Imperial Prince Kyogoku-no-miya Kinhito (京極宮公仁親王)

Imperial Prince Kyogoku-no-miya Kinhito (February 18, 1733 – July 14, 1770) was a member of the Imperial family who lived in the middle of the Edo period. He was the ninth family head of the Kyogoku-no-miya (also known as Katsura-no-miya) family. He was the first son of Imperial Prince Kyogoku-no-miya Yakahito. He was called Wakamiya when young, and in 1741, he changed his name to Kosamaro.

In 1742, he was adopted by the Emperor Momozono. In March 1745, he was given the title of the Imperial Prince and was named Kinhito. In the same month, he celebrated his coming of age and was entrusted with Kazusa Province.

In December of the same year, he was designated as Sanbon (the third rank of the Imperial Princes'rank). In December 1753, he was promoted to Nihon (the second rank of the Imperial Princes' rank). In 1754, he got married to Princess Shitsuko, the third daughter of Imperial Prince Kanin-no-miya Naohito, and succeeded to the family from Imperial Prince Yakahito. In 1756, Princess Shitsuko died and in 1759, he remarried Toshiko, a daughter of Munenao TOKUGAWA from the Kishu Tokugawa family.

He passed away in 1770. He died at the age of 38. His homyo (a posthumous Buddhist name) was Shojokan-in.

The Imperial Prince did not have many children. His only biological child was Princess Masuko (later the wife of Harusada HITOTSUBASHI) by his first wife Princess Shitsuko. After the death of the Imperial Prince, the family was maintained with Toshiko as the family head. However in 1789 Toshiko died and the Miyake (families allowed to have the status of Imperial family) lost its head.

[Original Japanese]