State DepartÂment phoÂto by William Ng, via WikiÂmeÂdia ComÂmons
On April 30, 2019, EmperÂor AkiÂhiÂto of Japan will abdiÂcate, and pass the throne to his son, Crown Prince NaruhiÂto. What will he do in his retireÂment? ProbÂaÂbly the same thing he has done most of his life: make “taxÂoÂnomÂic studÂies of gobÂies,” as the MinÂistry of ForÂeign Affairs of Japan reports, “small fish found in fresh, brackÂish and marine waters.” AkiÂhiÂto has been a memÂber of Japan’s IchthyÂologÂiÂcal SociÂety of Japan for decades and “pubÂlished 30 papers in the society’s jourÂnal between 1963 and 1989.”
AkiÂhiÂto ascendÂed the throne in 1989, at age 56, and yes, Japan still has an emperÂor, though—since the post-war ConÂstiÂtuÂtion of 1947—the conÂstiÂtuÂtionÂal monarch has no politÂiÂcal powÂer and serves only a cerÂeÂmoÂniÂal role. This has left AkiÂhiÂto with a lot of time to fill with sciÂenÂtifÂic purÂsuits: to become an honÂorary memÂber of the LinÂnean SociÂety of LonÂdon, ZooÂlogÂiÂcal SociÂety of LonÂdon, and Research InstiÂtute for NatÂurÂal SciÂence of ArgentiÂna, and a research assoÂciate at the AusÂtralian MuseÂum.
EmperÂor AkiÂhiÂto remained an active sciÂenÂtist in his emperÂorÂship, pubÂlishÂing a hisÂtoÂry of sciÂence artiÂcle in Nature titled “LinÂnaeus and taxÂonÂoÂmy in Japan” in 2007. In 2016, AkiÂhiÂto appeared as first author in a study pubÂlished in Gene. The secÂond author is his younger son, Crown Prince FumiÂhiÂto AkishiÂno, who studÂied fish taxÂonÂoÂmy at St. John’s ColÂlege, Oxford, then comÂpletÂed a docÂtorÂal degree in ornitholÂoÂgy. The prince now serves as the presÂiÂdent of the Yamashina InstiÂtute for OrnitholÂoÂgy and the JapanÂese AssoÂciÂaÂtion of ZooÂlogÂiÂcal GarÂdens and AquarÂiÂums.
The family’s interÂest in sciÂence goes beyond the dabÂbling of bored arisÂtoÂcrats or a sense of noblesse oblige. FumiÂhiÂto introÂduced tilapia to ThaiÂland as an imporÂtant food source and has helped Thai sciÂenÂtists expand their aquaÂculÂturÂal research. The Emperor’s brothÂer, Prince MasahiÂto, is a canÂcer researcher who has been recÂogÂnized for makÂing sigÂnifÂiÂcant conÂtriÂbuÂtions to the field, pubÂlishÂing in jourÂnals like CanÂcer Research and the JourÂnal of the InterÂnaÂtionÂal Union Against CanÂcer.
The ImpeÂrÂiÂal famÂiÂly may repÂreÂsent an outÂmodÂed and archaÂic instiÂtuÂtion, one humankind can do just as well withÂout. But it’s refreshÂing to see peoÂple with such vast resources and privÂiÂlege use them for the purÂsuit of intelÂlecÂtuÂal inquiry and the betÂterÂment of human and aniÂmal life. You can read the first page of one of EmperÂor Akihito’s papers, “EarÂly CulÂtiÂvaÂtors of SciÂence in Japan” at SciÂence in which he makes a case for the globÂal sharÂing of knowlÂedge.
“Through my own study of ichthyÂolÂoÂgy,” AkiÂhiÂto writes, “I have come to feel strongÂly the imporÂtance of interÂnaÂtionÂal coopÂerÂaÂtion in conÂductÂing sciÂenÂtifÂic studÂies. I recall with a sense of gratÂiÂtude that behind each one of the papers I have pubÂlished there has been the unsparÂing coopÂerÂaÂtion of peoÂple abroad.”
via ShaÂhaf Peleg
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
The Entire HisÂtoÂry of Japan in 9 Quirky MinÂutes
AfterÂmath of the TsunaÂmi in Japan
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness
My first thought was “is that some traÂdiÂtionÂal impeÂrÂiÂal headÂdress?” Yeah no. :D
The EmperÂor of AmerÂiÂca can’t read.