Prince Tomohito of Mikasa
Encyclopedia
, is a member of the Imperial House of Japan
and the eldest son of the current HIH
Prince Mikasa
and HIH Princess Mikasa
. He is a first cousin of Emperor Akihito, and is the heir apparent
to the princely house of Mikasa-no-miya. Prince Tomohito is the first member of the Imperial House of Japan to sport a full beard since Emperor Meiji
, thus earning him the popular nickname of .
in 1968. From 1968 – 1970, he studied at Magdalen College
, University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom.
on 21 May 1980. She is the third daughter of the late Mr. Takakichi Aso, chairman of Asō Cement Co., and his wife, Kazuko, the daughter of former Prime Minister, Shigeru Yoshida
and the sister of former Prime Minister Tarō Asō
. The couple married on 7 November 1980. Ms. Aso was given the title HIH Princess Tomohito of Mikasa. The Prince and Princess have two daughters:
The family lives in a compound within the Akasaka Palace complex, in Azabu
Minato, Tokyo
.
, Prince Tomohito served as a committee member on the organizing committee from 1970 – 1972. He was also on the committee for the 1975 Okinawa World Fair
.
Prince Tomohito is president and honorary president of various organizations that concern themselves with cancer research
(the Princess Takamatsu Cancer Research Fund), having himself suffered from the disease from 2003, youth education and promotion of international relations. He is also noted for his support of organizations which promote the welfare of people with physical or mental disabilities
through sporting activities, such as ski
, bowling
, dancing and rugby
). He travels extensively abroad with the princess on charity and support missions that concern matters of illness and welfare. The Prince often gives lectures and contributes articles to national newspapers and magazines, and has also authored seven books.
In December 1992, the Prince and Princess visited the United States to support a newly established cancer ward in the New York Medical College
, and in 1994, visited Hawaii to support the reconstruction of Kuakini Hospital. In February 1994, the Prince and Princess visited Norway
to attend the 1994 Winter Olympics
in Lillehammer, Norway.
In April 1998, the Prince and Princess visited Turkey
to attend the opening ceremony of the Turkey-Japan Foundation Cultural Centre. They had previously visited Turkey in 1990 as part of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of Japan-Turkey relations. The Prince strongly supported the establishment of a Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology at the Middle Eastern Culture Center in Japan, and returned to Turkey again in October 2002, June 2003 and October 2003 leading three groups of benefactors on tours of the heritage of Turkey.
In June 1998, Prince Tomohito visited Australia for fundraising activities for a medical science foundation to commemorate the Australian Nobel Prize winner Dr. Howard Walter Florey
. In December of the same year, he visited Thailand
to attend the 13th Asian Games
.
In April 2003, Prince Tomohito visited Norway accompanied by his daughter, Princess Akiko to attend the World Cross Country Ski Championships for the Visually Disabled.
The Prince has continued to suffer health problems relating to his cancer. In September 2006, he fractured his jaw, which had been weakened by chemotherapy
for cancer in his larynx
. In 2007, the Prince made a public announcement that he was suffering from alcoholism, and was undergoing treatments at the Imperial Household Agency
hospital. In March 2008, he underwent surgery for cancer in his pharynx
. Although attempts were made to save his voice, he subsequently suffered from pneumonia
caused by his inability to properly swallow food, and currently can speak only with a mechanical larynx
.
He appeared on the radio as a DJ in his younger days.
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 eldest son of the current 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, and is the heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
to the princely house of Mikasa-no-miya. Prince Tomohito is the first member of the Imperial House of Japan to sport a full beard since Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
, thus earning him the popular nickname of .
Education
Prince Tomohito graduated from the Department of Political Studies in the Faculty of Law of Gakushuin UniversityGakushuin 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 1968. From 1968 – 1970, he studied at Magdalen College
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom.
Marriage and family
The Prince met and became engaged to Ms. Nobuko AsōPrincess 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...
on 21 May 1980. She is the third daughter of the late Mr. Takakichi Aso, chairman of Asō Cement Co., and his wife, Kazuko, the daughter of former Prime Minister, Shigeru Yoshida
Shigeru Yoshida
, KCVO was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1946 to 1947 and from 1948 to 1954.-Early life:...
and the sister of former Prime Minister Tarō Asō
Taro Aso
was the 92nd Prime Minister of Japan serving from September 2008 to September 2009, and was defeated in the August 2009 election.He has served in the House of Representatives since 1979. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2007, and was Secretary-General of the LDP briefly in 2007 and...
. The couple married on 7 November 1980. Ms. Aso was given the title HIH Princess Tomohito of Mikasa. The Prince and Princess have two daughters:
The family lives in a compound within the Akasaka Palace complex, in Azabu
Azabu
is an area within Minato in Tokyo, Japan, built on a marshy area of foothills south of central Tokyo. Its coverage roughly corresponds to that of the former Azabu Ward, presently consisting of nine official districts: Azabu-Jūban, Azabudai, Azabu-Nagasakachō, Azabu-Mamianachō, Nishi-Azabu,...
Minato, Tokyo
Minato, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies...
.
Public service
For the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
, Prince Tomohito served as a committee member on the organizing committee from 1970 – 1972. He was also on the committee for the 1975 Okinawa World Fair
Expo '75
Expo '75 was a World's Fair held on the island of Okinawa in Japan from July 20, 1975 to January 18, 1976.-History :...
.
Prince Tomohito is president and honorary president of various organizations that concern themselves with cancer research
Cancer research
Cancer research is basic research into cancer in order to identify causes and develop strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatments and cure....
(the Princess Takamatsu Cancer Research Fund), having himself suffered from the disease from 2003, youth education and promotion of international relations. He is also noted for his support of organizations which promote the welfare of people with physical or mental disabilities
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
through sporting activities, such as ski
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
, bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, dancing and rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
). He travels extensively abroad with the princess on charity and support missions that concern matters of illness and welfare. The Prince often gives lectures and contributes articles to national newspapers and magazines, and has also authored seven books.
In December 1992, the Prince and Princess visited the United States to support a newly established cancer ward in the New York Medical College
New York Medical College
New York Medical College, aka New York Med or NYMC, is a private graduate health sciences university based in Westchester County, New York, a suburb of New York City and a part of the New York Metropolitan Area...
, and in 1994, visited Hawaii to support the reconstruction of Kuakini Hospital. In February 1994, the Prince and Princess visited Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
to attend the 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
in Lillehammer, Norway.
In April 1998, the Prince and Princess visited Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
to attend the opening ceremony of the Turkey-Japan Foundation Cultural Centre. They had previously visited Turkey in 1990 as part of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of Japan-Turkey relations. The Prince strongly supported the establishment of a Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology at the Middle Eastern Culture Center in Japan, and returned to Turkey again in October 2002, June 2003 and October 2003 leading three groups of benefactors on tours of the heritage of Turkey.
In June 1998, Prince Tomohito visited Australia for fundraising activities for a medical science foundation to commemorate the Australian Nobel Prize winner Dr. Howard Walter Florey
Howard Walter Florey
Howard Walter Florey, Baron Florey OM FRS was an Australian pharmacologist and pathologist who shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 with Sir Ernst Boris Chain and Sir Alexander Fleming for his role in the making of penicillin. Florey's discoveries are estimated to have saved...
. In December of the same year, he visited Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
to attend the 13th Asian Games
1998 Asian Games
The 13th Asian Games were held from December 6 to December 20, 1998 in Bangkok, Thailand. This was the first time that Thailand bid for the event after it shouldered the two postponed hosting rights in 1970 and 1978.-Emblem:...
.
In April 2003, Prince Tomohito visited Norway accompanied by his daughter, Princess Akiko to attend the World Cross Country Ski Championships for the Visually Disabled.
The Prince has continued to suffer health problems relating to his cancer. In September 2006, he fractured his jaw, which had been weakened by chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
for cancer in his larynx
Larynx
The larynx , commonly called the voice box, is an organ in the neck of amphibians, reptiles and mammals involved in breathing, sound production, and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. It manipulates pitch and volume...
. In 2007, the Prince made a public announcement that he was suffering from alcoholism, and was undergoing treatments at the Imperial Household Agency
Imperial Household Agency
The is a government agency of Japan in charge of the state matters concerning Japan's imperial family and also keeping the Privy Seal and the State Seal...
hospital. In March 2008, he underwent surgery for cancer in his pharynx
Pharynx
The human pharynx is the part of the throat situated immediately posterior to the mouth and nasal cavity, and anterior to the esophagus and larynx. The human pharynx is conventionally divided into three sections: the nasopharynx , the oropharynx , and the laryngopharynx...
. Although attempts were made to save his voice, he subsequently suffered from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
caused by his inability to properly swallow food, and currently can speak only with a mechanical larynx
Mechanical larynx
A mechanical larynx, also referred to as a "throat back", is a medical device used to produce clearer speech by those who have lost their original voicebox, usually due to cancer of the larynx. The most common device is the electrolarynx which is handheld, battery operated and placed under the...
.
He appeared on the radio as a DJ in his younger days.
Honorary positions
- President of the Social Welfare Organization Yuai Jyuji Kai
- President of the Arinomama-sha
- President of the Imperial Gift Foundation
- President of the New Technology Development Foundation
- President of the Princess Takamatsu Cancer Research Fund
- President of the Nippon Billiard Association
- President of the Professional Ski Instructors Association of Japan
- President of the Collegiate Skating And Ice Hockey Federation
- Honorary President of the Japan Rugby Football Union
- Honorary President of the Japan-British Society
- Honorary President of the Norway-Japan Society