Kiko Kawashima on 29 June 1990. Kiko, Crown Princess Akishino was born on 11 September 1966, the daughter of Tatsuhiko Kawashima, professor of economics at Gakushuin University. Crown Prince and Princess Akishino have two daughters (one of whom remains a member of the Imperial Family) and a son: Princess Kako of Akishino (born 29 December 1994), the second daughter of the Crown Prince Akishino. Prince Hisahito of Akishino (born 6 September 2006), the first male born to the Imperial Household since his father 41 years before. Masahito, Prince Hitachi was born on 28 November 1935 at Tokyo Imperial Palace, the second son and sixth child of the Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kojun. His childhood title was Prince Yoshi. He received the title Prince Hitachi and permission to set up a new branch of the Imperial Family on 1 October 1964, the day after his wedding. Hanako, Princess Hitachi was born on 19 July 1940, the daughter of former Count Yoshitaka Tsugaru. The Prince and Princess Hitachi have no children. Nobuko, Princess Tomohito of Mikasa is the widow of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa (5 January 1946 – 6 June 2012), the eldest son of the Prince and Princess Mikasa and a first cousin once removed of Emperor Naruhito. Princess Tomohito was born on 9 April 1955, the daughter of Takakichi Asō, chairman of Asō Cement Co., and his wife, Kazuko, a daughter of former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida. She has two daughters with the late Prince Tomohito of Mikasa: Princess Akiko of Mikasa (born 20 December 1981) Princess Yōko of Mikasa (born 25 October 1983) Hisako, Princess Takamado is the widow of Norihito, Prince Takamado (29 December 1954 – 21 November 2002), the third son and the youngest child of the Prince and Princess Mikasa and a first cousin once removed of Emperor Naruhito. The Princess Takamado was born on 10 July 1953, the eldest daughter of Shigejiro Tottori. She married the Prince Takamado on 6 December 1984. Originally known as Prince Norihito of Mikasa, he received the title Prince Takamado and permission to start a new branch of the Imperial Family on 1 December 1984. The Princess Takamado has three daughters, one of whom remains a member of the Imperial Family: Princess Tsuguko of Takamado (born 6 March 1986)
Family tree
The following family tree shows the lineage of current members of Japanese imperial family:
Notes Numbers in brackets indicate places in the line of succession. Boldface indicates living individuals listed as members of the imperial family. Italics indicate princesses who left the Imperial Family upon their marriage. Dashed lines indicate married couples. Dagger (†) indicates deceased individuals.
Branches The Imperial Family includes the Imperial Household which is the Emperor and his family, along with the following branches: MonBranchFounderHeadOther membersMikasa-no-miya ()The Prince Mikasa(Branch established 1935)Princess Akiko of MikasaPrincess Tomohito of MikasaPrincess Yōko of MikasaHitachi-no-miya ()The Prince Hitachi(Branch established 1964, for marriage)The Princess HitachiTakamado-no-miya ()The Prince Takamado(Branch established 1984, for marriage)The Princess TakamadoPrincess Tsuguko of TakamadoAkishino-no-miya ()Crown Prince Akishino(Branch established 1990, for marriage)Crown Princess AkishinoPrincess Kako of AkishinoPrince Hisahito of Akishino
Living former members
Under the terms of the 1947 Imperial Household Law, (imperial princesses) and (princesses) lose their titles and membership in the family upon marriage, unless they marry the Emperor or another male member of the imperial family.
Four of the five daughters of Emperor Shōwa, the two daughters of the Prince Mikasa, the only daughter of Emperor Emeritus Akihito, the second and third daughter of the Prince Takamado, and most recently, the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Akishino, left the Imperial Family upon marriage, joining the husband's family and thus taking the surname of the husband.
The eight living former imperial princesses are: Atsuko Ikeda (born 7 March 1931), fourth daughter and fourth child of Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun, surviving elder sister of Emperor Emeritus Akihito. Takako Shimazu (born 2 March 1939), fifth daughter and youngest child of Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun, younger sister of Emperor Emeritus Akihito. Yasuko Konoe (born 26 April 1944), eldest daughter and eldest child of the Prince and Princess Mikasa. Masako Sen (born 23 October 1951), second daughter and fourth child of the Prince and Princess Mikasa. Sayako Kuroda (born 18 April 1969), third child and only daughter of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko, younger sister of Emperor Naruhito. Noriko Senge (born 22 July 1988), second daughter of the Prince and Princess Takamado. Ayako Moriya (born 15 September 1990), third daughter and youngest child of the Prince and Princess Takamado. Mako Komuro (born 23 October 1991), first daughter and eldest child of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess Akishino.
The Imperial House of Japan today is limited to the agnatic descendants of Emperor Taishō. Emperor Taishō was the only son of Emperor Meiji, who was the sole surviving son of Emperor Kōmei. Emperor Kōmei had likewise been the only surviving biological son of Emperor Ninko. As a result, the present Imperial House also descends solely from Emperor Kōkaku through an unbroken line of only sons, each being the sole surviving male heir of his predecessor. Even when tracing the lineage further back to Emperor Higashiyama, all other biological branches have either become extinct or been severed from the Imperial Family through adoption into other noble houses, such as the Takatsukasa. Thus, since the late eighteenth century, the Japanese imperial succession has been sustained by an exceptionally narrow and fragile line of descent.