All You Should Know About Naruhito

Naruhito is the Emperor of Japan, whose net worth is $10 million. Naruhito rose to the Chrysanthemum Throne in May 2019, following his father, Akihito’s abdication. This marked the beginning of the Reiwa era, and Naruhito became Japan’s 126th monarch.

He was legally appointed crown prince in 1991, two years after his father became emperor. Hiro served as honorary president of the postponed Summer Olympics and Paralympics in 2021.

Who is Naruhito?

Naruhito was born Naruhito, Prince Hiro, on February 23, 1960, at the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Japan. At the time of his birth, his father, Akihito, and his mother, Michiko, were Japan’s crown prince and princess. Emperor Shōwa, Naruhito’s paternal grandfather, reigned over Japan from December 1926 to January 1989.

He has two siblings: brother Fumihito (also known as Prince Aya, Prince Akishino, and the Crown Prince of Japan) and sister Sayako (who was Princess Nori before marrying Yoshiki Kuroda). He grew up enjoying mountain climbing and learning to play the violin.

During his boyhood, he discovered “the remains of an ancient roadway on the palace grounds,” and he subsequently commented, “I have had a keen interest in roads since childhood.” On roads, you can travel to an unknown world. Since I have few opportunities to move out freely, highways are a valuable bridge to the undiscovered world, so to speak.”

The Royal King came to Melbourne, Australia, when he was 14 years old and lived with businessman Colin Harper and his family. Naruhito played the violin for dignitaries at a Government House state dinner hosted by Governor-General Sir John Kerr.

He began attending Gakushūin school when he was four years old and later joined the geography club in senior high. He graduated from Gakushuin University in 1982 with a Bachelor of Letters in History, and the following year he attended a three-month English course before enrolling at Merton College, Oxford University, in the United Kingdom. He studied there until 1986 but did not submit his thesis, “A Study of Navigation and Traffic on the Upper Thames in the 18th Century,” until three years later.

Prince Hiro participated in the drama and Japan societies at Oxford, served as the honorary president of the judo and karate clubs, played inter-college tennis, took golf lessons, and climbed the highest peaks in Scotland (Ben Nevis), Wales (Snowdon), and England (Scafell Pike).

During this time, he also met members of European royalty, including the British royal family, Spain’s King Juan Carlos I, and the Netherlands’ Queen Beatrix. He returned to Japan and got a Master of Humanities in History from Gakushūin University in 1988.