| Imperial House 皇室 Kōshitsu | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Founded |
|
| Founder |
|
| Current head | Naruhito |
| Titles | |
| Cadet branches | |
| Website | www |
TheImperial House (皇室,Kōshitsu) is the reigningdynasty ofJapan, consisting of those members of the extended family of the reigningemperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the presentconstitution 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 Japanesemonarchy is theoldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world.[6] The imperial dynasty does not have a name, therefore its direct members do not have a family name.
The imperial house recognizes 126monarchs, beginning withEmperor Jimmu (traditionally dated to 11 February 660 BCE), andcontinuing up to the current emperor,Naruhito. However, scholars have agreed that there is no evidence of Jimmu's existence,[3][7] that the traditional narrative of the imperial family's founding is mythical, and that Jimmu is a mythical figure.[8] Historical evidence for the first 25 emperors is scant, and they are considered mythical, but there is sufficient evidence of an unbrokenagnatic line since the early 6th century.[9] Historically, verifiable emperors of Japan start from 539 CE withEmperor Kinmei, the 29thtennō.[3][4][5]
The earliest historic written mentions of Japan were in Chinese records, where it was referred to asWa (倭 later和), which later evolved into the Japanese name ofWakoku.Suishō (ca. 107 CE) was a king of Wa, the earliest Japanese monarch mentioned in Volume 85 of theBook of the Later Han from 445 CE. Further records mention thefive kings of Wa, of which the last oneBu of Wa is generally considered to beEmperor 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 asKōshitsu (皇室, imperial house), there areagnatic 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 (皇族Kōzoku), with members carrying the title "Imperial Highness", until the laws changed in 1947. The most important branches were theShinnōke of which the most senior branchFushimi-no-miya is first in theorder of succession. Out of the Fushimi branch theŌke branches split, which are theKuni,Kaya,Asaka,Higashikuni andTakeda 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 theMinamoto (源 also known as Genji),Taira (平 also known as Heishi), as well as through in-laws theTachibana for example. Out of these families further branches split through male descent who were also considered nobleJapanese clans. The line of legitimate direct male descendants of emperors is therefore numerous.
Other terms used for the dynasty are alsoKōka (皇家, Imperial House). Formerly the termKyūshitsu (宮室, Palace Household) was also used under the oldImperial Constitution and theImperial Household Law, as well asTeishitsu (帝室, Imperial Household).
|
Theemperor (天皇,tennō) is the head of the Japanese imperial family.
Article 3 and 4 of theEmperor Abdication Law define theEmperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita.[a]
Article 5 of theImperial Household Law defines the Imperial Family members[b] as theEmpress; thegrand empress dowager;[c] theempress dowager;[d] the Emperor's legitimate sons and legitimate grandsons in the legitimate male line,[e] and their consorts;[f] the Emperor's unmarried legitimate daughters and unmarried legitimate granddaughters in the legitimate male line;[g] the Emperor's other legitimate male descendants in the third and later generations in the legitimate male line[h] and their consorts;[i] and the Emperor's other unmarried legitimate female descendants in the third and later generations in the legitimate male line.[j][10]
In English,shinnō (親王) andō (王) are both translated as "prince" as well asshinnōhi (親王妃),naishinnō (内親王),ōhi (王妃) andjoō (女王) as "princess".
After the removal of11 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 theEmperor Taishō, excluding females who married outside the imperial family and their descendants.[11]
There are currently 16 members of the imperial family:[12]
The following family tree shows the lineage of current members of Japanese imperial family:
Notes
The Imperial Family includesThe Imperial Household which is the Emperor and his family, along with the following branches:
| Mon | Branch | Founder | Head | Other Members |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Mikasa-no-miya (三笠宮家) | The Prince Mikasa[19] | Princess Akiko of Mikasa | Princess Tomohito of Mikasa Princess Yōko of Mikasa |
 | Hitachi-no-miya (常陸宮家) | The Prince Hitachi[20] | The Princess Hitachi | |
 | Takamado-no-miya (高円宮家) | The Prince Takamado[21] | The Princess Takamado | Princess Tsuguko of Takamado |
 | Akishino-no-miya (秋篠宮家) | Crown Prince Akishino[22] | Crown Princess Akishino Princess Kako of Akishino Prince Hisahito of Akishino | |
.jpg)
Under the terms of the 1947Imperial Household Law,naishinnō (imperial princesses) andjoō (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 ofEmperor Shōwa, the two daughters of thePrince Mikasa, the only daughter ofEmperor Emeritus Akihito, the second and third daughter of thePrince Takamado, and most recently, the eldest daughter ofCrown 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:
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(August 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The Imperial House of Japan today is limited to the agnatic descendants ofEmperor Taishō. Emperor Taishō was the only son ofEmperor Meiji, who was the sole surviving son ofEmperor Kōmei. Emperor Kōmei had likewise been the only surviving biological son ofEmperor 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 toEmperor Higashiyama, all other biological branches have either become extinct or were severed from the Imperial Family due to 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.
However, in 1817, Prince Fushimi Kuniie was adopted by Emperor Kōkaku as his son. Through this adoption, Prince Kuniie became a full member of the imperial family (shinnō), with the same status as a natural-born son of the emperor. Consequently, the Fushimi-no-miya house, descended from Prince Kuniie, forms the closest collateral line to the main imperial lineage. In Japanese law and custom, adoption fully replaced previous blood ties, meaning that an adopted son was integrated into his new family as if born into it, with all rights of inheritance and succession. Historically, the imperial family often sustained its agnatic line through such adoptions from other imperial branches. This would be later banned in 1889.
Emperor Kōkaku himself came from a cadet branch of the imperial family. He was originally the son of Prince Kan'in Sukehito of the Kan'in-no-miya line. His uncle, Prince Atsushi (later Takatsukasa Sukehira), was adopted into the Takatsukasa family, one of the Five Regent Houses (go-sekke). Although this adoption transferred new imperial blood into the Takatsukasa line, it did not confer succession rights to the throne. Adoption into a noble house effectively severed a person's ties to the imperial family for purposes of succession. As a result, despite their descent from an imperial prince, the Takatsukasa family was never considered part of the imperial succession. When the first iteration of the Kan'in-no-miya line became extinct upon the death of its fifth head, Prince Kan'in Naruhito, in 1842, the house was formally treated as extinct. This decision persisted despite the existence of surviving biological descendants of the Kan'in-no-miya; the Takatsuka line; and also Prince Kyōjin, the brother of Naruhito, who had been adopted by Emperor Kōkaku. This house would be later revived by Kotohito, sixth Prince Kan'in who was posthumously adopted by Naruhito, fifth Prince Kan'in and thus Prince Kan'in Kotohito was treated as its 6th head.
Originally, Miyake itself were formed when members of the imperial line, specifically, male-line descendants of the Emperor who, while belonging to the imperial family, did not inherit the throne, were granted portions of the imperial estates. These estates became their personal holdings, and at the same time, they were bestowed the title of miya, often derived from the geographic location of their new estates. However, under normal circumstances, many of these houses were ephemeral, disappearing within a few generations.
A significant shift occurred in 1428 when Emperor Shōkō died without an heir. In response, Emperor Go-Hanazono, a member of Fushimi-no-miya, ascended the throne. Recognizing the urgent necessity of ensuring dynastic continuity, an imperial decree designated the Fushimi-no-miya house as the "Hereditary Imperial Prince" (永代宮家). Under this system, successors to the Fushimi-no-miya title would be adopted into the imperial family by the reigning emperor or retired emperor and conferred the status of imperial princes (shinnō). Should the main imperial line become extinct, they would be poised to assume the throne. This institutional arrangement came to be known as the "hereditary imperial prince families" (Seshū Shinnōke (世襲親王家)), with three additional houses, Katsura-no-miya, Arisugawa-no-miya, and Kan'in-no-miya, later established to fortify this structure.
Even at the end of the Edo period, the Fushimi-no-miya family was treated as virtually equivalent to the emperor himself, often referred to simply as "Fushimi-dono." It was universally understood that the principal collateral branches, from which imperial heirs could arise, descended from this house. Notably, Prince Asahiko (also known as Nakagawa-no-miya) emerged as a figure of profound influence, serving as a trusted confidant and political adviser to Emperor Kōmei. During the Boshin War, Prince Kōgen of Rinnoji barricaded himself within Kan'ei-ji Temple during the Battle of Ueno and, according to some theories, was even enthroned symbolically as the so-called "Tōbu Emperor," representing the resistance alliance of northern domains (Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei).
During the period surrounding the Meiji Restoration, several Fushimi-no-miya members, including Prince Sadayoshi (the 19th head) and Prince Kuniie (the 20th and 23rd heads), renounced priestly life and reentered the secular world, founding new miyake. Initially, these new houses were intended to be temporary, limited to a single generation. However, given Emperor Meiji’s initial lack of male offspring, and the frail health of his only adult son, Prince Yoshihito (later Emperor Taishō), there emerged an acute concern for the survival of the imperial line. Emperor Meiji, thus, strongly advocated for the permanent continuation of these newly formed imperial houses.
The Imperial House Law (Kōshitsu Tenpan) of 1889 enshrined the system of permanent collateral branch families. However, succession within these houses was strictly limited to direct descendants; adoption across houses was prohibited. Consequently, the Katsura-no-miya line, having become extinct, was abolished; the Kan'in-no-miya line had earlier been merged back into the Fushimi-no-miya lineage; and the Arisugawa-no-miya line was abolished in 1913. By the early Taishō period, with the exception of the emperor's immediate family, nearly all collateral imperial houses traced their lineage to Fushimi-no-miya. As a result, these houses came to be collectively known as the "Fushimi-no-miya Imperial Family."
The interconnection of these houses deepened further when four daughters of Emperor Meiji married into the Kitashirakawa-no-miya, Takeda-no-miya, Asaka-no-miya, and Higashikuni-no-miya houses. However, with Emperor Taishō successfully reaching adulthood and fathering four healthy sons, the crisis of succession abated. Consequently, from the late Taishō era onward, expansion of the collateral houses was deliberately restrained, and many imperial family members were ultimately demoted to commoner status pursuant to specific regulations on "descent to commoner status" (kōzoku no heiminka).
In the modern era, influenced by the restoration of imperial rule and modeled on European aristocratic norms, male members of the imperial family were required to serve in the military and contribute to the national polity. Under the Imperial Family Status Ordinance (Kōshitsu Seido), many members of the Fushimi-no-miya lineage took up military roles. Which might've contributed with their abolition by theAmerican Occupation Authorities in October 1947.
Applying European principles of primogeniture, the Imperial House of Japan would be composed of the following.
Simplified tree with extinct branches removed.
These cadet royal families lost membership in the Imperial Family by theAmerican Occupation Authorities in October 1947, as part of the abolition of collateral imperial houses and thekazoku (hereditarypeerage). Basically what remained isFushimicadet branch (Shinnōke), which itself consists of a main branch and five extant sub-branches (Ōke). There are still unofficial heads of the living collateral families. These are the livingKyū-Miyake (旧宮家, "former Miyake"): The Kyu-miyake and the Kobetsu Sekke both still figure in theJapanese imperial succession debate.
 | This sectionmay need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia'squality standards, as most of the finances in this section usepounds sterling rather thanyen. This should be converted.You can help. Thetalk page may contain suggestions.(June 2024) |
The Japanese monarchy was considered to be among the wealthiest in the world until the end ofWorld War II.[26]Before 1911, there was no distinction between the Imperial Crown Estates and the Emperor's personal properties. When the Imperial Property Law was enacted in January 1911, two categories were established namely hereditary (crown estates) and personal property of the Imperial Family. The Imperial Household Minister had the responsibility for observing any judicial proceedings concerning Imperial holdings. According to the law, Imperial properties were only taxable if there was no conflict with the Imperial House Law. However, crown estates could only be used for public or imperially-sanctioned undertakings. Personal properties of certain members of the Imperial Family, such asEmpress Dowager, the Empress, Crown Prince and Crown Princess, the Imperial Grandson and the consort of the Imperial Grandson, in addition to properties held for Imperial Family members who were minors, were exempted from taxation.[27]
Up to 1921, the Imperial Crown Estates comprised 1,112,535.58 acres (450,227.18 ha). In 1921, due to the poor economic situation in Japan, 289,259.25 acres (117,059.07 ha) of crown lands (26%) were sold or transferred to the Japanese government and theprivate sector. In 1930, the Nagoya Detached Palace (Nagoya Castle) was donated to the city ofNagoya and six other imperial villas were sold or donated.[27] In 1939,Nijō Castle was donated to the city ofKyoto. The former Kyoto residence of theTokugawa shogunate which became an imperial palace in theMeiji Restoration, was donated to the city of Kyoto.
At the end of 1935, the Imperial Court owned 3,111,965 acres (1,259,368 ha) landed estates according to official government figures. 2,599,548 acres (1,052,000 ha) of that was the Emperor's private lands. The total landholdings of the crown estates was 512,161 acres (207,264 ha). It comprised palace complexes, forest and farm lands and other residential and commercial properties. The total economic value of the Imperial properties was estimated at ¥650 million in 1935 which is approximately US$195 million at prevailing exchange rates and $19.9 billion as of 2017[update].[k][27][28] Emperor Shōwa's personal fortune was an additional hundreds of millions ofyen (estimated over $6 billion as of 2017[update]). It included numerous family heirlooms and furnishings, purebred livestock and investments in major Japanese firms, such as theBank of Japan, other major Japanese banks, theImperial Hotel andNippon Yusen.[27]
AfterWorld War II, all of the 11 collateral branches of the Imperial Family were abolished under theAlliedoccupation of Japan, and the subsequent constitutional reforms imposed under Allied supervision forced those families to sell their assets to private or government owners. Staff numbers of theImperial Household Ministry were slashed from roughly 6000 to about 1000. The Imperial Estates and the Emperor's personal fortune (then estimated at $17.15 million in 1946, or roughly $270.70 million as of 2023) were transferred to state or private ownership with the exception of 6,810 acres (2,760 ha) of landholdings. The largest imperial divestments were the former imperial Kiso and Amagi forest lands inGifu andShizuoka prefectures, grazing lands for livestock inHokkaido and a stock farm in theChiba region. They were all transferred to theMinistry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Imperial property holdings were further reduced since 1947 after several handovers to the government. When Emperor Shōwa died, he left a personal fortune of £11 million in 1989.[29] In 2017, EmperorAkihito had an estimated net worth of US$40 million.[30]
Currently the primaryImperial properties are theTokyo Imperial Palace and theKyoto Imperial Palace. The estimated landholdings are 6,810 acres (2,760 ha). TheTōgū Palace is located in the largerAkasaka Estate where numerous other Imperial Family members reside. There are privately used imperial villas inHayama,Nasu and theSuzaki Imperial Villa inShimoda. TheKatsura Imperial Villa,Shugakuin Imperial Villa andSentō Imperial Palace are inKyoto. There are a number of Imperial farms, residences and game preserves.[29][31] TheImperial Household Agency administers theShosoin Imperial Repository inNara.[32] The Imperial properties are all owned by theState.[33]
The Emperor can spend £150 million of public money annually. The imperial palaces are all owned and paid for by theState.[33]
Until 2003, facts about the Japanese Imperial Family's life and finances were kept secret behind the "Chrysanthemum Curtain." Yohei Mori (former royal correspondent for theMainichi Shimbun and assistant professor of journalism at Seijo University) revealed details about finances of the Imperial Family in his book based on 200 documents that were published with the public information law.[33]
The Japanese Imperial Family has a staff of more than 1,000 people (47 servants per royal). This includes a 24-piece traditional orchestra (gagaku) with 1,000 year-old instruments such as thekoto and theshō, 30 gardeners, 25 chefs, 40 chauffeurs as well as 78 builders, plumbers and electricians. There are 30 archaeologists to protect the 895 imperial tombs. There is asilkworm breeder of the Momijiyama Imperial Cocoonery. The Emperor has four doctors on standby 24 hours a day, five men manage his wardrobe and 11 assist inShinto rites.[33]
TheImperial Palace in Tokyo has 160 servants who maintain it. This is partly due to demarcation rules, such as a maid who wipes a table cannot also wipe the floor. There are also separate stewards in charge of handling silverware and the crystal. TheKyoto Imperial Palace has a staff of 78 people. There are also 67 who care for the horses at theTochigi ranch. There are scores of additional staff for the summer palaces at the beach and in the mountains.[33]
The Imperial Palace has a £2 million-a-year clinic with 42 staff and 8 medical departments. An example of lavish spending is the prior redecoration of a room for £140,000 whereCrown Princess Masako gave birth toPrincess Aiko in 2001. EmperorAkihito spent £140,000 on building a wine cellar. It has 4,500 bottles of 11 types of white wine and seven types of red such asChateau Mouton Rothschild (1982) and champagneDom Perignon (1992).[33]
The Imperial properties includes a 622 acres (252 ha) farm which suppliesproduce and meat for the Imperial Family. The farm costs were £3 million per year as of 2003[update]; the emperor and his family had a monthly water bill of approximately £50,000, also as of 2003[update].
TheImperial Guard is a special over 900 strong police force that provides personal protection for theEmperor and other members of the Imperial Family including their residences for £48 million per year.[31]
The Imperial Household owns and operates a fleet ofToyota Century motor vehicles, designated "Empresses", for exclusive use of the Imperial Household. In 2006, theImperial Household Agency took delivery of the first of four bespokeToyota Century Royals. The first of these specially prepared vehicles, Empress 1, serve as theofficial state car of the Emperor.[34] Two Century Royals, Empress 3 and Empress 5, were assigned to theMinistry of Foreign Affairs for special use by visiting dignitaries and foreignheads of state. The last, Empress 2, was built in 2008 as ahearse exclusively for imperial funerals.[35][36] Despite the imperial family's extravagant expenditures, there is a limitation with travel expenses since the Emperor's entourage pays a maximum of £110 a night, regardless of the actual cost of the hotel. Hotels accept it since they regard it as an honour to host the Imperial Family.[33]
Aside from the inner court (the Emperor and Empress, and their children including the Crown Prince and Crown Princess), the civil list covers additional family members who live in imperial residences. They are not prohibited from holding jobs or running businesses. For example,Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, his wife and two daughters received £310,000 per year, but they are not well known by the Japanese public and have had few imperial duties.[33]
The real annual cost was estimated to be $325 million per year, also as of 2003[update].[33]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion with: The only example here is World War 2.. You can help byadding to it.(May 2024) |
Members of the imperial family, includingNaruhiko, Prince Higashikuni,Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu,Takahito, Prince Mikasa andTsuneyoshi, Prince Takeda, were involved inunethical human experimentation programs in various ways, which included authorizing, funding, supplying, and inspecting biomedical facilities.[37][38]
Since 1978, the Emperors of Japan (Emperor Shōwa, Akihito and Naruhito) have never visitedYasukuni Shrine due to Emperor Shōwa's displeasure over the enshrinement of convicted Class-A war criminals.[39]
A 1997 survey byAsahi Shimbun showed that 82% of Japanese supported the continuation of themonarchy. Polls after showed1⁄3 of respondents were "indifferent" towards it. The imperial system is considered a symbol of the country, it provides a sense of linkage, purpose, spiritual core, diplomatic role as ambassador and a source of tradition and stability. A small percentage argue that the imperial system is out of date, not in synchrony with the contemporary times.[40]
gou_Flag.svg)
Imperial House of Japan | ||
| First ruling house | Ruling House ofJapan 539 AD–present | Incumbent |
Articles related to the Imperial House of Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Authority control databases: National |
|---|
