Arisugawa-no-miya Takahito-shinnō

Prince Arisugawa Takahito (有栖川宮幟仁親王, Arisugawa-no-miya Takahito-Shinnō) was born on 17 February 1813 and died on 4 July 1886. He was the eighth head of the Arisugawa-no-miya house, a branch of the Imperial Family of Japan known as shinnōke, which was eligible to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne if the main line became extinct.

Family Background:

His father was Prince Arisugawa Tsunahito. His mother was Toshima Katsuko. Prince Takahito was married to Nijō Hiroko (1819–1875), who was the daughter of Sadaijin Nijō Narinobu. He also had a concubine, Yuko Saeko.

Children:

He had four sons and four daughters, many of whom were born by concubines. His children included:

- Prince Arisugawa Taruhito (17 March 1835 – 15 January 1895)

- Princess Somemiya (1836–1843)

- Prince Kakumiya (1838–1843)

- Itonomiya Takako (1835–1856), adopted by Tokugawa Ieyoshi

- Prince Nagamiya (1840–1843)

- Princess Noriko (1851–1895)

- Princess Arisugawa Toshiko (1858–1927)

- Prince Arisugawa Takehito (13 January 1862 – 5 July 1913)

Biography:

Prince Takahito was born in Kyoto as the first son of Prince Arisugawa Tsunahito. In 1822, he was adopted by Emperor Kōkaku as a potential heir to the throne. A year later, he was granted the rank of Imperial Prince and given the court title Kazusatai no mikoto.

He became the 9th head of the Arisugawa-no-miya house on 2 April 1845 following the death of his father. On 2 June 1848, he married Nijō Hiroko. During the turbulent period preceding the Meiji Restoration, known for conflicts such as the Kinmon no Hen in July 1864, Prince Takahito was suspected of collusion with Chōshū Domain and was sentenced to house arrest.

Following the Meiji Restoration, he was reinstated to court and elevated to the position of Senior Councilor (gijō). He served as the first director of the Department of Shinto Affairs, playing a role in the development of State Shinto. In 1881, he resigned from political office and became the head of the Research Institute for Japanese Classical Literature, which later evolved into Kokugakuin University.

He was skilled in waka poetry and Japanese calligraphy. Notably, the handwritten copy of the Meiji Charter Oath is attributed to him, and he contributed inscriptions to Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. His pen-name was Shōzan.

Prince Takahito stepped down as head of the Arisugawa-no-miya house in favor of his eldest son, Prince Arisugawa Taruhito, on 9 September 1871. He passed away in Tokyo on 24 January 1886.