Prince Yamashina Takehiko
Prince Yamashina Takehiko, was the third head of the Yamashina-no-miya, a collateral line of the Japanese imperial family. He was nicknamed "the Flying Prince".
Early life
Prince Yamashina Takehiko was the son and eldest child of Prince Yamashina Kikumaro by his first wife, the former Kujō Noriko. He succeeded his father as the third head of the Yamashina-no-miya house on 2 May 1908, after his father's sudden and untimely death.Military career
Prince Yamashina Takehiko graduated from the 46th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1918 ranked 1st in his class of 126 cadets. He served his midshipman duty on the battleship Kirishima. After graduating from naval artillery and torpedo warfare schools, he joined the Imperial Japanese Navy Aviation Bureau as a sub-lieutenant in 1921. Prince Yamashina was a naval aviation enthusiast and helped establish a private aviation institute, the Mikuni Aviation School. He rose to the rank of lieutenant and was attached to the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff. Prince Yamashina retired from active service in 1927 because of declining health. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander in 1929 and placed on the waiting list. Prince Yamashina Takehiko retired from public life in 1932.Prince Yamashina lost his status as a member of Imperial Family with the abolition of the imperial branch families by the American occupation authorities on 14 October 1947.