By AYAKO NAKADA/ Staff Writer
August 29, 2025 at 18:45 JST
This elegant horse-drawn carriage has been used in coming-of-age ceremonies for members of the imperial family, including Prince Hisahito’s father and great-uncle. (Tatsuya Shimada)
The Imperial Household Agency has unveiled the ceremonial horse-drawn carriage that Prince Hisahito will ride during his coming-of-age ceremony on Sept. 6.
The event will mark Hisahito’s 19th birthday and comes one year after he reached the legal age of adulthood.
On the day of the ceremony, Hisahito will wear traditional court attire as he rides in the carriage to worship at the Three Palace Sanctuaries in the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
Hisahito is the son of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko, and the nephew of Emperor Naruhito.
Now a university freshman, Hisahito is second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne.
The carriage has been used in similar coming-of-age ceremonies, including that of Fumihito and Prince Hitachi, the younger brother of Emperor Emeritus Akihito.
The same carriage is also used to welcome foreign ambassadors during credentials presentation ceremonies at the Imperial Palace.
The ornately decorated vehicle is drawn by two horses and seats four. It measures about 4.5 meters long, 1.9 meters wide and 2.2 meters high. It weighs approximately one ton.
The exterior features the imperial chrysanthemum crest in gold lacquer, while the interior is adorned with paulownia and arabesque patterns.
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