Part 4: How the Japanese Government Restored Succession Rights to the 38th–40th Degree Relatives

In 1842, when Naruhito, the 5th head of the Kan'in-no-miya house—who was Ninko's first cousin once removed and Komei's first cousin twice removed—died single, the closest relative eligible for succession became Aritisugawa-no-miya Tsunahito, who was Ninko's first cousin three times removed and Komei's first cousin four times removed. (Kunie was Ninko's first cousin 27 times removed on the paternal side)
The following is a brief genealogy of the Arisugawa family, who were much closer in bloodline than the Fushimi-no-miya family at the time of the 5th head of Kan'in-no-miya Naruhito's death:
5th head of Arisugawa-no-miya, Yorihito (1713–1769)
2nd to 4th and 6th sons: Monks
7th son, Orihito: 6th head of Arisugawa-no-miya
6th head of Arisugawa-no-miya, Orihito (1753–1820)
2nd son, Tsunahito: 7th head of Arisugawa-no-miya
3rd to 5th and 8th sons: Monks
7th head of Arisugawa-no-miya, Tsunahito (1785–1845)
Eldest son, Takahito: 8th head of Arisugawa-no-miya
2nd and 3rd sons: Monks
8th head of Arisugawa-no-miya, Takahito (1812–1866)
Eldest son, Daruhito: 9th head of Arisugawa-no-miya (1835–) : 7 years old at the time of Naruhito's death
Because the Arisugawa family also sent everyone to become monks except for one person according to custom, by 1842, there was no one left in the Arisugawa house to be called upon. Therefore, the only people available to be called upon were the sons of Kunie.
Among the sons of the 20th head of Fushimi-no-miya, Kunie, the following are those who grew up to adulthood:
Eldest son, Akira (1816–1898) - 1st head of Yamashina-no-miya
2nd son, Yoshihito (1821–1868) - No children
4th son, Asahiko (1824–1891) - 1st head of Kuni-no-miya
6th son (legitimate eldest son), Sadanori (1836–1862) - 21st head; all children died in childhood, no descendants
8th son, Akihito (1846–1903) - No children
9th son, Yoshihisa (1847–1895) - 2nd head of Kitashirakawa-no-miya (his younger brother, the 1st head, died young at age 16)
12th son, Hirotsune (1851–1876) - 1st head of Kachino-no-miya; his son, the 2nd head, also died at age 8, so no descendants
14th son (3rd legitimate son), Sadanaru (1858–1923) - 22nd head
15th son, Kiyoi Yenori (1862–1923) - Monk - Returned to secular life - Person who underwent demotion to subject status, no succession rights
16th son, Kotohito (1865–1945) - 6th head of Kan'in-no-miya
17th son, Yorihito (1867–1922) - 1st head of Higashifushimi-no-miya
Out of Kunie's 17 sons, a total of 11 grew up to adulthood. Originally, all brothers except Sadanori had been forced into monkhood. However, the situation changed as Japan entered the 50 years of the Meiji era, following the late Komei period when the Emperor held the most power in Japanese history.
As mentioned earlier, as the Emperor's power grew, he began to take over tasks previously handled by the Shogunate. Since the collateral imperial branches were on the verge of extinction, the father and son, Komei and Meiji, restored all of Kunie's sons from monkhood to secular life.
To strengthen ties with the former imperial branches, Meiji married all four of his daughters, who had grown to adulthood, into the former imperial branches. (At the time, they were his paternal 32nd-degree cousins and maternal 15th-degree cousins). The four spouses were Tsunehisa, Naruhisa, Yasuhiko, and Naruhiko, respectively. As the number of collateral imperial family members became too large, the maintenance costs (taxes) increased. Consequently, it was decided that, following tradition, everyone except the heirs of each house would be demoted to subject status, and this custom was maintained until World War II.
The massive changes in Japan following its crushing defeat in World War II began to blow through the Imperial Household as well.