[Yoshihito]. 122nd Emperor of Japan, third son of the Emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito); born on the 31st of August 1879, at Tokyo. The Prince was physically somewhat weak during his early life and Marquis Tadayasu Nakayama and Marchioness Kakayama were appointed his guardians. On the eighth anniversary of his birthday the Prince was proclaimed heir apparent, the first and second sons of the Emperor Meiji having died in infancy. In September 1887 the Prince commenced attending the Peers’ school and on November 3, 1889 he was declared Imperial Crown Prince. In 1892 the Crown Prince was appointed to the rank of a first lieutenant in the imperial army, and two years later left the Peers’ school to continue his studies at the palace under private tutors. In 1895 he was promoted to the rank of captain and in 1897 took his seat, in accordance with prescriptive right, in the House of Peers. In 1898 he was promoted to the rank of major of infantry and appointed a lieutenant-commander in the imperial navy.
On May 10, 1900, the Crown Prince married Sadako, fourth daughter of the late Prince Michitaka Kujo, and on April 29, 1901, a son, Hirohito, was born, followed by a second son, Prince Yasuhito, on June 25, 1902, and a third, Prince Nobuhito, on January 3, 1905. In 1903 the Crown Prince was promoted colonel in the army and captain in the navy and in 1909 lieutenant-general and vice-admiral. On July 30, 1912, at the moment of the demise of his father, the Crown Prince ascended the throne; but, owing to the national mourning, the formal ceremony of enthronement did not take place until November 1915. In the following year a fourth son, Prince Takahito, was born on December 2nd.
