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Prince Kuni Asaakira

Prince Kuni Asaakira
HIH Kuni Asaakira.jpg
Prince Kuni Asaakira
Born February 2, 1901
Tokyo, Japan
Died December 7, 1959(1959-12-07) (aged 58)
Tokyo, Japan
Allegiance Empire of Japan
Service/branch  Imperial Japanese Navy
Years of service 1921-1945
Rank Vice Admiral
Commands held Cruiser Yakumo
Kisarazu Naval Air Group
Takao Naval Air Group
19th Combined Air Group
20th Combined Air Group
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Order of the Golden Kite (4th class)
Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum

Prince Kuni Asaakira (久邇宮 朝融王?, Kuni-no-miya Asaakira-ō, 2 February 1901 – 7 December 1959), was third head of the Kuni-no-miya, a collateral branch of the Japanese imperial family and vice admiral in the Japanese Imperial Navy during World War II. He was the elder brother of Empress Kojun (Nagako), the consort of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito), and thus a maternal uncle to the current Emperor Akihito.

Prince Kuni Asaakira was born in Tokyo, the eldest son of Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi and his wife, Chikako, the seventh daughter of Duke Shimazu Tadayoshi, the last daimyō of Satsuma Domain. In 1921, he served for the customary term in the House of Peers. Upon his father's death on 29 January 1929, he succeeded as head of the Kuni-no-miya house.

Prince Kuni graduated from the 49th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1921. He served as a midshipman on the cruiser Izumo and battleship Kirishima. After his commissioning as ensign, he was assigned to the battleship Yamashiro, followed by battleships Ise and Nagato. After his graduation from the Naval Staff College in 1925, he was assigned to the battleship Mutsu, followed by battleship Haruna. He rose to the rank of lieutenant in 1928. In 1931, Prince Kuni became the chief gunnery officer aboard the cruiser Kiso.


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