The Asaka ōke (princely house) was the eighth oldest branch of the Japanese Imperial Family

Imperial House of Japan

The , also referred to as the Imperial Family or the Yamato Dynasty, comprises 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 unity of the people...

 created from branches of the Fushimi-no-miya

Fushimi-no-miya

The ' is the oldest of the four shinnōke, branches of the Imperial Family of Japan which were eligible to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne in the event that the main line should die out....

 house.

Asaka-no-miya

The Asaka-no-miya house was formed by Prince Yasuhiko, eighth son of Prince Kuni Asahiko

Prince Kuni Asahiko

align=right|, was a member of a collateral line of the Japanese imperial family who played a key role in the Meiji Restoration. Prince Asahiko was an adopted son of Emperor Ninkō and later a close advisor to Emperor Kōmei and Emperor Meiji...

. He received the house from the Meiji Emperor in 1906. Injured in an automobile accident in France in 1923, the prince remained in the country while recuperating, learning much about French culture. The princess came to France to nurse him and learned much about Art Deco

Art Deco

Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...

 at a 1925 exposition.

Upon returning to Japan, the prince took on leadership positions in the Shanghai Expeditionary Army

Shanghai Expeditionary Army

The was a corps-level ad hoc Japanese army in the Second Sino-Japanese War.The Shanghai Expeditionary Army was first raised on February 25, 1932 as a reinforcement for Japanese forces involved during the First Battle of Shanghai...

 and Imperial Guard, becoming an army general. During the closing years of the Pacific War he prepared the Army and Navy for a joint mainland endgame.

Prince Yasuhiko joined the mass resignation from the imperial household in 1947, and took up golf. He died in 1981; his summer estate is now a hotel.

	Name	Born	Succeeded	Retired	Died
1		1887	1906	1946	1981
X	Asaka Takahiko	1912	1981	.	1994
X	Asaka Tomohiko	1944	1994	.

Asaka Takahiko

Prince Takahiko was the eldest son of Asaka Yasuhiko. He was a lieutenant colonel at the end of the second world war. In 1947 he abandoned his Imperial status and took on the name Asaka Takahiko.