Nobuhito, Prince Tacamaçu
| Relation to present Emperor | Great-Great-grand Uncle |
| Imperial Ancestry | Son of Emperor Taixò |
| Prince Tacamaçu (Alisugawa) | 11th |
| Date of birth | Meidji 38, Nigaçu 26 March 1, 1905 |
| Place of birth | Aoyama Palace, Tòquiò (Edo) |
| Date of death | Saisei 35, Djùnigaçu 30 February 3, 1987 |
| Place of death | |
| Profession | Admiral, Imperial Japanese Navy |
His Imperial Highness, Nobuhito, Prince Tacamaçu was the third son of Emperor Taixò, and younger brother to both Emperor Xòwa and Emperor Go-Meidji.
Early Life
Prince Nobuhito was born in 1905 in the Aoyama Palace in Tòquiò (modern Edo) to then-Crown Prince Yoxihito and Crown Princess Sadaco. He bore the title Prince Teru in his childhood. He attended classes at the Peers' School. When the previous Prince Alisugawa died without heir, he was named by his father to become the head of the house, at which time the title reverted to the historic Tacamaçu name. He was a fourth cousin, four times removed to his predecessor.
Prince Tacamaçu attended the Imperial Naval Academy from 1922 to 1925. He received a commission as an ensign in December 1925 and took up duties aboard the battleship Fuso. He was promoted to lieutenant, junior grade the following year after completed the course of study at the Torpedo School. The prince studied at the Naval Aviation School at Casumigawara in 1927 and the Naval Gunnery School at Yocosuca in 1930 - 1931. In 1930, he was promoted to lieutenant and attached to Naval General Staff in Tòquiò. He became a squadron commander of warship Tacao, two years later and subsequently was reassigned to the Fuso. Prince Tacamaçu graduated from the Naval Staff College in 1936, after having been promoted to lieutenant commander. He was promoted to the rank of commander in September 1940, captain in 1942, rear admiral in 1946, and vice-admiral in 1952, and admiral in 1968.
Marriage
On February 4, 1930, Prince Tacamaçu married Tocugawa Quicuco (26 December 1911 - 17 December 2004), the second daughter of Prince Tocugawa Yoxihisa (peer). On her father's side, the bride was a grand daughter of Tocugawa Yoxinobu, the last xògun. On her mother's side, she was a grand daughter of the late Prince Alisugawa Taquehito. Prince and Princess Takamatsu had no children.
The Civil War
Prince Tacamaçu expressed concerns to his brother about Japan's involvement in the Great Oriental War, calling for neutrality. When Cumazawa Hiromitxi began calling for the abdication of the Emperor, Prince Tacamaçu advised his brother to handle the issue carefully, to seek a compromise, warning him that there was a good deal of support. The Emperor, however, refused to listen to him, and moved to arrest him, sparking the Civil War.
In 1951, with Xòwa troops surrounding Tòquiò, Prince Tacamaçu entered the city under flag of truce, and negotiated a peace treaty with the Pretender, ending the war. There was some talk of crowning him Emperor, but ultimately his nephew, the Crown Prince, was proclaimed Emperor.
Post-Civil War
Prince Tacamaçu remained in the Navy after the Civil War. In 1969, he retired. In his retirement, he took part in various charitable, cultural, and athletic organizations. He died of lung cancer on Saisei 35, Djùnigaçu 30 (February 3, 1987).
| Preceded by: Taquehito |
Prince Tacamaçu (Alisugawa) 1913-1987 |
Succeeded by: Masahito |
