Japan's Prince Hisahito has held his first news conference to mark his coming-of-age, and expressed resolve to fulfill his role as a member of the Imperial family.



The prince, who is second in line to the throne, met reporters on Monday at Akasaka Estate in Tokyo.



The son of Crown Prince and Princess Akishino turned 18, Japan's legal age of adulthood, in September last year.



At the start, he expressed sympathy for people affected by the wildfires in Iwate Prefecture and elsewhere.



He said he will gradually start public engagements, but he will place priority on his studies while at university.



He also said he will seek advice from people around him, perform each engagement with care, and be aware of his responsibilities as an Imperial family member.



The prince expressed sadness over the loss of lives and property in the Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the massive earthquake on New Year's Day last year and torrential rain in September.



He said he watched media reports and heard from Boy Scouts who volunteered in the peninsula, which made him realize the harshness of disasters and the need to raise awareness of disaster prevention and mitigation.



He added that he will keep interested in the state of affairs in Japan and abroad and deepen his understanding of them.



As for the possibility of studying abroad, the prince said he will seek advice from his parents and older sisters, who have studied or lived outside Japan.



The prince will start attending the University of Tsukuba's School of Life and Environmental Sciences from April.



He said he wants to learn more about insects, and is especially interested in dragonflies.