is a member of the Imperial House of Japan

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...

 and the second son of HIH

HIH

HIH may refer to:*His or Her Imperial Highness, a title still used today for members of Japan's Imperial Family*HIH Insurance, a former Australian insurance company*Harstad University College , a Norwegian state institution of higher education...

 Prince Mikasa

Prince Mikasa

is a member of the Imperial House of Japan. He is the fourth and youngest son of Emperor Taishō and Empress Teimei. His eldest brother was Emperor Shōwa , and is the only surviving paternal uncle of Emperor Akihito. With the death of his sister-in-law, Princess Takamatsu , on 17 December 2004, he...

 and HIH Princess Mikasa

Princess Mikasa

was second daughter of Viscount Masanari Takagi, and through marriage, a member of the Imperial House of Japan.-Biography:Princess Mikasa graduated from Gakushuin Women's Academy in 1941. She became engaged to the Takahito, Prince Mikasa on 3 October 1941, with the wedding held on 22 October...

. He is a first cousin of Emperor Akihito. Originally known as Prince Yoshihito of Mikasa, he received the title Prince Katsura (Katsura-no-miya) and authorization to start a new branch of the Imperial Family on 1 January 1988.

Education

The Prince is a graduate from the Department of Political Studies in the Faculty of Law of Gakushuin University

Gakushuin University

is an elite higher educational institution in Mejiro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo. It was re-established after World War II as an affiliate of the Gakushūin School Corporation, the privatized successor to the original Gakushūin University or "Peers School" set up during the Meiji era to educate the...

 in 1971. From 1971 – 1973, he studied at the Graduate School of the Australian National University

Australian National University

The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...

, in Canberra

Canberra

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...

, Australia. After his return to Japan, he worked as an administrator at the Japan Broadcasting Corporation

NHK

NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....

 from 1974–1985.

Public service

In 1982, the Prince returned to Australia as part of the Japanese delegation in honor of the tenth anniversary of the Australia-Japan Society. He also visited New Zealand to strengthen ties and friendly diplomatic relations.

Prince Katsura has been paralyzed from the waist down since suffering a series of strokes in May 1988, and uses a wheelchair

Wheelchair

A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...

. Despite his disability, he takes an active role in public service, and appears regularly at award ceremonies, diplomatic events, and as President of various charity organizations.

In 1994, he visited Australia together with Princess Tomohito of Mikasa

Princess Tomohito of Mikasa

Nobuko, Princess Tomohito of Mikasa was born on 9 April 1955. She was born as Nobuko Aso, the third daughter of the late Takakichi Asō. Her father was chairman of Asō Cement Co., her mother Kazuko was the daughter of former prime minister Shigeru Yoshida...

 for a charity event for children with hearing or sight disabilities.

In July 1997, Prince Katsura again visited Australia, to help promote an exhibition of the traditional sport of sumo

Sumo

is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...

, with exhibition matches held in Sydney and Melbourne.

The Prince is not married.

Honorary positions

• President of the Japan Australia New Zealand Society
• President of the Agricultural Society of Japan
• President of the Japan Forestry Association
• President of the Japan Arts & Crafts Association
• President of the Japanese Urushi Craft Association

External links

• His Imperial Highness Prince Katsura – The Imperial Household Agency