Good Characters, Inc. Blog

We know what the name of the new prince of Japan means, but where did it come from? Hisahito means “everlasting, calm, and virtuous,” but how did Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko arrive at that name? We know they consulted experts in classic Chinese and Japanese literature. Does any of that literature suggest a name such as Hisahito?
 
Some think the first character is inspired by a line from the writings of the famous Chinese poet Tao Yuanming. (The final character, “hito,” is customarily included in the name of a male of the royal family.) The line is “you ran jian nan shan,” and it means “I gaze at the distant South Mountain.” The character “you” is pronounced hisa in Japanese. 
 
The new prince’s father has said that the name was chosen in hopes that Hisahito would have a long life. The South Mountain of Tao Yuanming’s poem is a symbol of long life in the Chinese culture. The word that describes the mountain as distant is “you,” the one pronounced hisa. It can also mean “everlasting.”
 
So the name has good meaning, expresses the wishes of the child’s parents, is new and unique, is rooted in ancient writings, and has poetic imagery. No wonder naming experts had to be consulted!

Links:

• The Name of Japanese Prince Hisahito Is Inspired by a Chinese Poem (Chinese)
  日本小皇子名悠仁, 取自中國詩人陶淵明詩句
• The Elaborate Process of Naming for Japanese Royal Family Includes Researching Chinese Classics (Chinese)
  日本皇室添丁讲究多： 起名参照中国古书籍
• Imperial Household of Japan
• Tao Yuanming

The new Japanese prince, the first male heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne to be born in four decades, on Tuesday was named Hisahito - meaning “virtuous, calm and everlasting,” the Imperial Household Agency announced.

After consulting with experts in Japanese and Chinese literature, Prince Akishino and his wife Kiko settled on a name for their days-old infant, the first male heir to the throne of Japan in 40 years. They rejected names of former emperors, selecting Hisahito. The name combines the characters meaning “everlasting, calm, and virtuous.” The young prince’s parents, and indeed all of Japan, hope his life and rule will be long, even-tempered, and full of virtue. The final character, hito, which means “virtuous person,” has by long tradition been a part of the name of nearly every emperor.

In addition to the name, Akishino chose a crest for his son. The crest bears a stylized image of a Japanese umbrella pine. The prince and princess hope their child will grow like the tree, tall, straight, and strong.

In a very brief (5-minute) but solemn ceremony, the baby’s name was written on special rice paper. According to centuries-old tradition, the name was penned with brush and ink. The paper, together with the infant’s personal crest, was placed in a wooden box next to his pillow.

After the ceremony, mother and son were resting peacefully. And the people of Japan were also resting, happy that a grandson had finally been born to the emperor.

Links:

• Imperial Household Agency of Japan
• Japanese prince is named Hisahito

All Japan is smiling at the birth of the first male in the imperial family in over 40 years. But what will he be called? Names are very important in Japan, especially for a child who will one day be emperor. By royal ordinance the Emperor himself chooses the name of his direct successor, but this little prince is the child of the Emperor’s second son. So his parents are allowed to select a name.

For more than 11 centuries, since 858, the children of Japanese royals have been identified by the last character in their names. With few exceptions, boys in the imperial family have hito as the last part of their names and girls generally have ko. Hito means “highest moral standard” and ko means “noblewoman.” Following the tradition, the new prince’s father, Akishino, has the given name of Fumihito; his older brother (who has no son) is Naruhito. Their father is Akihito and his father was Hirohito. And in the same tradition, the new prince’s mother is Kiko and his sisters are Mako and Kako.

The Japanese will learn the name of their future emperor at the special naming ceremony, by custom held one week after the baby’s birth.

Links:

• CNN: Baby name challenge for Japan royals
• Naming the Prince (Chinese)
• Why Most Japanese Females’ Names End with the “ko” Character? (Chinese)
• How Japanese Name Their Children (Chinese)