Nagahisa Kitashirakawa

Prince Nagahisa Kitashirakawa (北白川宮永久王, Kitashirakawa-no-miya Nagahisa-ō) was born on 19 February 1910 and died on 4 September 1940. He was a member of the Japanese imperial family and served as the 4th head of the Kitashirakawa-no-miya collateral branch. In addition to his familial roles, he was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army.

Early Life:

Prince Nagahisa was the only son of Prince Naruhisa Kitashirakawa and Fusako, Princess Kane. He became the head of the Kitashirakawa-no-miya family following his father's death in 1923. His father died unexpectedly in an automobile accident in France.

Marriage and Family:

On 25 April 1935, Prince Nagahisa married Sachiko Tokugawa. She was born on 26 August 1916 and passed away on 21 January 2015. She was the daughter of Baron Yoshikuni Tokugawa. The couple had two children: their son, Prince Michihisa Kitashirakawa, was born on 2 May 1937 and died on 20 October 2018; their daughter, Princess Hatsuko Kitashirakawa, was born on 13 November 1939 and married Duke Shimazu.

Military Career:

Prince Nagahisa graduated from the 43rd class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1931, receiving a commission as a sub-lieutenant in the field artillery. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1936 and to captain in 1939 after graduating from the 52nd class of the Army Staff College. Following the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, he was assigned to the North China Area Army.

Death:

On 14 September 1940, Prince Nagahisa died in an airplane crash while on duty in Mengjiang, Mongolia. His death marked him as the first member of the Imperial Family to be killed during World War II. Posthumously, he was promoted to major and awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum.

Later Developments:

After World War II, the collateral branches of the Japanese imperial family were abolished during the American occupation of Japan in 1947. As a result, his widow, Princess Sachiko, lost her imperial status and became a commoner. She subsequently became a professor at Ochanomizu University and, in 1969, joined the Imperial Household Agency, serving as the chief of the ladies-in-waiting to Empress Kōjun.

Legacy:

The site of the former Kitashirakawa palace in Tokyo is now occupied by the Shin-Takanawa Prince Hotel.