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Yuriko, Princess Mikasa

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Yuriko
Princess Mikasa
Yuriko in 2012
BornYuriko Takagi (高木百合子)
(1923-06-04) 4 June 1923 (age 101)
Tokyo City, Japan
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1941; died 2016)​
Issue
HouseImperial House of Japan
FatherMasanari Takagi
MotherKuniko Irie

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 great-aunt by marriage of Emperor Naruhito, and currently is the oldest member of the imperial family, and the only living member who was born in the Taishō era.

Early life

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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'nan; 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 Yanagiwara Naruko, was Kuniko's great-aunt.[1] Yuriko graduated from Gakushuin Women's Academy in 1941.

Marriage

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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. The couple's two daughters left the imperial family upon marriage. All three sons predeceased them. In addition to their five children, they had nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren as of 2022.[4]

Children

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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 Asō 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 of Mitsui & Co. in France; and had three daughters.

Public service

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Princess tree, Paulownia tomentosa, designated imperial personal emblem of Yuriko

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]

Personal life and health

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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 after two weeks.[6][7] She was notably absent from the 2019 enthronement of Emperor Naruhito.[8] She was admitted to St. Luke's International Hospital in March 2021 due to arrhythmia. It was also announced that her condition was not critical and she was discharged within a few days as her symptoms subsided.[9][10]

In July 2022, the princess was reported to have tested positive for COVID-19 and hospitalized at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo.[11][12][13] She turned 100 on 4 June 2023.[14]

In 2024, the princess was hospitalised for a possible cerebral infarction.[15] On 11 March, she was discharged from St. Luke's International Hospital. She had been unable to eat, but resumed drinking water after the hospitalisation.[16] On 18 March 2024, she again experienced symptoms of heart failure and cerebral infarction. She continued to be treated at St. Luke's International Hospital.[17] On 25 March, her symptoms of heart failure and cerebral infarction significantly improved. She was back at a level close to when she was first admitted to hospital.[18] On 4 June, her 101st birthday, she was visited by Hisako, Princess Takamado, Princess Akiko of Mikasa, Princess Yōko of Mikasa, and Princess Tsuguko of Takamado. Princess Akiko bought her flowers.[19]

On August 16th, Yuriko was bought to hospital and put under care after a case of Pneumonia[20] On September 9th, she was released from hospital.[21]

Honours

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

National

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Foreign

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Honorary positions

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Issue

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Name Birth Death Marriage Issue
Date Spouse
Yasuko Konoe
(Princess Yasuko of Mikasa)		 (1944-04-26) 26 April 1944 (age 80) 16 December 1966 Tadateru Konoe Tadahiro Konoe
Prince Tomohito of Mikasa 5 January 1946 6 June 2012 7 November 1980 Nobuko Asō Princess Akiko of Mikasa
Princess Yōko of Mikasa
Yoshihito, Prince Katsura 11 February 1948 8 June 2014 None
Masako Sen
(Princess Masako of Mikasa)		 (1951-10-23) 23 October 1951 (age 73) 14 October 1983 Sōshitsu Sen XVI Akifumi Kikuchi
Makiko Sakata
Takafumi Sen
Norihito, Prince Takamado 29 December 1954 21 November 2002 6 December 1984 Hisako Tottori Princess Tsuguko of Takamado
Noriko Senge
(Princess Noriko of Takamado)
Ayako Moriya
(Princess Ayako of Takamado)

References

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  1. ^ "高木氏 (Takagi genealogy)". Reichsarchiv (in Japanese). Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  2. ^ a b "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. ^ "Princess Yuriko, oldest in Japan's Imperial Family, turns 99". Arab News. 4 June 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  5. ^ a b "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, diagnosed with heart failure". The Japan Times. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  7. ^ "Princess Yuriko, great-aunt of Emperor Naruhito, released from hospital". Kyodo News. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Japan's Emperor Naruhito proclaims enthronement in ancient-style ceremony". Kyodo News. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Japan emperor's great-aunt Princess Yuriko hospitalized for heart trouble". Kyodo News. 1 March 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  10. ^ "Emperor's great-aunt Princess Yuriko released from hospital". Kyodo News. 4 March 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  11. ^ "Japan's Princess Yuriko, 99, infected with coronavirus". The Japan Times. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Japan's Princess Yuriko, 99, Infected with Novel Coronavirus". Nippon.com. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Princess Yuriko, 99, infected with novel coronavirus". The Japan News. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  14. ^ "Princess Yuriko, Oldest In Japan's Imperial Family, Turns 100". The Japan News. 4 June 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Princess Yuriko hospitalized for possible cerebral infarction". The Japan Times. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  16. ^ 日本テレビ. "入院中の三笠宮妃百合子さま、一般病室に 順調に回復へ 宮内庁｜日テレNEWS NNN". 日テレNEWS NNN (in Japanese). Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  17. ^ 日本テレビ. "三笠宮妃百合子さま、心不全と新たな脳梗塞の症状 皇室最高齢の100歳｜日テレNEWS NNN". 日テレNEWS NNN (in Japanese). Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  18. ^ 日本テレビ. "三笠宮妃百合子さま、心不全と脳梗塞の症状かなり改善 宮内庁｜日テレNEWS NNN". 日テレNEWS NNN (in Japanese). Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  19. ^ 日本放送協会 (4 June 2024). "皇室で最高齢 三笠宮妃の百合子さま 101歳に 皇族方が病院訪問 | NHK". NHKニュース. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  20. ^ "Japan's 101-yr-old princess in intensive care for mild pneumonia". Mainichi Daily News. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  21. ^ "Japan's 101-yr-old princess leaves ICU after pneumonia treatment". Mainichi Daily News. 9 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  22. ^ a b Red Cross Medals
  23. ^ Persepolis
  24. ^ Badraie Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ^ Nationaal Archief, inventory 2.02.32, dossier 529/530
  26. ^ a b "Her Imperial Highnesses Princess Mikasa and her family". The Imperial Household Agency. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
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