Prince Kan'in Haruhito

Prince Kan'in Haruhito (閑院宮春仁王, Kan'in-no-miya Haruhito-ō) was born on August 3, 1902, and died on June 18, 1988. He was a member of the Japanese Imperial Family and held the position of the seventh and final head of the Kan'in-no-miya line of shinnōke cadet branches. His career included service as an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army during the period surrounding World War II.

He was the only surviving son of Field Marshal Prince Kan'in Kotohito (1865–1945) and his consort, Sanjō Chieko (1872–1947). On July 14, 1926, he married Ichijō Naoko (1908–1991), who was the daughter of Prince Saneteru Ichijō.

Prince Kan'in attended the Gakushuin Peers' School. He graduated from the 44th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1924, after which he served as a lieutenant in the infantry within the Imperial Guard Division. In 1927, he completed a course at the Military Staff College and was promoted to the rank of captain. Following this, he joined the faculty of the Cavalry School.

In 1932, he graduated from the 44th class of the Army Staff College. By 1936, he attained the rank of major. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, he briefly participated in combat duty from November 1937 to May 1938 with the Northern China Area Army. He then returned to Japan to serve as an instructor at the Army Staff College and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in March 1939. He received a subsequent promotion to colonel in August 1941 and was attached to the Chiba Army Tank School.

In 1944, he was promoted to colonel and commanded the IJA 5th Tank Regiment. Upon the death of his father on May 21, 1945, he became the head of the Kan'in-no-miya house. He retired from active military service at that time but was recalled to duty later that year, attaining the rank of major general in 1945. He was appointed to command the IJA 4th Armored Division and three independent infantry regiments tasked with defending against potential American landings in Kujukurihama, Chiba Prefecture, outside Tokyo.

Following Japan's surrender in World War II, Prince Kan'in Haruhito was assigned to visit Saigon as an official representative of Emperor Hirohito to verify compliance of the Japanese Southern Expeditionary Army Group with the surrender terms.

After the American occupation authorities abolished the collateral branches of the Imperial family and noble titles on October 14, 1947, he lost his official status and became a commoner. Consequently, he was excluded from public life and faced financial difficulties, which led to the sale of his residence in Nagatachō, Tokyo, to pay taxes. He relocated to the Kan'in summer residence in Odawara, Kanagawa. He engaged in several business endeavors, which were unsuccessful, resulting in the loss of his family's fortune. His marriage ended in divorce in 1949. During this period, former Princess Naoko publicly attributed the couple's lack of children to her husband's alleged homosexuality.

Following his divorce, he adopted the name "Sumihito" (from the original "Haruhito") and established Asahi Kōsan, a land development company of which he became president. The company profited from developments near Tamachi in Tokyo, and he became one of the more prosperous ex-princes in the 1960s and 1970s.

In the early 1970s, he served as president of the Japan Yoga Association. Prince Kan'in Haruhito died on June 18, 1988.