Prince Hisahito: Balancing Royal Duties and Academic Pursuits

Japan's Prince Hisahito, now 18 and the second in line to the throne, discusses balancing royal responsibilities with his passion for biology, especially dragonflies. As Japan's royal family navigates existential challenges, Hisahito aims to follow in his elders' footsteps while contributing to ecological studies and upholding family traditions.

Japan's Prince Hisahito, who recently turned 18, stepping into adulthood as the latest male in the royal lineage for nearly four decades, held his inaugural news conference discussing his future plans.

He revealed his intent to balance official royal duties with university studies in biology, focusing on dragonflies, while emphasizing his belief in the emperor's symbolic role as a figure close to the people.

The prince, the youngest male of Japan's shrinking imperial family, reflects on traditions and modernization amid a demographic challenge the monarchy faces, as the government debates succession rules to maintain a male-only lineage.

(With inputs from agencies.)