Figure 1.--This August 1939 photograph shows Prince Akihito patiently watching a bird on top of its cage. We suspect the photograph beautifully captures his personality. He wears a stylish button-on short pants outfit. Few other Japanese children would have been dressed like this.

Prince Akihito was born in Tokyo on December 23, 1933. He was born Akihito Tsugonimaya in Tokyo. We know very little about his childhood. Despite the currentls of ultra-nationalism and anti-Westernism, the royal family seems to have adopted Western fashion, even the Emperess. We are not sure to what extent this affected how the children were raised. The experience of the children must have been different than Hirohito's own childhood which was affected by the disability of his father. We do know that Prince Akahito lived through World War II, although he was a school boy. Emperor Hirohito stayd in Tokyo even during the bombing, expressing a desire to share the suffering of his subjects. Of course the Imperial Family had access to a bomb shelter and most of his subjects did not. After the War the status of the monarchy was significantly changed. This must have affected the imperial court and his upbringing, but we do not have details at this time.

Created: 5:09 AM 5/24/2009
Last updated: 5:09 AM 5/24/2009