Prince Hisahito visited Tamagawa University in the city of Machida in Tokyo with his father, Crown Prince Akishino, on Saturday.
The 17-year-old prince and the crown prince toured the campus, including laboratories, under the guidance of a professor of the College of Agriculture, and others.
At an abalone farming facility that boasts cutting-edge technology, Prince Hisahito remarked, "There are 20,000 of them in here," and carefully observed specimens taken out of a tank.
In the insect science laboratory, the prince held a hornet's nest in his hand and said, "There are several layers." Also looking at the nest, Crown Prince Akishino, the younger brother of Emperor Naruhito, said, "It's pretty thick."
They also visited a biotope, a farm where various organisms live, on the campus.
According to an aide, Prince Hisahito is on spring break before advancing to his third year of high school. He aims to enter a university where he can learn about nature journals which look into the habitat environment of insects and others.