Prince Hisahito, heir to the throne of Japan, will undergo a complex coming-of-age ceremony on his birthday

Prince Hisahito will engage in a coming-of-age ceremony when he turns 19 in September

Anadolu/Getty Images

Birthdays are auspicious days for most of us – but for Prince Hisahito, the son of Fumihito, Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, turning 19 will be an especially important occasion. Japan’s Imperial Household has recently announced the details of the coming-of-age ceremony for the Prince, set to take place on the 6 September.

The ceremony for the second in line to the throne will be the first of its kind held for a male member of the imperial family in 40 years, the last being the celebrations for Hisahito’s father. Early on the morning of his birthday, Prince Hisahito will receive a crown from Emperor Naruhito’s messenger at the residence of the Crown Prince, the Akasaka Estate in Tokyo. He will then don traditional garb to attend the ‘Kakan-no-Gi’ crown-wearing ritual at the Imperial Palace, followed by a trip to the Palace’s three sanctuaries in a ceremonial carriage, where he will offer prayers.

The young Prince is second in line to the throne behind his father, Fumihito, Crown Prince Akishino

JAPAN POOL/Getty Images

In the afternoon, the Prince is expected to have an audience with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at the Palace in a ritual known as ‘Choken-no-Gi’, before visiting his grandparents, Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko, at their home in Minato Ward. Whether the young Prince will be able to make time for a slice of birthday cake on this busy day is anyone’s guess…

The 18-year-old Hisahito is often heralded as the future of a royal family facing a succession crisis, as the only viable heir among his generation due to the 1947 Imperial House Law in Japan that bars women from inheriting the throne. Because of these conservative regulations, Emperor Naruhito’s daughter, the much-loved Princess Aiko, cannot rule the country. But in recent years, a lack of male children in the family has left these laws a matter of debate. When Prince Hisahito turned 18 last September, he was the first male member of the imperial family to do so since his father, who reached adulthood in November 1985.