Japan’s new prince - the first male heir born to the imperial throne in four decades – has been named Hisahito or "serene one", in an official ceremony to mark his birth.

The six-day-old baby, whose name means "virtuous, calm and everlasting", was given a five-minute ceremony observing ancient imperial rites at a hospital in Tokyo, where the prince and his mother Princess Kiko, who turned 40 the day before the birth, are still recovering. He is the first Japanese royal to be born outside the palace in a private hospital.

The infant, who was born on Wednesday and has not yet been seen in public, is the third in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne after his uncle, Crown Prince Naruhito, and his father Prince Akishino. He is the first boy born to the royal family since his father, who is also known as Fumihito, was born in 1965.

"We hope the prince will grow serenely, calmly and freely, as in his name," said Shinzo Abe, the Chief Cabinet Secretary, who as likely successor to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi acts as spokesman to the government.

Hisahito’s name, which uses Chinese characters, was chosen by his parents in the hope that the new prince will lead a long and prosperous life, according to Yuka Shiina, a palace spokeswoman.

The name consists of two parts, with "Hisa" translating as serene in Japanese. "Hito", which means virtuous, traditionally forms the last part of the names of Royal males.

The baby’s name was chosen by his father, who had been considering possibilities since July. He wrote it on handmade paper using a brush and ink.

His mother then selected a personal crest, a stylised umbrella tree, which will appear on everything from the prince’s official papers to tableware. The crest was chosen in the hope that the prince will grow straight and tall, said Royal officials.

The name and the crest were then placed in a wooden box next to the new prince’s pillow.

The birth of the new prince has caused a media and public frenzy in Japan, with newspapers handing out extra editions to announce his name and a department store in Tokyo immediately putting up a banner expressing congratulations.

Under current Japanese law females are not permitted to ascend the throne, although Japan has had eight Empresses in the past. Princess Kiko’s surprise pregnancy delighted those traditionalists who were opposed to government proposals to change the rules as a means of ending the impending succession crisis.

Although the reform gained public support, the debate on the issue has become muted since the prince’s birth. But Shingo Haketa, the head of the Imperial Household Agency, said that the succession issue remained a long-term problem.

"It would be wrong to say the uncertainty has disappeared in royal succession only because of the birth of the prince. There are still many issues to be tackled in order to ensure stable succession," he said.

Opinion polls reveal that most Japanese would support a woman ascending the throne - partly to ease pressure on Crown Princess Masako, the wife of the current heir to the throne, who has only one young daughter, Princess Aiko, and who suffered a miscarriage two years prior to the birth.

Highly educated and boasting a former career in the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Crown Princess has since largely retreated from public life due to the intense pressure of life as a Royal.

Princess Kiko also has two daughters, Mako and Kako, born in 1991 and 1994. She and the new prince were both expected to leave hospital in about a week.

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