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{{Short description|Japanese prince (1902–1953)}}
{{redirect|Yasuhito|the 18th-century noble|Emperor Nakamikado}}
{{redirect|Yasuhito|the 18th-century monarch|Emperor Nakamikado}}
{{Infobox royalty
{{Infobox royalty
|name =Yasuhito
|name =Yasuhito
|title =Prince Chichibu
|title =Prince Chichibu
|image =Chichibunomiya Yasuhito.jpg
|image =Chichibunomiya Yasuhito.jpg
|caption =Prince Chichibu in December 1940
|caption =Yasuhito in 1938-39
|birth_date ={{Birth date|1902|6|25|df=y}}
|birth_date ={{Birth date|1902|6|25|df=y}}
|birth_place = Aoyama Detached Palace, [[Tokyo City]], [[Empire of Japan|Japan]]
|birth_place = Aoyama Detached Palace, [[Tokyo City]], [[Empire of Japan|Japan]]
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|death_place =Kugenuma Villa, [[Fujisawa, Kanagawa]], [[Japan]]
|death_place =Kugenuma Villa, [[Fujisawa, Kanagawa]], [[Japan]]
|burial_date =12 January 1953
|burial_date =12 January 1953
|burial_place =Toshimagaoka Imperial Cemetery, [[Bunkyo, Tokyo]]
|burial_place ={{ill|Toshimagaoka Imperial Cemetery|ja|豊島岡墓地}}, [[Bunkyo, Tokyo]]
|spouse ={{marriage|[[Setsuko, Princess Chichibu|Setsuko Matsudaira]]|28 September 1928}}
|spouse ={{marriage|[[Setsuko, Princess Chichibu|Setsuko Matsudaira]]|28 September 1928}}
|full name ={{nihongo|Yasuhito|雍仁}}
|birth_name =Yasuhito, Prince Atsu<br>({{lang|ja|淳宮雍仁親王}})
|house =[[Imperial House of Japan]]
|royal house = [[Imperial House of Japan]]
|father =[[Emperor Taishō]]
|father =[[Emperor Taishō]]
|mother =[[Sadako Kujō]]
|mother =[[Empress Teimei|Sadako Kujō]]
| module = {{Infobox military person | embed=yes
| module = {{Infobox military person | embed=yes
|nickname=
|nickname=
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|unit=
|unit=
|commands=31st Infantry
|commands=31st Infantry
|battles=[[Second Sino-Japanese War]]<br>[[Second World War]]
|battles=[[Second Sino-Japanese War]]<br>[[World War II]]
|awards=
|awards=
|relations=
|relations=
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}}
}}


{{nihongo|'''Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu'''|秩父宮雍仁親王|Chichibu-no-miya Yasuhito Shinnō|extra= 25 June 1902 &ndash; 4 January 1953}}, was the second son of [[Emperor Taishō]] (Yoshihito) and [[Empress Teimei]] (Sadako), a younger brother of [[Emperor Shōwa]] (Hirohito) and a general in the [[Imperial Japanese Army]]. As a member of the [[Imperial House of Japan]], he was the patron of several sporting, medical, and international exchange organizations. Before and after [[World War II]], the [[English language|English-speaking]] prince and his wife attempted to foster good relations between [[Japan]] and the [[United Kingdom]] and enjoyed a good rapport with the [[British royal family]]. As with other Japanese imperial princes of his generation, he was an active-duty career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army. Like all members of the imperial family, he was exonerated from criminal prosecutions before the [[Tokyo tribunal]] by [[Douglas MacArthur]].
{{nihongo|'''Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu'''|秩父宮雍仁親王|Chichibu-no-miya Yasuhito Shinnō|extra= 25 June 1902 &ndash; 4 January 1953}} was the second son of [[Emperor Taishō]] (Yoshihito) and [[Empress Teimei]] (Sadako), a younger brother of [[Hirohito|Emperor Shōwa]] (Hirohito) and a general in the [[Imperial Japanese Army]]. As a member of the [[Imperial House of Japan]], he was the patron of several sporting, medical, and international exchange organizations. Before and after [[World War II]], the [[English language|English-speaking]] prince and his wife attempted to foster good relations between [[Japan]] and the [[United Kingdom]] and enjoyed a good rapport with the [[British royal family]]. As with other Japanese imperial princes of his generation, he was an active-duty career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army. Like all members of the imperial family, he was exonerated from criminal prosecutions before the [[International Military Tribunal for the Far East]] by [[Douglas MacArthur]].


==Background and family==
==Background and family==
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Born at Aoyama Detached Palace in [[Tokyo]], the second son of [[Crown Prince]] Yoshihito (later [[Emperor Taishō]]) and Crown Princess Sadako (later [[Empress Teimei]]), the prince was originally titled ''Atsu no miya'' (Prince Atsu). He and his elder brother were separated from their parents and entrusted to the care of a respected ex-naval officer, [[Count]] [[Sumiyoshi Kawamura]] and his wife. After Kawamura died in 1904, the young princes rejoined their parents at the ''Tōgū-gosho'' (Crown Prince's residence) on the grounds of the [[Akasaka, Tokyo|Akasaka]] estate. He attended the elementary and secondary departments of the [[Gakushuin]] Peers' School along with Crown Prince [[Hirohito]], and his younger brother, [[Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu|Prince Nobuhito]] (born in 1905). (A fourth brother, [[Takahito, Prince Mikasa|Prince Takahito]], was born in 1915). Prince Chichibu enrolled in the Central Military Preparatory School in 1917 and then in the [[Imperial Japanese Army Academy]] in 1922.
Born at Aoyama Detached Palace in [[Tokyo]], the second son of [[Crown Prince]] Yoshihito (later [[Emperor Taishō]]) and Crown Princess Sadako (later [[Empress Teimei]]), the prince was originally titled ''Atsu no miya'' (Prince Atsu). He and his elder brother were separated from their parents and entrusted to the care of a respected ex-naval officer, [[Count]] [[Sumiyoshi Kawamura]] and his wife. After Kawamura died in 1904, the young princes rejoined their parents at the ''Tōgū-gosho'' (Crown Prince's residence) on the grounds of the [[Akasaka, Tokyo|Akasaka]] estate. He attended the elementary and secondary departments of the [[Gakushuin]] Peers' School along with Crown Prince [[Hirohito]], and his younger brother, [[Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu|Prince Nobuhito]] (born in 1905). (A fourth brother, [[Takahito, Prince Mikasa|Prince Takahito]], was born in 1915). Prince Chichibu enrolled in the Central Military Preparatory School in 1917 and then in the [[Imperial Japanese Army Academy]] in 1922.


On 26 May 1922, Emperor Taishō granted his second son the title ''Chichibu no miya'' and the authorization to start a new branch of the imperial family. In 1925, the Prince went to Great Britain to study at [[Magdalen College, Oxford]]. While in Great Britain [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]] decorated Prince Chichibu with the Grand Cross of the [[Royal Victorian Order]]. Prince Chichibu had a reputation as an outdoorsman and [[alpinist]] during his stay in Europe. He returned to Japan in January 1927 following the death of Emperor Taishō, who for some time had suffered from debilitating physical and mental ill-health. Until the birth of his nephew [[Emperor Akihito|Crown Prince Akihito]] in December 1933, Prince Chichibu was heir presumptive to the [[Chrysanthemum throne]].
On 26 May 1922, Emperor Taishō granted his second son the title ''Chichibu no miya'' and the authorization to start a new branch of the imperial family. In 1925, the Prince went to Great Britain to study at [[Magdalen College, Oxford]]. While in Great Britain [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]] decorated Prince Chichibu with the Grand Cross of the [[Royal Victorian Order]]. Prince Chichibu had a reputation as an outdoorsman and [[alpinist]] during his stay in Europe (he was elected to Honorary membership of the [[Alpine Club]] in 1928, struck of in the second world war but then his Honorary membership was reinstated in 1952).<ref>{{cite journal | title = Alpine Notes | journal =Alpine Journal| date=1963| issn= 0065-6569 | first =T.S. | last = Blakeney | volume =#68 | pages= 293–306 | access-date =13 October 2024 |url = https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1963_files/AJ%201963%20295-306%20Dangar%20Alpine%20Notes.pdf }}</ref> He returned to Japan in January 1927 following the death of Emperor Taishō, who for some time had suffered from debilitating physical and mental ill-health. Until the birth of his nephew, [[Akihito|Crown Prince Akihito]] in December 1933, Prince Chichibu was heir presumptive to the [[Chrysanthemum throne]].


==Marriage==
==Marriage==
[[File:Prince and Princess Chichibu Wedding.jpg|thumb|The Prince and Princess Chichibu on their wedding day.]]
[[File:Prince and Princess Chichibu Wedding.jpg|thumb|The Prince and Princess Chichibu on their wedding day]]
On 28 September 1928, the prince married [[Setsuko, Princess Chichibu|Matsudaira Setsuko]] (9 September 1909 – 25 August 1995), the daughter of [[Matsudaira Tsuneo]], Japanese ambassador to the [[United States]] and later Great Britain (and later, Imperial Household Minister), and his wife, the former Nabeshima Nobuko. Although technically born a commoner, the new princess was a scion of the [[Matsudaira]] of [[Aizu]], a cadet branch of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]]. Her paternal grandfather was [[Matsudaira Katamori]], the last ''[[daimyō]]'' of Aizu, whose heir had been created a [[viscount]] in the new ''[[kazoku]]'' system in 1884. Prince and Princess Chichibu had no children, as Princess Chichibu's only pregnancy ended in a miscarriage.
On 28 September 1928, the prince married [[Setsuko, Princess Chichibu|Setsuko Matsudaira]] (1909–1995), the daughter of [[Tsuneo Matsudaira]], Japanese ambassador to the [[United States]] and later Great Britain (and later, Imperial Household Minister), and his wife, the former [[Nobuko Nabeshima]].<ref>{{harvnb|Kampō|1928a|pages=675}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Kampō|1928b|pages=741 (plate number 0002.jp2)|loc="Announcement / Kunaishō / Number 29 / Marriage notice of Prince Yasuhito with the niece of Viscount Matsudaira Yasuo"}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{harvnb|Kampō|1928b|pages=746 (plate number 0005.jp2)|loc="Announcement/ Naimushō / Number 256 / Decorations and appointments (Shōkunkyoku) &ndash; as of 28 September Shōwa 3rd (1928) ; Princess Setsuko of Prince Chichibunomiya Yasuhito &ndash; Appointed to the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown (1st class)."}}</ref> Although technically born a commoner, the new princess was a scion of the [[Matsudaira]] of [[Aizu]], a cadet branch of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]]. Her paternal grandfather was [[Matsudaira Katamori]], the last ''[[daimyō]]'' of Aizu, whose heir had been created a [[viscount]] in the new ''[[kazoku]]'' system in 1884. Yasuhito and Setsuko were eighth cousins, thrice removed, as both were descended from [[Nabeshima Katsushige]], the first lord of Saga.<ref name=descent>{{cite web|url=https://reichsarchiv.jp/%e5%ae%b6%e7%b3%bb%e3%83%aa%e3%82%b9%e3%83%88/%e4%bc%9a%e6%b4%a5%e6%9d%be%e5%b9%b3%e6%b0%8f%ef%bc%88%e5%be%a1%e5%ae%b6%e9%96%80%ef%bc%89#amtuneo|title=Genealogy|website=Reichsarchiv|date=8 May 2010 |access-date=5 September 2017|language=ja}}</ref> Prince and Princess Chichibu had no children, as Princess Chichibu's only pregnancy ended in a [[miscarriage]]. However, by all accounts their marriage was filled with love and happiness for each other.<ref name="bunshun_1973">{{harvnb|Bungei shunjū|1973|pages=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Female staff writer |date=May 1929 |title=The Daily Life of Her Imperial Highness Princess Chichibunomiya Setsuko |script-title=ja: 秩父宮妃勢津子殿下の御日常 |journal=Shufu No Tomo |publisher=Shufu no tomo-sha |volume=13 |issue=5 (May issue) |pages=35-38 (plate number 0063.jp2-)}}</ref>


==Military career==
==Military career==
[[File:HIH Prince Chichibu Yasuhito.jpg|thumb|Prince Chichibu in 1934]]

Prince Chichibu received his commission as a second lieutenant in the [[infantry]] in October 1922 and was assigned to the [[Imperial Guard of Japan|First Imperial Guard Division]]. He was promoted to first lieutenant in 1925 and became a captain in 1930 after graduation from the [[Army War College (Japan)|Army War College]]. He received a promotion to the rank of major and assigned to command the [[IJA 31st Division|Thirty First Infantry Division]] stationed at [[Hirosaki, Aomori]] in August 1935. Prince Chichibu was a vehement ultra-right-wing militarist who increasingly influenced Japanese military policy in the prewar era.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Factories of Death: Japanese Biological Warfare, 1932–45, and the American Cover-Up |last=Harris|first=Sheldon|publisher=Routledge|year=1995|isbn=978-0415932141|pages= 142}}</ref>
Prince Chichibu received his commission as a second lieutenant in the [[infantry]] in October 1922 and was assigned to the [[Imperial Guard of Japan|First Imperial Guard Division]]. He was promoted to first lieutenant in 1925 and became a captain in 1930 after graduation from the [[Army War College (Japan)|Army War College]]. He received a promotion to the rank of major and assigned to command the [[IJA 31st Division|Thirty First Infantry Division]] stationed at [[Hirosaki, Aomori]] in August 1935. Prince Chichibu was a vehement ultra-right-wing militarist who increasingly influenced Japanese military policy in the prewar era.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Factories of Death: Japanese Biological Warfare, 1932–45, and the American Cover-Up |last=Harris|first=Sheldon|publisher=Routledge|year=1995|isbn=978-0415932141|pages= 142}}</ref>


Prince Chichibu has been implicated by some historians in the abortive [[26 February Incident]] in 1936. How much of a role he actually played in that event remains unclear, but it was clear that he was sympathetic to the rebels<ref>Peter Wetzler, ''Hirohito and War'', University of Hawai'i press, 1998, p.189</ref> and that his political sentiments were in agreement with them, i.e., replacement of the corrupt political party based government with a [[military dictatorship]] under direct control of the emperor. His sympathy to the ''[[Kodoha]]'' faction within the Imperial Japanese Army was well known at the time. After the assassination of [[Prime Minister of Japan|prime minister]] [[Inukai Tsuyoshi]] in 1932, he had many violent arguments with his brother, Emperor Hirohito, about the suspension of the [[Meiji Constitution|constitution]] and the implementation of direct imperial rule.
Prince Chichibu has been implicated by some historians in the abortive [[26 February Incident]] in 1936. How much of a role he actually played in that event remains unclear, but it was clear that he was sympathetic to the rebels<ref>Peter Wetzler, ''Hirohito and War'', University of Hawai'i press, 1998, p.189</ref> and that his political sentiments were in agreement with theirs, i.e., replacement of the corrupt political party based government with a [[military dictatorship]] under direct control of the emperor. His sympathy to the ''[[Kodoha]]'' faction within the Imperial Japanese Army was well known at the time. After the assassination of [[Prime Minister of Japan|prime minister]] [[Inukai Tsuyoshi]] in 1932, he had many violent arguments with his brother, Emperor Hirohito, about the suspension of the [[Meiji Constitution|constitution]] and the implementation of direct imperial rule.


After the coup attempt, the prince and his wife were sent on a tour of [[Western Europe]] taking several months. They represented Japan at the May 1937 [[coronation]] of [[George VI|Britain's King George VI]] and [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother|Queen Elizabeth]] in [[Westminster Abbey]] and subsequently visited [[Sweden]] and the [[Netherlands]] as the guests of [[Gustaf V of Sweden|King Gustaf V]] and [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Queen Wilhelmina]], respectively. This tour ended with the visit of [[Nuremberg]] in [[Germany]] by the prince alone. There he attended the [[Nuremberg rally]] and met [[Adolf Hitler]], with whom he tried to boost relations. At [[Nuremberg Castle]], Hitler launched a scathing attack against [[Joseph Stalin]], after which the prince privately said to his aide-de-camp [[Masaharu Homma]]: "Hitler is an actor, it will be difficult to trust him". Nevertheless, he remained convinced that the future of Japan was linked to [[Nazi Germany]] and in 1938 and 1939, he had many quarrels with the Emperor about the opportunity to join a military alliance with Germany against Great Britain and the United States.
After the coup attempt, the prince and his wife were sent on a tour of [[Western Europe]] taking several months.<ref name="bunshun_1973"/> They represented Japan at the May 1937 [[coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth]] of the United Kingdom in [[Westminster Abbey]] and subsequently visited [[Sweden]] and the [[Netherlands]] as the guests of [[Gustaf V of Sweden|King Gustaf V]] and [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Queen Wilhelmina]], respectively. This tour ended with the visit of [[Nuremberg]] in [[Germany]] by the prince alone. There he attended the [[Nuremberg rally]] and met [[Adolf Hitler]], with whom he tried to boost relations.<ref>{{Harvnb|Gotemba seiwa|1948}}</ref> At [[Nuremberg Castle]], Hitler launched a scathing attack against [[Joseph Stalin]], after which the prince privately said to his aide-de-camp [[Masaharu Homma]]: "Hitler is an actor, it will be difficult to trust him". Nevertheless, he remained convinced that the future of Japan was linked to [[Nazi Germany]] and in 1938 and 1939, he had many quarrels with the Emperor about the opportunity to join a [[Tripartite Pact|military alliance with Germany]] against Great Britain and the United States.


Prince Chichibu Yasuhito was subsequently appointed battalion commander of Thirty-First Infantry Regiment in August 1937, promoted to lieutenant colonel in March 1938 and to colonel in August 1939. During the war, he was involved in combat operations, and was sent to [[Manchukuo]] before the [[Battle of Khalkhin Gol|Nomonhan incident]] and to [[Nanjing]] after the [[Nanjing Massacre]].
Prince Chichibu was subsequently appointed battalion commander of Thirty-First Infantry Regiment in August 1937, promoted to lieutenant colonel in March 1938 and to colonel in August 1939. During the war, he was involved in combat operations, and was sent to [[Manchukuo]] before the [[Battle of Khalkhin Gol|Nomonhan incident]] and to [[Nanjing]] after the [[Nanjing Massacre]].
On 9 February 1939, Chichibu attended a lecture on [[bacteriological warfare]], given by [[Shirō Ishii]], in the War Ministry Grand Conference Hall in Tokyo.<ref>Sheldon Harris, ''Factories of Death'', 2002, p. 142</ref> He also attended vivisection demonstrations by Ishii.<ref>Sheldon Harris, ''Japanese Biomedical Experimentation during the World War II Era'', in Military Medical Ethics, volume 2, 2003, p. 469</ref>
On 9 February 1939, Chichibu attended a lecture on [[bacteriological warfare]], given by [[Shirō Ishii]], in the War Ministry Grand Conference Hall in Tokyo.<ref>Sheldon Harris, ''Factories of Death'', 2002, p. 142</ref> He also attended vivisection demonstrations by Ishii.<ref>Sheldon Harris, ''Japanese Biomedical Experimentation during the World War II Era'', in Military Medical Ethics, volume 2, 2003, p. 469</ref>


In a book about [[Yamashita's gold]], authors Peggy and [[Sterling Seagrave]] postulated that Prince Chichibu led from 1937 to 1945 what the authors called the {{nihongo|金の百合|Kin no yuri}} or "Golden Lily Operation" by which members of the Imperial Household allegedly were personally involved in stealing treasures from [[Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere|countries invaded by Japan]] during [[World War II]].<ref>P and S Seagrave, ''Gold warriors'', 2002, ''The Yamato Dynasty'', 1999</ref>{{pn|date=December 2016}}<ref name=Johnson>[[Chalmers Johnson|Johnson, Chalmers]] (November 20, 2003). [http://www.lrb.co.uk/v25/n22/john04_.html "The Looting of Asia": A review of ''Gold Warriors: America's Secret Recovery of Yamashita's Gold'' by Sterling Seagrave and Peggy Seagrave Verso, 332 pages]. ''[[London Review of Books]]'' v. 25, no. 22. [https://web.archive.org/web/20031119071557/http://www.lrb.co.uk/v25/n22/john04_.html Archived] from the original on November 19, 2003. Retrieved January 13, 2021.</ref> These allegations are contrary to a version told in her memoirs by [[Princess Chichibu]] (Setsuko), according to which the prince retired from active duty after being diagnosed with [[pulmonary tuberculosis]] in June 1940, spent most of [[World War&nbsp;II]] convalescing at his villa in [[Gotemba, Japan|Gotemba]], [[Shizuoka Prefecture]], on the eastern foot of [[Mount Fuji]] and never really recovering from his illness.<ref>Princess Chichibu, ''The Silver Drum'', Global Oriental, 1996</ref>{{pn|date=December 2016}} He was promoted to major general in March 1945.
According to a version told in her memoirs by Princess Chichibu, according to which the prince retired from active duty after being diagnosed with [[pulmonary tuberculosis]] in June 1940, spent most of [[World War&nbsp;II]] convalescing at his villa in [[Gotemba, Japan|Gotemba]], [[Shizuoka Prefecture]], on the eastern foot of [[Mount Fuji]] and never really recovering from his illness.<ref>Princess Chichibu, ''The Silver Drum'', Global Oriental, 1996</ref>{{pn|date=December 2016}} He was promoted to major general in March 1945.


==Patronage==
==Patronage==
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==Rugby union==
==Rugby union==
[[File:Chichibunomiya3.JPG|right|thumb|Chichibu-no-miya Stadium, which is named after the Prince]]
[[File:Chichibunomiya3.JPG|right|thumb|[[Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium]], which is named after the Prince]]
[[File:Prince Chichibu Statue at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium.jpg|thumb|[[Statue of Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu|Prince Chichibu statue]] at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium]]
[[File:Prince Chichibu Statue at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium.jpg|thumb|[[Statue of Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu|Prince Chichibu statue]] at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium]]


The prince was also instrumental in securing the development of [[rugby union in Japan]]. He was "converted" to rugby after the JRFU president, [[Shigeru Kayama]], returned from a long sea voyage and was able to "market" the game to Prince Chichibu.<ref name=RugDis>Cotton, Fran (Ed.) (1984) ''The Book of Rugby Disasters & Bizarre Records''. Compiled by Chris Rhys. London. Century Publishing. {{ISBN|0-7126-0911-3}}</ref>{{pn|date=December 2016}}
The prince was also instrumental in securing the development of [[rugby union in Japan]]. He was "converted" to rugby after the JRFU president, Shigeru Kayama, returned from a long sea voyage and was able to "market" the game to Prince Chichibu.<ref name=RugDis>Cotton, Fran (Ed.) (1984) ''The Book of Rugby Disasters & Bizarre Records''. Compiled by Chris Rhys. London. Century Publishing. {{ISBN|0-7126-0911-3}}</ref>{{pn|date=December 2016}}


After his death, the Tokyo Rugby Stadium in Kita-Aoyama 2-chome was renamed [[Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium]]. A [[Statue of Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu|statue of Prince Chichibu]] in rugby kit was erected there.
After his death, the Tokyo Rugby Stadium in Kita-Aoyama 2-chome was renamed [[Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium]]. A [[Statue of Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu|statue of Prince Chichibu]] in rugby kit was erected there.


==Death==
==Death==
Prince Chichibu died from [[tuberculosis]] at his Kugenuma villa in [[Fujisawa, Kanagawa]] on 4 January 1953. His remains were cremated and the ashes buried at Toshimagaoka Cemetery, [[Bunkyō, Tokyo]], on 12 January 1953.
Prince Chichibu died from [[tuberculosis]] at his Kugenuma villa in [[Fujisawa, Kanagawa]] on 4 January 1953.<ref>{{harvnb|NDL digital collection|1995}}</ref> His remains were cremated and the ashes buried at Toshimagaoka Cemetery (豊島岡墓地), [[Bunkyō]], [[Tokyo]], on 12 January 1953.


==Ancestry==
==Ancestry==
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|3= 3. [[Empress Teimei|Lady Sadako Kujō]]
|3= 3. [[Empress Teimei|Lady Sadako Kujō]]
|4= 4. [[Emperor Meiji|Mutsuhito, Emperor Meiji]]
|4= 4. [[Emperor Meiji|Mutsuhito, Emperor Meiji]]
|5= 5. [[Yanagihara Naruko|Lady Naruko Yanagihara]]
|5= 5. [[Yanagiwara Naruko|Lady Naruko Yanagiwara]]
|6= 6. [[Kujō Michitaka|Prince Kujō Michitaka of the Fujiwara Clan]]
|6= 6. [[Kujō Michitaka|Prince Kujō Michitaka of the Fujiwara Clan]]
|7= 7. Lady Noma Ikuko
|7= 7. Lady Noma Ikuko
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<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:Yasuhito.jpg|Prince Chichibu in his twenties, as a second lieutenant
Image:Yasuhito.jpg|Prince Chichibu in his twenties, as a second lieutenant
Image:Prince and Princess Chichibu Wedding2.jpg|Prince and Princess Chichibu Wedding
Image:Prince and Princess Chichibu Wedding2.jpg|Prince and Princess Chichibu wedding
Image:Prince Chichibu2.jpg|Prince Chichibu in stadium
Image:Prince Chichibu2.jpg|Prince Chichibu in stadium
Image:Yasuhito2.jpg |Prince Chichibu at Hirosaki
Image:Yasuhito2.jpg |Prince Chichibu at Hirosaki
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</gallery>
</gallery>


==Notes==
== See also ==

* [[Yamashita's gold]] - an urban legend about Prince Chichibu

== Notes ==
<references />
<references />


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* Lebra, Sugiyama Takie. ''Above the Clouds: Status Culture of the Modern Japanese Nobility''. University of California Press (1995). {{ISBN|0-520-07602-8}}
* Lebra, Sugiyama Takie. ''Above the Clouds: Status Culture of the Modern Japanese Nobility''. University of California Press (1995). {{ISBN|0-520-07602-8}}
* ''Scouting Round the World'', [[J. S. Wilson|John S. Wilson]], first edition, Blandford Press 1959 p.&nbsp;67
* ''Scouting Round the World'', [[J. S. Wilson|John S. Wilson]], first edition, Blandford Press 1959 p.&nbsp;67
* {{Cite journal |date=1928-09-27 |editor-last=[[National Printing Bureau|Ōkurashō Insatsu-kyoku]] |author=Office of Imperial Household (Kunaishō) |author-link=Kuaishou |title=Prince Yasuhito had wedding ceremony with Setsuko, the niece to Viscount Matsudaira Yasuo (Announcement #28, Kunaishō) |script-title=ja: 告示 / 宮内省 / 第28号 / 雍仁親王殿下子爵松平保男姪勢津子ト結婚ノ禮ヲ行ハセラル |journal=Kampo (官報) |publisher=日本マイクロ写真 |volume=1928-09-27 |ref={{harvid|Kampō|1928a}} |pages=675 |doi=10.11501/2956989 |via=NDL}}
* {{cite book |last1=Seagrave |first1=Sterling |last2=Seagrave |first2=Peggu |author-link1=Sterling Seagrave |title=Opération "Lys d'or" : Le scandaleux secret de la guerre du Pacifique ou comment les Etats-Unis ont utilisé le trésor de guerre japonais pour financer la guerre froide |lang=fr |publisher=[[Yves Michalon]] [[:fr:Éditions Michalon|Éditions]] ([[L'Harmattan]]) |date=11 September 2002 |isbn=978-2841861606}}
* {{Cite journal |date=1928-09-28 |editor-last=National Printing Bureau |title=Announcements |script-title=ja: 告示 |journal=Kanpō (官報 昭和3年) |language=ja |volume=1928-09-29 |issue=530 |ref={{harvid|Kampō|1928b}} |pages=741, 746 (plate numbers 0002.jp2, 0005.jp2) |doi=10.11501/2956991 |via=NDL|author1=大蔵省印刷局 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Seagrave |first1=Sterling |last2=Seagrave |first2=Peggy |author-link1=Sterling Seagrave |title=Gold Warriors: America's Secret Recovery of Yamashita's Gold |publisher=[[Verso Books|Verso]] |date=January 1, 2003 |asin=B00SQDO3GU}}
* {{Cite book |date=December 1995 |title="Tsuiroku": Naikaku seido hyakunen-shi (Ge-kan) |script-title=ja: 内閣制度百年史. 下巻 追録 - 国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション |url=https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/11932167 |url-access=limited |via=dl.ndl.go.jp |access-date=2022-09-23 |publisher=Naikaku kanbō 内閣官房 |doi=10.11501/11932167 |ref={{harvid|NDL digital collection|1995}} |location=Tokyo |pages=25-27 (plate number 0014.jp2-) |language=ja|author1=内閣官房 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Seagrave |first1=Sterling |last2=Seagrave |first2=Peggy |author-link1=Sterling Seagrave |title=Gold Warriors: America's Secret Recovery of Yamashita's Gold |publisher=[[Verso Books|Verso]] |date=December 26, 2005 |isbn=978-1844675319}}
* {{cite journal |author=Chichibunomiya Setsuko |date=January 1973 |title={{nihongo|1=History of Showa period I shared with Prince (Interview)|2=宮さまと私の昭和史〔談話〕|3=Miyasama to watakushi no shōwashi 'Danwa'}} |journal=Bungei shunjū |volume=51 |number=1 |url= |id={{NAID|1521699229931106688}} |ref={{harvid|Bungei shunjū|1973}} |pages=220–231}}
* {{cite book|author1=Prince Chichibu|author2= Princess Setsuko|title= Gotemba seiwa|script-title=ja:御殿場清話|editor=Yanagisawa, Takeshi |publisher=Sekai no nihon-sha|year= 1948|series=Figures series #1|ref={{harvid|Gotemba seiwa|1948}}}} {{NCID|BA35453355}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-about/history/history12.html Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Chichibu] at the Imperial Household Agency website
*[http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-about/history/history12.html Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Chichibu] at the Imperial Household Agency website
* {{PM20|FID=pe/003227}}
* {{PM20|FID=pe/003227}}

{{Japanese princes}}
{{Japanese princes}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1953 deaths]]
[[Category:1953 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Minato]]
[[Category:Children of Emperor Taishō]]
[[Category:People from Tokyo]]
[[Category:People from Minato, Tokyo]]
[[Category:Japanese princes]]
[[Category:Imperial Japanese Army generals of World War II]]
[[Category:Imperial Japanese Army generals of World War II]]
[[Category:Imperial Japanese Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:20th-century deaths from tuberculosis]]
[[Category:20th-century deaths from tuberculosis]]
[[Category:Japanese generals]]
[[Category:Scouting in Japan]]
[[Category:Scouting in Japan]]
[[Category:Tuberculosis deaths in Japan]]
[[Category:Tuberculosis deaths in Japan]]
[[Category:Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order]]
[[Category:Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order]]
[[Category:Deified Japanese people]]
[[Category:Deified Japanese men]]
[[Category:Sons of emperors]]
[[Category:Sons of Japanese emperors]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Tokyo]]

Revision as of 15:24, 6 December 2024

Yasuhito
Prince Chichibu
Yasuhito in 1938-39
BornYasuhito, Prince Atsu
(淳宮雍仁親王)
(1902-06-25)25 June 1902
Aoyama Detached Palace, Tokyo City, Japan
Died4 January 1953(1953-01-04) (aged 50)
Kugenuma Villa, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
Burial12 January 1953
Spouse
(m. 1928)
HouseImperial House of Japan
FatherEmperor Taishō
MotherSadako Kujō
Military career
Allegiance Japan
Service / branch Imperial Japanese Army
Years of service1922–1945
Rank Major-General
Commands31st Infantry
Battles / warsSecond Sino-Japanese War
World War II

Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu (秩父宮雍仁親王, Chichibu-no-miya Yasuhito Shinnō, 25 June 1902 – 4 January 1953) was the second son of Emperor Taishō (Yoshihito) and Empress Teimei (Sadako), a younger brother of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) and a general in the Imperial Japanese Army. As a member of the Imperial House of Japan, he was the patron of several sporting, medical, and international exchange organizations. Before and after World War II, the English-speaking prince and his wife attempted to foster good relations between Japan and the United Kingdom and enjoyed a good rapport with the British royal family. As with other Japanese imperial princes of his generation, he was an active-duty career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army. Like all members of the imperial family, he was exonerated from criminal prosecutions before the International Military Tribunal for the Far East by Douglas MacArthur.

Background and family

Emperor Taishō's four sons in 1921: Hirohito, Takahito, Nobuhito and Yasuhito

Born at Aoyama Detached Palace in Tokyo, the second son of Crown Prince Yoshihito (later Emperor Taishō) and Crown Princess Sadako (later Empress Teimei), the prince was originally titled Atsu no miya (Prince Atsu). He and his elder brother were separated from their parents and entrusted to the care of a respected ex-naval officer, Count Sumiyoshi Kawamura and his wife. After Kawamura died in 1904, the young princes rejoined their parents at the Tōgū-gosho (Crown Prince's residence) on the grounds of the Akasaka estate. He attended the elementary and secondary departments of the Gakushuin Peers' School along with Crown Prince Hirohito, and his younger brother, Prince Nobuhito (born in 1905). (A fourth brother, Prince Takahito, was born in 1915). Prince Chichibu enrolled in the Central Military Preparatory School in 1917 and then in the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1922.

On 26 May 1922, Emperor Taishō granted his second son the title Chichibu no miya and the authorization to start a new branch of the imperial family. In 1925, the Prince went to Great Britain to study at Magdalen College, Oxford. While in Great Britain King George V decorated Prince Chichibu with the Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. Prince Chichibu had a reputation as an outdoorsman and alpinist during his stay in Europe (he was elected to Honorary membership of the Alpine Club in 1928, struck of in the second world war but then his Honorary membership was reinstated in 1952).[1] He returned to Japan in January 1927 following the death of Emperor Taishō, who for some time had suffered from debilitating physical and mental ill-health. Until the birth of his nephew, Crown Prince Akihito in December 1933, Prince Chichibu was heir presumptive to the Chrysanthemum throne.

Marriage

The Prince and Princess Chichibu on their wedding day

On 28 September 1928, the prince married Setsuko Matsudaira (1909–1995), the daughter of Tsuneo Matsudaira, Japanese ambassador to the United States and later Great Britain (and later, Imperial Household Minister), and his wife, the former Nobuko Nabeshima.[2][3][4] Although technically born a commoner, the new princess was a scion of the Matsudaira of Aizu, a cadet branch of the Tokugawa shogunate. Her paternal grandfather was Matsudaira Katamori, the last daimyō of Aizu, whose heir had been created a viscount in the new kazoku system in 1884. Yasuhito and Setsuko were eighth cousins, thrice removed, as both were descended from Nabeshima Katsushige, the first lord of Saga.[5] Prince and Princess Chichibu had no children, as Princess Chichibu's only pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. However, by all accounts their marriage was filled with love and happiness for each other.[6][7]

Military career

Prince Chichibu in 1934

Prince Chichibu received his commission as a second lieutenant in the infantry in October 1922 and was assigned to the First Imperial Guard Division. He was promoted to first lieutenant in 1925 and became a captain in 1930 after graduation from the Army War College. He received a promotion to the rank of major and assigned to command the Thirty First Infantry Division stationed at Hirosaki, Aomori in August 1935. Prince Chichibu was a vehement ultra-right-wing militarist who increasingly influenced Japanese military policy in the prewar era.[8]

Prince Chichibu has been implicated by some historians in the abortive 26 February Incident in 1936. How much of a role he actually played in that event remains unclear, but it was clear that he was sympathetic to the rebels[9] and that his political sentiments were in agreement with theirs, i.e., replacement of the corrupt political party based government with a military dictatorship under direct control of the emperor. His sympathy to the Kodoha faction within the Imperial Japanese Army was well known at the time. After the assassination of prime minister Inukai Tsuyoshi in 1932, he had many violent arguments with his brother, Emperor Hirohito, about the suspension of the constitution and the implementation of direct imperial rule.

After the coup attempt, the prince and his wife were sent on a tour of Western Europe taking several months.[6] They represented Japan at the May 1937 coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom in Westminster Abbey and subsequently visited Sweden and the Netherlands as the guests of King Gustaf V and Queen Wilhelmina, respectively. This tour ended with the visit of Nuremberg in Germany by the prince alone. There he attended the Nuremberg rally and met Adolf Hitler, with whom he tried to boost relations.[10] At Nuremberg Castle, Hitler launched a scathing attack against Joseph Stalin, after which the prince privately said to his aide-de-camp Masaharu Homma: "Hitler is an actor, it will be difficult to trust him". Nevertheless, he remained convinced that the future of Japan was linked to Nazi Germany and in 1938 and 1939, he had many quarrels with the Emperor about the opportunity to join a military alliance with Germany against Great Britain and the United States.

Prince Chichibu was subsequently appointed battalion commander of Thirty-First Infantry Regiment in August 1937, promoted to lieutenant colonel in March 1938 and to colonel in August 1939. During the war, he was involved in combat operations, and was sent to Manchukuo before the Nomonhan incident and to Nanjing after the Nanjing Massacre. On 9 February 1939, Chichibu attended a lecture on bacteriological warfare, given by Shirō Ishii, in the War Ministry Grand Conference Hall in Tokyo.[11] He also attended vivisection demonstrations by Ishii.[12]

According to a version told in her memoirs by Princess Chichibu, according to which the prince retired from active duty after being diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis in June 1940, spent most of World War II convalescing at his villa in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, on the eastern foot of Mount Fuji and never really recovering from his illness.[13][page needed] He was promoted to major general in March 1945.

Patronage

After World War II, Prince Chichibu was honorary head of many athletic organizations, and was nicknamed the "sporting Prince" due to his efforts to promote skiing, rugby and other sports. He was also honorary President of both the Japan–British Society and the Swedish Society of Japan. He was a supporter of Scouting in Japan and attended the Fourth International Conference in 1926.[14][page needed]

Rugby union

Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, which is named after the Prince
File:Prince Chichibu Statue at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium.jpg
Prince Chichibu statue at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium

The prince was also instrumental in securing the development of rugby union in Japan. He was "converted" to rugby after the JRFU president, Shigeru Kayama, returned from a long sea voyage and was able to "market" the game to Prince Chichibu.[15][page needed]

After his death, the Tokyo Rugby Stadium in Kita-Aoyama 2-chome was renamed Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium. A statue of Prince Chichibu in rugby kit was erected there.

Death

Prince Chichibu died from tuberculosis at his Kugenuma villa in Fujisawa, Kanagawa on 4 January 1953.[16] His remains were cremated and the ashes buried at Toshimagaoka Cemetery (豊島岡墓地), Bunkyō, Tokyo, on 12 January 1953.

Ancestry

Patrilineal descent

Patrilineal descent[17]
Imperial House of Japan
  1. Descent prior to Keitai is unclear to modern historians, but traditionally traced back patrilineally to Emperor Jimmu
  2. Emperor Keitai, ca. 450–534
  3. Emperor Kinmei, 509–571
  4. Emperor Bidatsu, 538–585
  5. Prince Oshisaka, ca. 556–???
  6. Emperor Jomei, 593–641
  7. Emperor Tenji, 626–671
  8. Prince Shiki, ???–716
  9. Emperor Kōnin, 709–786
  10. Emperor Kanmu, 737–806
  11. Emperor Saga, 786–842
  12. Emperor Ninmyō, 810–850
  13. Emperor Kōkō, 830–867
  14. Emperor Uda, 867–931
  15. Emperor Daigo, 885–930
  16. Emperor Murakami, 926–967
  17. Emperor En'yū, 959–991
  18. Emperor Ichijō, 980–1011
  19. Emperor Go-Suzaku, 1009–1045
  20. Emperor Go-Sanjō, 1034–1073
  21. Emperor Shirakawa, 1053–1129
  22. Emperor Horikawa, 1079–1107
  23. Emperor Toba, 1103–1156
  24. Emperor Go-Shirakawa, 1127–1192
  25. Emperor Takakura, 1161–1181
  26. Emperor Go-Toba, 1180–1239
  27. Emperor Tsuchimikado, 1196–1231
  28. Emperor Go-Saga, 1220–1272
  29. Emperor Go-Fukakusa, 1243–1304
  30. Emperor Fushimi, 1265–1317
  31. Emperor Go-Fushimi, 1288–1336
  32. Emperor Kōgon, 1313–1364
  33. Emperor Sukō, 1334–1398
  34. Prince Yoshihito Fushimi, 1351–1416
  35. Prince Sadafusa Fushimi, 1372–1456
  36. Emperor Go-Hanazono, 1419–1471
  37. Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado, 1442–1500
  38. Emperor Go-Kashiwabara, 1464–1526
  39. Emperor Go-Nara, 1495–1557
  40. Emperor Ōgimachi, 1517–1593
  41. Prince Masahito, 1552–1586
  42. Emperor Go-Yōzei, 1572–1617
  43. Emperor Go-Mizunoo, 1596–1680
  44. Emperor Reigen, 1654–1732
  45. Emperor Higashiyama, 1675–1710
  46. Prince Naohito Kanin, 1704–1753
  47. Prince Sukehito Kanin, 1733–1794
  48. Emperor Kōkaku, 1771–1840
  49. Emperor Ninkō, 1800–1846
  50. Emperor Kōmei, 1831–1867
  51. Emperor Meiji, 1852–1912
  52. Emperor Taishō, 1879–1926
  53. Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Blakeney, T.S. (1963). "Alpine Notes" (PDF). Alpine Journal. #68: 293–306. ISSN 0065-6569. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  2. ^ Kampō 1928a, pp. 675
  3. ^ Kampō 1928b, pp. 741 (plate number 0002.jp2), "Announcement / Kunaishō / Number 29 / Marriage notice of Prince Yasuhito with the niece of Viscount Matsudaira Yasuo"
  4. ^ Kampō 1928b, pp. 746 (plate number 0005.jp2), "Announcement/ Naimushō / Number 256 / Decorations and appointments (Shōkunkyoku) – as of 28 September Shōwa 3rd (1928) ; Princess Setsuko of Prince Chichibunomiya Yasuhito – Appointed to the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown (1st class)."
  5. ^ "Genealogy". Reichsarchiv (in Japanese). 8 May 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  6. ^ a b Bungei shunjū 1973
  7. ^ Female staff writer (May 1929). "The Daily Life of Her Imperial Highness Princess Chichibunomiya Setsuko" 秩父宮妃勢津子殿下の御日常. Shufu No Tomo. 13 (5 (May issue)). Shufu no tomo-sha: 35-38 (plate number 0063.jp2-).
  8. ^ Harris, Sheldon (1995). Factories of Death: Japanese Biological Warfare, 1932–45, and the American Cover-Up. Routledge. p. 142. ISBN 978-0415932141.
  9. ^ Peter Wetzler, Hirohito and War, University of Hawai'i press, 1998, p.189
  10. ^ Gotemba seiwa 1948
  11. ^ Sheldon Harris, Factories of Death, 2002, p. 142
  12. ^ Sheldon Harris, Japanese Biomedical Experimentation during the World War II Era, in Military Medical Ethics, volume 2, 2003, p. 469
  13. ^ Princess Chichibu, The Silver Drum, Global Oriental, 1996
  14. ^ John S. Wilson (1959), Scouting Round the World. First edition, Blandford Press.
  15. ^ Cotton, Fran (Ed.) (1984) The Book of Rugby Disasters & Bizarre Records. Compiled by Chris Rhys. London. Century Publishing. ISBN 0-7126-0911-3
  16. ^ NDL digital collection 1995
  17. ^ "Genealogy of the Emperors of Japan" (PDF). Imperial Household Agency. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2011.

References

  • Princess Chichibu. The Silver Drum: A Japanese Imperial Memoir. Global Books Ltd. (UK) (May 1996). Trans. Dorothy Britton. ISBN 1-86034-004-0
  • Fujitani, T. Splendid Monarchy: Power and Pageantry in Modern Japan. University of California Press; Reprint edition (1998). ISBN 0-520-21371-8
  • Lebra, Sugiyama Takie. Above the Clouds: Status Culture of the Modern Japanese Nobility. University of California Press (1995). ISBN 0-520-07602-8
  • Scouting Round the World, John S. Wilson, first edition, Blandford Press 1959 p. 67
  • Office of Imperial Household (Kunaishō) (1928-09-27). Ōkurashō Insatsu-kyoku (ed.). "Prince Yasuhito had wedding ceremony with Setsuko, the niece to Viscount Matsudaira Yasuo (Announcement #28, Kunaishō)" 告示 / 宮内省 / 第28号 / 雍仁親王殿下子爵松平保男姪勢津子ト結婚ノ禮ヲ行ハセラル. Kampo (官報). 1928-09-27. 日本マイクロ写真: 675. doi:10.11501/2956989 – via NDL.
  • 大蔵省印刷局 (1928-09-28). National Printing Bureau (ed.). "Announcements" 告示. Kanpō (官報 昭和3年) (in Japanese). 1928-09-29 (530): 741, 746 (plate numbers 0002.jp2, 0005.jp2). doi:10.11501/2956991 – via NDL.
  • 内閣官房 (December 1995). "Tsuiroku": Naikaku seido hyakunen-shi (Ge-kan) 内閣制度百年史. 下巻 追録 - 国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション (in Japanese). Tokyo: Naikaku kanbō 内閣官房. pp. 25-27 (plate number 0014.jp2-). doi:10.11501/11932167. Retrieved 2022-09-23 – via dl.ndl.go.jp.
  • Chichibunomiya Setsuko (January 1973). "History of Showa period I shared with Prince (Interview) (宮さまと私の昭和史〔談話〕, Miyasama to watakushi no shōwashi 'Danwa')". Bungei shunjū. 51 (1): 220–231. NAID 1521699229931106688.
  • Prince Chichibu; Princess Setsuko (1948). Yanagisawa, Takeshi (ed.). Gotemba seiwa 御殿場清話. Figures series #1. Sekai no nihon-sha. NCID BA35453355