Yuriko, Princess Mikasa

Yuriko, Princess Mikasa (崇仁親王妃百合子, Takahito Shinnōhi Yuriko) (born Yuriko Takagi (高木百合子, Takagi Yuriko); 4 June 1923), is a member of the Imperial House of Japan as the widow of Takahito, Prince Mikasa, the fourth son of Emperor Taishō and Empress Teimei. The Princess is the last surviving paternal aunt of the previous emperor, Akihito, and currently is the oldest member of the Imperial Family, and the only living member who was born in the Taishō period.

Yuriko
Princess Mikasa
Princess Mikasa during the New Year's Greeting on 2 January 2012
BornYuriko Takagi (高木百合子)
(1923-06-04) 4 June 1923
Tokyo City, Japan
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1941; died 2016)​
Issue
HouseImperial House of Japan (by marriage)
FatherMasanari Takagi
MotherKuniko Irie

Early life

Princess Mikasa was born on 4 June 1923 at Takagi's family house in Tokyo. She is the second daughter of Viscount Masanari Takagi (1894–1948) and Kuniko Irie (1901–1988). Her father was a member of the Takagi clan, formerly lords of the small feudal domain of Tan'an; through her father, she is a great-great-granddaughter of Hotta Masayoshi, a prominent rōjū, or shōgunal minister, during the Bakumatsu period. Her mother was descended from the noble Yanagihara clan, and was a second cousin of Emperor Shōwa; the Emperor's grandmother, Lady Yanagihara Naruko, was Kuniko's great-aunt.[1] Yuriko graduated from Gakushuin Women's Academy in 1941.

Marriage

On 29 March 1941, Yuriko's engagement to her second cousin once removed, Takahito, Prince Mikasa, was announced. The engagement ceremony was held on 3 October 1941, and the wedding ceremony took place on 22 October 1941. After her marriage, Yuriko was styled Her Imperial Highness The Princess Mikasa. Princess Mikasa frequently visited her husband who was hospitalized during his final months. On 22 October 2016, they celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary in his hospital room.[2] Prince Mikasa died five days later, with Princess Yuriko at his side.[2] The Princess led her husband's funeral ceremony as the chief mourner.[3]

The Prince and Princess had five children, of whom only two are still living. In addition to their five children, they had nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren as of 2015.[4] The couple's two daughters left the imperial family upon marriage. All three sons predeceased them.

Children
Princess Yuriko and her three eldest children
  • Yasuko Konoe (近衛やす子, Konoe Yasuko) (formerly Princess Yasuko of Mikasa (甯子内親王, Yasuko Naishinno, born 26 April 1944); married on 16 December 1966 to Tadateru Konoe, younger brother of former Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa and adopted grandson (and heir) of former Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe, currently President of the Japanese Red Cross Society; has a son, Tadahiro, who has three children.
  • Prince Tomohito of Mikasa (寬仁親王, Tomohito Shinnō, 5 January 1946 – 6 June 2012); heir apparent; married on 7 November 1980 to Nobuko Asō (born 9 April 1955), third daughter of Takakichi Asō, chairman of Aso Cement Co., and his wife, Kazuko, the daughter of former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida; had two daughters.
  • Yoshihito, Prince Katsura (桂宮宜仁親王, Katsura-no-miya Yoshihito Shinnō, 11 February 1948 – 8 June 2014); created Katsura-no-miya on 1 January 1988.
  • Masako Sen (千容子, Sen Masako) (formerly Princess Masako of Mikasa (容子内親王, Masako Naishinnō, born 23 October 1951); married on 14 October 1983 to Sōshitsu Sen (born 7 June 1956), the elder son of Sōshitsu Sen XV, and currently the sixteenth hereditary grand master (iemoto) of the Urasenke Japanese tea ceremony School; and has two sons, Akifumi and Takafumi, and a daughter, Makiko.
  • Norihito, Prince Takamado (高円宮憲仁親王, Takamado-no-miya Norihito Shinnō, 29 December 1954 – 21 November 2002); created Takamado-no-miya on 1 December 1984; married on 6 December 1984 to Hisako Tottori (born 10 July 1953), eldest daughter of Shigejiro Tottori, former President, Mitsui & Co. in France; and had three daughters.

Public service

Princess Mikasa is honorary president of various charitable organizations, especially those concerned with the preservation of traditional Japanese culture. She also plays an active role in the Japanese Red Cross Society.[5]

In 1948, the Princess became President of the Imperial Gift Foundation Boshi-Aiiku-kai, a position that she resigned from in September 2010. She has attended several formal occasions in Tokyo as well as other parts of Japan associated with charities concerned with mother and child health issues.[5]

Health

The princess has used a pacemaker since 1999. In September 2020, the 97-year-old was hospitalized with symptoms of heart failure and pneumonia, but was subsequently released.[6] She was notably absent from the 2019 enthronement of Emperor Naruhito.[7]

Honours
See also: List of honours of the Japanese Imperial Family by country
Mon of the Mikasa branch of the Imperial Family

National

Foreign

Honorary positions

Issue
NameBirthDeathMarriage Issue
Princess Yasuko of Mikasa26 April 194416 December 1966Tadateru KonoeTadahiro Konoe
Prince Tomohito of Mikasa5 January 19466 June 20127 November 1980Nobuko AsōPrincess Akiko of Mikasa
Princess Yōko of Mikasa
Yoshihito, Prince Katsura11 February 19488 June 2014
Princess Masako of Mikasa23 October 195114 October 1983Soshitsu SenAkifumi Kikuchi
Takafumi Sen
Makiko Sakata
Norihito, Prince Takamado29 December 195421 November 20026 December 1984Hisako TottoriPrincess Tsuguko of Takamado
Princess Noriko of Takamado
Princess Ayako of Takamado

References
  1. "高木氏 (Takagi genealogy)". Reichsarchiv (in Japanese). Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  2. "UPDATE: Prince Mikasa, uncle of Akihito, dies at 100 years old". Asahi Shimbun. 27 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  3. "Prince Mikasa laid to rest in Imperial rite". The Japan Times. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  4. "Prince Mikasa turns 100". The Japan Times. 2 December 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  5. "Activities of Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Mikasa and their family". The Imperial Household Agency. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  6. "Princess Yuriko, great-aunt of Emperor Naruhito, released from hospital". Kyodo News. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  7. "Japan's Emperor Naruhito proclaims enthronement in ancient-style ceremony". Kyodo News. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  8. Red Cross Medals
  9. Persepolis
  10. Badraie Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine
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