Higashifushimi Yorihito

Yorihito, Prince Higashifushimi (東伏見宮依仁親王, Higashifushimi-no-miya Yorihito-Shinnō), was born on September 19, 1867, and died on June 27, 1922. He was a member of the Japanese imperial family and held the title of Marshal-Admiral. He was the second and last head of the Higashifushimi-no-miya, an ōke cadet branch of the Imperial Family of Japan.

Early Life:

Yorihito was the seventeenth son of Prince Fushimi Kuniie, who was the head of the Fushimi-no-miya, one of the shinnōke branches of the Imperial Family of Japan. The shinnōke branches were eligible to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne if the main line became extinct. He was a younger half-brother of notable imperial figures, including Field Marshal Prince Komatsu Akihito, Prince Kuni Asahiko, General Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa, Field Marshal Prince Kan'in Kotohito, and Field Marshal Prince Fushimi Sadanaru.

Initially styled "Prince Fushimi Sadamaro," he was adopted into the Yamashina-no-miya household in 1869 and later into the Komatsu-no-miya house in 1885. In 1886, he was adopted by Emperor Meiji as a potential heir to the throne. He succeeded to the title of Higashifushimi-no-miya after the death of the first head, Prince Komatsu Akihito, on February 3, 1903.

International Relations:

In 1881, King David Kalākaua of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi visited Japan during his round-the-world tour, becoming the first foreign head of state to do so. During this visit, he proposed a marital alliance between the Hawaiian royal family and Japan, suggesting his niece, Princess Ka'iulani, marry Prince Higashifushimi Yorihito, then styled Prince Yamashina Yorihito. The proposal was not realized.

Military and Diplomatic Career:

Yorihito attended the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy briefly and furthered his studies at Dartmouth Royal Naval College in Great Britain. He lived in France from 1887 to 1890, graduating from the École Navale. He returned to Japan on October 7, 1891, and served on various vessels in the Imperial Japanese Navy, including combat roles during the First Sino-Japanese War.

He served as executive officer of the armored frigate Fusō in 1901. During the Russo-Japanese War, he was captain of the Chiyoda, starting January 12, 1905, and later commanded Takachiho. He was awarded the Order of the Golden Kite (3rd Class) for his service in the war. Subsequently, he captained Kasuga and joined the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff in 1906. He was promoted to rear admiral on December 1, 1909.

Yorihito represented Emperor Meiji at King George V's coronation in 1911. He was promoted to vice admiral on August 31, 1913, and in 1916, served as Commander in Chief of the Yokosuka Naval District. In 1917, he became Commander in Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy 2nd Fleet. He was promoted to admiral on July 2, 1918, and undertook a trip to the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1919, during which he presented King George V with the Japanese honorific of Gensui and was awarded the Royal Victorian Chain.

Death and Posthumous Honors:

Yorihito died on June 27, 1922. Posthumously, he was titled Marshal-Admiral and awarded the Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum.

Marriage and Family:

He married Iwakura Kaneko (1876–1955), the eldest daughter of Prince Iwakura Tomomi, on February 10, 1898. The couple did not have children, and thus the Higashifushimi-no-miya lineage became extinct upon his death. In 1931, Emperor Hirohito ordered his brother-in-law, Prince Kuni Kunihide, to relinquish imperial status and become Count Higashifushimi Kunihide to preserve the lineage. Kaneko became a commoner in 1947 when the American occupation authorities abolished the cadet branches of the Imperial Family. She died in Tokyo in 1955.

References:

- William N. Armstrong (1904). "Around the World with a King."

- Trevor N. Dupuy (1992). "Encyclopedia of Military Biography."

- Marius B. Jansen (2000). "The Making of Modern Japan."

- Ralph S. Kuykendall (1967). "The Hawaiian Kingdom 1874–1893, The Kalakaua Dynasty."

External Links:

- Hiroshi Nishida, "Materials of IJN: Higashifushimi Yorihito," Imperial Japanese Navy.