, formerly was an

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

officer who was a member of a

cadet line A cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets (realm, titles, fiefs, property and incom ...

of the Japanese imperial family, grandson of

Emperor Meiji , posthumously honored as , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the List of emperors of Japan, traditional order of succession, reigning from 1867 until his death in 1912. His reign is associated with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which ...

and husband of Shigeko Higashikuni, eldest child of Emperor

Hirohito , Posthumous name, posthumously honored as , was the 124th emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, from 25 December 1926 until Death and state funeral of Hirohito, his death in 1989. He remains Japan's longest-reigni ...

and

Empress Kōjun Nagako (6 March 190316 June 2000), posthumously honoured as Empress Kōjun, was a member of the Imperial House of Japan, the wife of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) and the mother of Emperor Emeritus Akihito. She was Empress of Japan from 1926 unti ...

Early life

Prince Morihiro was born on 6 May 1916, the first child of

Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni was a member of the Japanese imperial family and general of the army who served as prime minister of Japan from 17 August to 9 October 1945. He is the only member of the Japanese imperial family to head a cabinet, and Japan's shortest-servin ...

(later served as

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

in 1945), and his wife, Toshiko, Princess Yasu. Prince Morihiro had the distinction of being a grandson of

and simultaneously both a first cousin and a son-in-law of Emperor Hirohito because his mother was the ninth daughter of Emperor Meiji, his wife was the eldest daughter of Emperor Hirohito and Empress Kōjun. He was born in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, and like most male members of the imperial family during the

Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...

, was groomed to pursue a career in the military from an early age.

Military career

After graduation from the Gakushuin Peers’ School and the Central Military Preparatory School, Prince Higashikuni served for a session in the House of Peers. He graduated from the 49th class of

Imperial Japanese Army Academy The was the principal officer's training school for the Imperial Japanese Army. The programme consisted of a junior course for graduates of local army cadet schools and for those who had completed four years of middle school, and a senior course f ...

in June 1937, and was commissioned as a second

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

field artillery Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support army, armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement. Until the ear ...

in August. The following March, he was promoted to lieutenant in the IJA First Artillery Regiment, and was stationed in

Manchukuo Manchukuo, officially known as the State of Manchuria prior to 1934 and the Empire of Great Manchuria thereafter, was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan in Northeast China that existed from 1932 until its dissolution in 1945. It was ostens ...

. During the Nomonhan Incident in summer 1939, he commanded the First Battery, 1st Heavy Field Artillery Regiment of the

Kwantung Army The Kwantung Army (Japanese language, Japanese: 関東軍, ''Kantō-gun'') was a Armies of the Imperial Japanese Army, general army of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1919 to 1945. The Kwantung Army was formed in 1906 as a security force for th ...

. He withdrew in face of the Soviet counter-offensive without orders during the heat of battle, and was transferred back to Japan on 2 August 1939. The incident was suppressed by Japanese military censors, but provided much

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...

for the

Soviet Army The Soviet Ground Forces () was the land warfare service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1946 to 1992. It was preceded by the Red Army. After the Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, the Ground Forces remained under th ...

. Despite this apparent blot on his service record, he was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

of the artillery in March 1941. He attended the Army War College from December 1942 to December 1943, and on graduation was promoted to major and placed on the reserve list.

Marriage and family

On 10 October 1943, Prince Morihiro Higashikuni married seventeen-year-old Shigeko, Princess Teru (9 December 1925 – 23 July 1961), the eldest daughter of Emperor Shōwa and

, who was widely known by her childhood appellation ''Teru-no-miya''. The bride and groom were related several times over through their common descent from Emperor Meiji and

Prince Kuni Asahiko 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 was the gr ...

(the father of Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni and the grandfather of Empress Kōjun). The couple had five children, the last three of whom were born after the Higashikuni family was removed from the Imperial Household register: #; married Miss Yoshiko Shimada in 1972, and had one son, Masahiko Higashikuni (b. 1973). # ; married Mr. Kazutoshi Omura later to Mr. Takagi Daikichi. # : adopted by the Mibu family as "Motohiro Mibu". # ; married to Ms. Kazuko Sato, with two sons, Teruhiko and Mutsuhiko. # married Mr. Azuma Naooki. His first wife, former Princess Shigeko, died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

in July 1961. In 1964, Morihiro Higashikuni married Yoshiko Terao (1927–2011). The second marriage produced two children: # #

Later life

In October 1947, the Higashikuni and other branches of the Japanese Imperial Family were divested of their titles and privileges during the

Allied occupation of Japan Japan was occupied and administered by the Allies of World War II from the surrender of the Empire of Japan on September 2, 1945, at the war's end until the Treaty of San Francisco took effect on April 28, 1952. The occupation, led by the ...

and became commoners. As a commoner, he attempted several unsuccessful business ventures before eventually becoming the chief of the research division of the Hokkaido Colliery & Steamship Company. He died of

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo in 1969.

Ancestry

Gallery

Image:Higashikunomiya Morihiko.jpg, Prince Morihiro in the Philippines during World War II

References

* Coox, Alvin D. ''Nomonhan: Japan Against Russia, 1939''. Stanford University Press; Reprint edition (1990). * Dower, John W. ''Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II''. W. W. Norton & Company (2000).

External links

The former Higashikuni summer villa in Yokohama (Japanese site)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Higashikuni Morihiro 1917 births 1969 deaths Higashikuni-no-miya Japanese princes Heirs apparent who never acceded Military personnel from Tokyo Imperial Japanese Army personnel of World War II Children of prime ministers of Japan Deaths from lung cancer in Japan Imperial Japanese Army officers Members of the Kwantung Army Military personnel of the Second Sino-Japanese War