Kuni Taka

Prince Kuni Taka (久邇宮多嘉王, Kuni-no-miya Taka-ō) was born on August 17, 1875, in Kyoto, Japan. He passed away on October 1, 1937. He was a member of a collateral branch of the Japanese imperial family and served as the chief priest (saishu) of the Shinto Grand Shrine of Ise from 1909 until his death.

Early Life:

Prince Kuni Taka was the fifth son of Prince Kuni Asahiko, who was a member of the sesshu shinōke line of Fushimi-no-miya. His mother was Izumitei Shizue, the second daughter of Isumitise Shun'eki, a priest at Kamo Shrine in Kyoto. He had several notable half-brothers, including Prince Kaya Kuninori, Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi (the father of Empress Kōjun), Prince Nashimoto Morimasa, Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, and Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko. His family circumstances emerged during a period when the Meiji oligarchs implemented policies to reduce the political influence of Buddhism within the imperial tradition, emphasizing the emperor and imperial family as national symbols and expanding the number of princely houses from the Fushimi-no-miya branch.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Prince Taka’s career path was distinct. He did not hold a military commission, nor was he instructed by Emperor Meiji to establish a new princely family or accept a kazoku peerage title. He remained a member of the imperial family but did not ascend to the peerage. His half-brother, Prince Kuni Kunyoshi, succeeded to the Kuni-no-miya title in 1891. In 1892, while his father and other half-brothers moved to Tokyo, Prince Taka continued to reside in Kyoto, with a brief period in 1895 when he served a term in the House of Peers.

Marriage and Family:

On March 9, 1907, Prince Taka married Minase Shizuko (September 1, 1884 – September 27, 1959), the eldest daughter of Viscount Minase Tadasuki. They had five children:

- Princess Hatsuko (April 16, 1911 – June 26, 1915), who married into the kazoku aristocracy but died in childhood.

- Prince Yoshihiko (May 28, 1912 – June 18, 1918), who also died young.

- Princess Kuniko (May 18, 1917 – July 6, 2002), who married Prince Nijō Tanemoto on April 2, 1939, and had children.

- Prince Iehiko (March 17, 1920 - ), who renounced his imperial title and was created Count Uji on October 5, 1942; he married Kazuko Takatsukasa and had children.

- Prince Norihiko (November 22, 1922 – February 7, 2007), who also renounced his titles, was created Count Tatsuda on June 7, 1943, and was adopted by Nashimoto Itsuko, adopting the surname Nashimoto. He married Princess Kuni Masako in 1945, from whom he had children Norihisa, Toyoko, and Kayoko.

Later Life:

Prince Taka became the acting grand custodian and chief priest of the Shrines of Ise in September 1909, succeeding his ill half-brother, Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi. After Prince Kuniyoshi’s death, Prince Taka served in this role on a permanent basis, overseeing the religious and ceremonial responsibilities associated with the shrine until his death.

References and Further Reading:

- Keene, Donald. "Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World, 1852–1912." Columbia University Press, 2002.

- Lebra, Takie Sugiyama. "Above the Clouds: Status Culture of the Modern Japanese Nobility." University of California Press, 1993.