Category Archives: Japanese Royals

Princess Mako of Japan to marry

Princess Mako of Japan; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

It has been announced that Princess Mako of Japan, the elder of the two daughters of Prince Akishino, the second son of Emperor Akihito, will marry commoner Kei Komuro. Princess Mako and Kei Komuro met while they were both students at the International Christian University in Tokyo. Japan’s imperial law requires a princess to leave the Imperial Family after marrying a commoner and lose their imperial style and title.

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Since 1950, seven Japanese princesses had to leave the Imperial Family and lost their imperial style and title.

Princess Taka (1929 – 1989), daughter of Emperor Hirohito, married Toshimichi Takatsukasa in 1950
Princess Yori (born 1931), daughter of Emperor Hirohito, married Takamasa Ikeda in1952
Princess Suga (born 1939), daughter of Emperor Hirohito, married Hisanaga Shimazu in 1960
Princess Yasuko (born 1944), daughter of Prince Mikasa, a brother of Emperor Hirohito, married Tadateru Konoe in 1966
Princess Masako (born 1951), daughter of Prince Mikasa, a brother of Emperor Hirohito, married Soshitsu Sen in 1983
Princess Yori born 1969, daughter of Emperor Akihito, married Yoshiki Kuroda in 2005
Princess Noriko (born 1988), daughter of Prince Takamado, son of Prince Mikasa, married Kunimaro Senge in 2014

Succession to the Japanese throne is only through the male line and only males can be in the line of succession. Currently, the line of succession has only four people. Counting Emperor Akihito, there are only five males in the Imperial Family. Unless the succession is changed to allow for female succession and succession through the female line, the future of the succession falls solely upon young Prince Hisahito, Princess Mako’s little brother.

Crown Prince Naruhito (1960) – eldest son of Emperor Akihito
Prince Akishino (1965) – second son of Emperor Akihito
Prince Hisahito (2006) – son of Prince Akishino
Prince Hitachi (1935) – younger brother of Emperor Akihito

Prince Mikasa of Japan

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Prince Mikasa of Japan; Credit – Wikipedia

Unofficial Royalty: Japanese Naming Conventions

Prince Mikasa of Japan, the youngest of the four sons of Emperor Taishō and Empress Teimei, was born on December 2, 1915, at the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan. His childhood appellation was Sumi-no-miya and he was also known by his personal name Prince Takahito.

He had three older brothers:

Emperor Hirohito (Shōwa) (1901 – 1989), married Princess Nagako of Kuni, had issue including Emperor Akihito
Prince Chichibu (1902 – 1953), married Setsuko Matsudaira, no issue
Prince Takamatsu (1905 – 1987), married Kikuko Tokugawa, no issue

Emperor Taishō’s four sons in 1921: Hirohito, Mikasa, Takamatsu, and Chichibu; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Mikasa was educated at the Gakushūin (Peers’ School), established in 1847 to educate the children of Japanese nobility. After graduating in 1932, Mikasa began a military career. He entered the Imperial Japanese Army Academy and upon graduation was commissioned a sub-lieutenant. Mikasa furthered his military education by attending the Army War College. In December 1935, Emperor Hirohito (Shōwa) granted him the title Mikasa-no-miya (Prince Mikasa) and the authorization to form a new branch of the Imperial Family.

Prince Mikasa in 1936; Credit – Wikipedia

During World War II, Prince Mikasa, having attained the rank of major, served as a staff officer at the headquarters of the China Expeditionary Army in Nanjing, China. His goal was to strengthen the legitimacy of the nationalist government in Nanking and to coordinate a peace initiative, but his efforts were unsuccessful due to Operation Ichi-Go launched by the Imperial General Headquarters.

During his time in China, Prince Mikasa became aware of plans for a Japanese bombing of Chinese cities with bubonic plague bombs. Upon his return to Japan, Mikasa wrote a report about the bubonic plague bombs and other war atrocities he had witnessed, but the report was suppressed until 1994. In 1946, Prince Mikasa spoke to the Privy Council of Japan insisting that his brother Emperor Hirohito needed to abdicate and take responsibility for the war. However, General Douglas MacArthur, who was responsible for the Allied Occupation of Japan, protected Emperor Hirohito and insisted that he should stay in power.

On October 22, 1941, Prince Mikasa married Yuriko Takagi, daughter of Japanese noble Viscount Masanari, who was known as Princess Mikasa after her marriage. The couple had three sons and two daughters. Prince Mikasa and his family lived on the grounds of the Akasaka Palace in Tokyo. All three sons predeceased their parents.

Yasuko Konoe, formerly Princess Yasuko (born 1944), married Tadateru Konoe, had one daughter; upon her marriage, Princess Yasuko had to relinquish her title from birth and her official membership in the Imperial Family
Prince Tomohito (1946 – 2012), married Nobuko Asō, had two daughters
Prince Katsura (1948 – 2014), unmarried
Masako Sen, formerly Princess Masako (born 1951), married Sōshitsu Sen, had two sons and one daughter; upon her marriage, Princess Masako had to relinquish her title from birth and her official membership in the Imperial Family
Prince Takamado (1954 – 2002), married Hisako Tottori, had three daughters

Princess Mikasa and her three elder children, circa 1950; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Mikasa in 2012; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

After World War II, Prince Mikasa studied archaeology, Middle Eastern studies, and Semitic languages at the University of Tokyo. From 1954 until he died in 2016, he directed the Japanese Society for Middle East Studies. He also held visiting and guest faculty appointments in Middle Eastern studies and archaeology at universities in Japan and abroad.

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Prince Mikasa and Princess Mikasa wave to well-wishers gathered for the annual New Year’s greetings at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on January 2, 2016

Prince Mikasa died of heart failure on October 27, 2016, at the age of 100, a little more than a month before his 101st birthday. At the time of his death, he was the world’s oldest royal, the longest-lived member of the Japanese Imperial Family, and the last of the five Japanese princes in the line of succession. Prince Mikasa lived during the reigns of three emperors: his father Emperor Taishō, his brother Emperor Hirohito, and his nephew Emperor Akihito.

Prince Mikasa’s funeral, called the Renso-no-Gi (Ceremony of the Funeral and Entombment), was held on November 4, 2016, at the Toshimagaoka Imperial Cemetery in Tokyo. The host of the funeral was the prince’s 93-year-old widow Princess Mikasa. Due to Princess Mikasa’s advanced age, Princess Akiko, the eldest daughter of the late Prince Tomohito, the eldest son of Prince Mikasa, stood in for her. Other members of the Imperial Family, other relatives, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, parliamentary leaders, and foreign ambassadors to Japan attended the funeral. As is the custom, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko did not attend the funeral.

Prince Mikasa’s wife Yuriko, Princess Mikasa survived her husband by eight years, dying of old age, on November 15, 2024, at St. Luke’s International Hospital in Tokyo, Japan aged 101.

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Prince Hisahito of Akishino

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Prince Hisahito; Credit – Imperial Household Agency, 2024

Unofficial Royalty: Japanese Naming Conventions

Prince Hisahito of Akishino (Hisahito Shinnō) is the third child, and the only son of Crown Prince Akishino and the former Kiko Kawashima. He is the only grandson of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emeritus Michiko, the only nephew of the current Emperor Naruhito, and is currently second in the line of succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne after his father. Prince Hisahito was born on September 6, 2006, at the Aiiku Hospital in Tokyo and he was the first male born into the Imperial Family since the birth of his father in 1965.

Prince Hisahito with his family in 2020; Credit – By 外務省, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=115339264

Prince Hisahito had two older sisters:

Mako Komuro, formerly Princess Mako of Akishino (born 1991), married Kei Komuro, lost her title, and became a commoner upon marriage as required by Imperial Household Law
Princess Kako of Akishino (born 1994)

After the birth of Princess Aiko in 2001, the only child of Emperor Naruhito, there was much discussion about changing the laws to absolute primogeniture, whereby the oldest surviving child without regard to gender inherits the throne. Currently, there is male-line, male-only succession in Japan. In 2005, the Prime Minister vowed to submit a bill to the government to change The Imperial Household Law, based on recommendations from an independent, government-appointed panel. However, the birth of Prince Hisahito in 2006 seems to have ended the efforts, and the proposal was dropped. Currently, there are only three people in the line of succession: Crown Prince Akishino (born in 1965, brother of Emperor Naruhito), Prince Hisahito, (born in 2005, son of Crown Prince Akishino), and Prince Hitachi (born in 1935, uncle of Emperor Naruhito). It is highly probable that there will not be another person in the line of succession until Prince Hisahito marries and has a son. In November 2020, it was recommended that the discussion regarding the succession be shelved until Prince Hisahito becomes an adult and has children. Unless there is a change in the succession law, it is probable that one day Prince Hisahito will become Emperor of Japan.

Unofficial Royalty: Japanese Succession Crisis

Prince Hisahito entering school, 2013. photo: Xinxua

Prince Hisahito attended kindergarten at a school associated with the Ochanomizu University in Tokyo, Japan, and then, in April 2013, entered the Ochanomizu University Elementary School. This makes him the first member of the Imperial Family to be educated outside of the Gakushuin School. In April 2019, Hisahito entered the Ochanomizu University Junior High School. In April 2022, Hishito began to attend the University of Tsukuba’s Senior High School in the Otsuka district of Tokyo. He will be the first member of the Imperial Family in postwar Japan to enroll in a senior high school other than Gakushuin University’s senior high school.

Princess Kako of Akishino

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Credit – Wikipedia

Unofficial Royalty: Japanese Naming Conventions

Princess Kako of Akishino (Kako Naishinnō) is the second daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and the former Kiko Kawashima. She was born on December 29, 1994, at the Imperial Household Agency Hospital in Tokyo.

Princess Kako has an older sister and a younger brother:

Mako Komuro, formerly Princess Mako of Akishino (born 1991) married Kei Komuro, lost her title and become a commoner upon marriage as required by Imperial Household Law
Prince Hisahito of Akishino (born 2006)

Following her primary and secondary education at the Gakushūin School in Tokyo, Princess Kako studied English at Trinity College, in Dublin for a few months in 2012. In 2013, she enrolled at Gakushūin University. However, she left Gakushūin University in 2014, enrolling at the International Christian University in Tokyo in 2015. In September 2017, Princess Kako started a year abroad as a student at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom studying the performing arts and psychology. In March 2019, the Princess graduated from the International Christian University, with a degree in psychology. Since May 2021, Princess Kako has been employed part-time at the Japanese Federation of the Deaf.

Princess Kako is an avid figure skater. In 2007, she participated in the Spring Cup Figure Skating Championship, ranking at the top of her division.

Princess Kako (right) with her siblings, 2012. photo: Imperial Household Agency

Mako Komuro, formerly Princess Mako of Akishino

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Embed from Getty Images

Unofficial Royalty: Japanese Naming Conventions

Born Princess Mako of Akishino (Mako Naishinnō), she is the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and the former Kiko Kawashima and the eldest grandchild of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. She was born on October 23, 1991, at the Imperial Household Agency Hospital in Tokyo.

Mako has two younger siblings:

- Princess Kako of Akishino (born 1994)
- Prince Hisahito of Akishino (born 2006)

Princess Mako (left) with her siblings, 2012. photo: Imperial Household Agency

Mako attended the Gakushūin School for her primary and secondary education. She then studied English at University College Dublin in 2010, and the University of Edinburgh in 2012. In 2014, she graduated from the International Christian University in Tokyo, with a degree in Art and Cultural Heritage. In 2016, Mako received a Masters Degree in art museum and gallery studies at the University of Leicester in England. She worked as a researcher at the Research Museum of the University of Tokyo until August 2021.

source: The Telegraph/AP

Upon coming of age in October 2011, Mako received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown. She was an active member of the Imperial Family, attended most formal events, and made official visits to several foreign countries.

Kei Komuro and Princess Mako at their engagement press conference; Credit – Japan Times

In May 2017, it was announced that Mako would marry commoner Kei Komuro whom she met at the International Christian University. The engagement was officially announced in September 2017. The couple was expected to marry on November 4, 2018. However, it was announced on February 6, 2018, that the formal engagement and wedding would be postponed until at least 2020, saying the couple was not yet ready for marriage. In June 2019, Mako’s father Crown Prince Akishino said he did not know whether the marriage would take place following reports that Komuro’s mother was involved in a financial dispute. It was alleged that Komuro’s mother received four million yen from her former fiancé, some of which went towards paying Komuro’s tuition fees. The dispute resulted in the Imperial Family and the public’s disapproval of the marriage. In November 2020, the Imperial Household Agency announced that there was still no date for the marriage.

In September 2021, it was reported that the marriage would take place in the form of a simple ceremony at a government office on October 26, 2021. Mako announced that she would not accept the Japanese government’s taxpayer-funded payment of approximately $1.3 million given to royal women upon leaving the Imperial Family. According to Article 12 of the Imperial Household Law of 1947, “In case a female of the Imperial Family marries a person other than the Emperor or a member of the Imperial Family, she shall lose the status of Imperial Family member.” Upon her marriage, Princess Mako would have to relinquish her title from birth, her official membership in the Imperial Family, and any monetary allowance from the state. After her marriage, Her Imperial Highness Princess Mako would be known as Mako Komuro. Mako’s paternal aunt Sayako Kuroda, the only daughter of her grandfather Emperor Akihito, and three of Emperor Akihito’s sisters are among the Japanese princesses since the end of World War II who have been required to relinquish their membership in the Imperial Family upon their marriages to commoners.

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Kei Komuro and Mako Komuro at the press event after their marriage

On October 26, 2021, Mako and Kei Komuro were married with none of the traditional rites associated with Japanese royal weddings due to the public disapproval of the groom. Mako, carrying a bouquet of flowers, came out of her family’s residence with her parents, Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, and her younger sister Princess Kako. Prince Hisahito, Mako’s younger brother, was not present. Before a crowd of journalists, the family formally bowed to each other. In an unusual move for a member of the Japanese Imperial Family, Princess Kako pulled her older sister into an embrace. Mako then got into a car alone and left for the marriage office where the couple registered their marriage. At a press event in the afternoon, Mako appeared alongside her husband in front of a selected group of journalists. The newlyweds apologized for any trouble caused by their marriage and expressed gratitude to those who supported them.

Mako lives in the United States with her husband Kei Komuro, who received a law degree from Fordham University in New York City in 2021 and is employed by the New York-based law firm Lowenstein Sandler LLP.

Princess Aiko of Japan

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Embed from Getty Images

Unofficial Royalty: Japanese Naming Conventions

Princess Aiko of Japan (Toshi-no-miya Aiko Naishinnō) is the only child of Emperor Naruhito of Japan and Masako Owada and the granddaughter of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. Aiko was born on December 1, 2001, at the Imperial Household Agency Hospital, on the grounds of the Tokyo Imperial Palace. She was given the imperial title Princess Toshi.

Princess Aiko, March 2002. source: USNews

Like most members of the Imperial Family, Princess Aiko attended the Gakushūin School in Tokyo, Japan. The Gakushūin or Peers School (Gakushūin School Corporation) was originally established to educate the children of Japan’s nobility. Gakushuin is composed of Kindergarten, Elementary School, Middle School, High School, and University. After World War II, enrollment in Gakushuin was opened up to the general public.

Princess Aiko began her education at Gakushuin Kindergarten on April 3, 2006. Following kindergarten, she attended Gakushūin Primary School from 2008 to 2014 where she played the cello in the school orchestra and played in the basketball club. In 2011, Princess Aiko made headlines when it was reported that she had been bullied in school. She stayed away from the school for several months, being privately tutored at home, before returning on a limited basis, usually accompanied by her mother.

Princess Aiko beginning Gakushuin Girls High School, April 2014. source: Japan Times/AP

Princess Aiko graduated from Gakushūin Primary School in March 2014, and the following month, she entered the Gakushūin Girls Junior High School. She took English lessons each summer at the Gakushūin Women’s College. In 2017, Aiko entered the Gakushuin Girls High School, graduating in March 2020. In April 2020, Princess Aiko began her studies at Gakushuin University where she majored in Japanese language and literature, graduating in March 2024.

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Princess Aiko greeting the press on the day of her coming-of-age-ceremony

On December 5, 2021, the Sunday after her 20th birthday, Princess Aiko participated in the traditional formal coming-of-age ceremonies and was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown by her father Emperor Naruhito. She attended the 2022 New Year celebration at the Imperial Palace as her first public event as a working member of the imperial family and her first press conference took place on March 17, 2022.

Despite being the child of the Emperor, Princess Aiko is not in the line of succession to the Chrysanthemum throne, as The Imperial Household Law of 1947 limits succession to males in a male line only. After Aiko’s birth, there was much discussion about changing the laws to absolute primogeniture. In 2005, the Prime Minister vowed to submit a bill to the government to change The Imperial Household Law, based on recommendations from an independent, government-appointed panel. However, the birth of a male cousin in 2006 seems to have ended the efforts, and the proposal was dropped.

Unofficial Royalty: Japanese Succession Crisis

Sayako Kuroda, formerly Princess Nori of Japan

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Photo Credit – japandailypress.com

Unofficial Royalty: Japanese Naming Conventions

Her Imperial Highness Princess Nori was born on April 18, 1969, at the Aoyama Detached Palace in Tokyo, Japan. She is the third of the three children and the only daughter of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko (born Michiko Shōda). Shortly after her birth, her grandfather Emperor Shôwa (Hirohito) named her Sayako and granted her the title Princess Nori (Nori no miya Sayako Naishinnô).

Princess Nori with her mother; Credit – http://www.yuko2ch.net

Sayako has two elder brothers:

Emperor Naruhito of Japan (born 1960), married Masako Owada, had one daughter
Crown Prince Akishino of Japan (born 1965), married Kiko Kawashima, had two daughters and one son

Seated: Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko; Standing: Princess Nori, Crown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako, Prince Akishino, Princess Akishino; Credit – freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com

Princess Nori completed her primary and secondary education at Gakushūin whose original purpose, before World War II, was to educate members of the aristocracy including members of the Imperial Family. Members of the Imperial Family have continued to attend Gakushūin for their primary, secondary, and university education. Princess Nori continued her university education at Gakushuin University and she graduated from the Department of Japanese Literature in the Faculty of Letters in March 1992.

Later in 1992, Princess Nori started a career as a researcher at Yamashina Institute for Ornithology where she specialized in the study of kingfishers. The princess was also interested in traditional Japanese dance and performed several times at the National Theater. She also participated in activities related to the training and use of guide dogs for the visually impaired.

Princess Nori the ornithologist; Credit – http://www.hellomagazine.com

On December 30, 2004, the Imperial Household Agency announced the engagement of Princess Nori to Yoshiki Kuroda, a 40-year-old urban designer with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Princess Nori and Yoshiki Kuroda, a longtime friend of the princess’ brother Prince Akishino, had known each other since childhood but were re-introduced by Prince Akishino in 2003. According to Article 12 of the Imperial Household Law of 1947, “In case a female of the Imperial Family marries a person other than the Emperor or a member of the Imperial Family, she shall lose the status of Imperial Family member.” Upon her marriage, Princess Nori would have to relinquish her title from birth, her official membership in the Imperial Family, and any monetary allowance from the state. After her marriage, Her Imperial Highness Princess Nori would be known as Sayako Kuroda. Three of Emperor Akihito’s sisters also were required to relinquish their membership in the Imperial Family upon their marriages.

Princess Nori and Yoshiki Kuroda at the press conference announcing their engagement; Credit – www.chinadaily.com

On November 15, 2005, about 30 people from both families attended the Shinto wedding at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, which has no relation to the Imperial Family. Princess Nori chose a white silk dress with a pearl necklace instead of the 12-layered “juni hitoe” wedding kimono traditionally worn by female members of the Imperial Family, and her groom wore a morning suit. The Emperor and Empress attended the wedding, as well as Crown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako, and other members of the Imperial Family.

Photo Credit – www.dailytelegraph.com.au

The bride and groom held a news conference after the wedding ceremony at the hotel and Sayako expressed her intention to live a new life. “Holding memories of the days with my family in my mind, I am going to face a new life as a member of the Kuroda family,” she said. A reception that followed the news conference was attended by 130 guests.

Mr. and Mrs. Yoshiki Kuroda enter their wedding reception; Photo Credit – www.beaumontenterprise.com

Sayako and Yoshiki Kuroda started their life together at a condominium they rented near the palace. The government provided the couple with a one-time payment of 152.5 million yen or 1.29 million dollars. Sayako resigned from her job as an ornithologist to focus on her new life.

Sayako and Yoshiki Kuroda enjoying an outing with Princess Akishino and her son Prince Hisahito in 2009; Credit – www.logsoku.com

In 2012, Sayako was given the role of a sacred priestess at the Ise Shrine which recognizes the ancestral gods, specifically the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu Omikami, from whom it is believed that the Imperial Family descended. She served as an assistant to the supreme priestess at the shrine, Atsuko Ikeda, Emperor Akihito’s older sister, who also had to relinquish her membership in the Imperial Family upon her marriage. The supreme priestess serves the Sun Goddess, representing the Emperor. The title has always been held by a current or former member of the Imperial Family. In 2017, Sayako replaced her aunt as the supreme priestess at the Ise Shrine.

Sayako Kuroda at a ceremony at the Ise Shrine; Credit – https://imperialfamilyjapan.wordpress.com

Since her marriage, Sayako has continued to appear during some formal occasions with other members of the Imperial Family. She was among the guests during a banquet held at the Tokyo Imperial Palace in honor of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium in October 2016. In 2019, Sayako and her husband attended the enthronement ceremonies for her brother Emperor Naruhito.

Crown Princess Akishino of Japan

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Crown Princess Akishino of Japan; Credit – Wikipedia

Unofficial Royalty: Japanese Naming Conventions

Crown Princess Akishino, sometimes called Princess Kiko, is the wife of Crown Prince Akishino, the second son of Emperor Akihito of Japan. On December 1, 2017, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that Emperor Akihito would abdicate on April 30, 2019, and that his elder son Crown Prince Naruhito would become Emperor. In accordance with legislation passed allowing his father’s abdication, Prince Akishino became heir presumptive to the throne and Crown Prince of Japan. Crown Prince Akishino is followed in the line of succession by his son Prince Hisahito. Unless Emperor Naruhito has a son or the laws of succession are changed, it is very likely that Prince Hisahito will one day inherit the throne.

Kiko Kawashima was born on September 11, 1966, in Shizuoka, Japan. She is the eldest daughter of Tatsuhiko Kawashima, an economics professor at Gakushuin University in Tokyo, Japan, and Kazuyo Sugimoto.

In 1967, when she was still a baby, Kiko’s parents brought her to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States where her father enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania as a graduate student. Kiko’s family stayed in Pennsylvania for six years while her father earned his doctorate degree and taught at the University of Pennsylvania. As a result of her early years in the United States, Kiko speaks fluent, accentless English. The first school she attended was the Henry C. Lea Elementary School, a Philadelphia public school.

Kiko then attended elementary and high school in Vienna, Austria, when her father became the chief researcher at The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenburg, Austria, and she became fluent in German. In 1989, Kiko received her undergraduate degree from the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Letters of Gakushuin University in Tokyo, Japan. Next, she entered graduate school at Gakushuin University with the goal of obtaining a doctorate in psychology. In 1995, she completed the first part of her doctorate in psychology at the Graduate School of Humanities of Gakushuin University. Kiko was granted a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences at Ochanomizu University in 2013.

Kiko met Akishino while they were both undergraduate students at Gakushuin University. He first proposed to her in 1986. The Imperial Household Council announced the engagement on September 12, 1989, and the engagement ceremony, called Nosai-no-Gi, was held on January 12, 1990.

The couple married at the shrine at the Tokyo Imperial Palace on July 29, 1990. Kiko was only the second commoner to marry into the Japanese Imperial Family. Her mother-in-law Empress Michiko was the first.

Photo Credit – Photo: Corbis

Crown Prince Akishino, Crown Princess Akishino, and their children reside at the Aoyama Detached Palace within the grounds of the Akasaka Estate in Motoakasaka, Minato Ward in Tokyo. The residence was the former home of Prince and Princess Chichibu and has been in use by the family since March 1997, after it had been redesigned.

The couple has three children:

Mako Komuro, formerly Princess Mako of Akishino, born October 23, 1991, married Kei Komuro, lost her title and become a commoner upon marriage as required by Imperial Household Law
Princess Kako of Akishino, born December 29, 1994
Prince Hisahito of Akishino, born September 6, 2006

Princess Kiko and her family in 2011; Photo source: Japan Times

Crown Princess Akishino accompanies her husband to many events both in Japan and in other countries. She plays active roles in the Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association, Imperial Gift Foundation Boshi-Aiiku-kai, Japanese Red Cross Society, and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. In addition, she learned Japanese sign language, is a skilled sign language interpreter and has also learned American Sign Language.

Princess Kiko signing “I love you” with a student at the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults in the United States; Photo source: Helen Keller National Center For Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults

Empress Masako of Japan

Credit – Wikipedia

Unofficial Royalty: Japanese Naming Conventions

Masako Owada was born at Toranomon Hospital in Tokyo, Japan on December 9, 1963, the eldest daughter of Hisashi Owada and Yumiko Egashira. Her father, Hisashi Owada, is a former Japanese diplomat and served as Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations and as a member of the International Court of Justice, located in the Netherlands.

Due to her father’s diplomatic posts, Masako began her schooling first in Moscow, and then in New York City, before the family returned to Japan in 1971. She attended Futaba Gakuen, a private Roman Catholic girls’ school in Tokyo. In 1979, the family returned to the US, settling in Belmont, Massachusetts while her father was a visiting professor at Harvard University. She graduated from Belmont High School in 1981 and enrolled at Radcliffe College, part of Harvard University. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in economics in 1985, after which she returned to Japan and attended the University of Tokyo, studying law for several months while preparing to sit for the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs‘ entrance exam. After two years working for the Foreign Ministry, she enrolled at Balliol College, Oxford University, pursuing a Master’s Degree in International Relations.

Masako and Naruhito on their wedding day; Photo: Imperial Household Agency

In 1986, Masako met her future husband Emperor Naruhito of Japan at a tea held in honor of Infanta Elena of Spain. Despite disapproval from the Imperial Household Agency (as Masako was a commoner), and Masako leaving Japan for several years to study abroad, the two continued their relationship. Naruhito proposed several times, however, Masako turned him down each time. Agreeing to marry the future Japanese Emperor would mean giving up her career in diplomacy and her independence, and having to conform to the strict guidelines of the Imperial Household. Finally, Naruhito convinced Masako that her diplomatic skills could be used differently, as his wife and future Empress, and she accepted his third proposal in December 1992. Their engagement was announced in January 1993, and the formal engagement ceremony was held that April. Finally, On June 9, 1993, Naruhito and Masako were married in a traditional ceremony at the Imperial Shinto Hall in Tokyo. Following the ceremony, and a change into more contemporary attire, the newly married couple processed through the streets of Tokyo.

Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Emperor Naruhito of Japan and Masako Owada

Naruhito, Masako, and Aiko; Credit – Wikipedia

The couple has one daughter:

Princess Aiko (born 2001)

In the early years of their marriage, Masako often accompanied her husband on foreign visits and participated in most official functions at the Imperial Palace. However, by 2003, she was rarely seen in public at all. The following year, it was announced that she was suffering from adjustment disorder. However, many speculated that she was dealing with clinical depression, brought on by the pressures and constraints placed upon her by the strict Imperial Household Agency. It would be many years before she would return to the public eye.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess at the Dutch investiture, 2013. Photo: Zimbio

Masako and Naruhito at the Dutch investiture, 2013. Photo: Zimbio

In a statement released for her 49th birthday in 2012, Masako thanked the Japanese people for their “warm continued support” and stated she continues to make progress with the help of her doctors and those around her. She began to appear more often at official events at the Imperial Palace and around Japan, always at the side of her husband. Perhaps because of the kindness previously extended by former Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, and the fact that her parents were then based in The Hague, Masako accompanied her husband to the investiture of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in 2013. In July 2015, Masako traveled to Tonga with her husband to attend the coronation of King Tupou VI. Her doctors stated that Masako has not fully recovered but her strong sense of duty has helped her fulfill her responsibilities

Empress Masako at the enthronement ceremony on October 22, 2019; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 1, 2017, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that Emperor Akihito would abdicate on April 30, 2019, and that his elder son Crown Prince Naruhito, Masako’s husband would become Emperor and Masako would become Empress. On May 1, 2019, Naruhito ascended the throne as Emperor of Japan and the Presentation of the Three Sacred Treasures ceremony occurred. Several more ceremonies occurred – October 22, 2019: Enthronement Ceremony (Sokui-Rei) and November 14-15, 2019: Great Thanksgiving Festival (Daijo-sai). See the link below for more information about the accession and enthronement ceremonies.

Unofficial Royalty: Ceremonies: Abdication of Emperor Akihito and Accession and Enthronement of Emperor Naruhito

State of Japan Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Emperor Naruhito of Japan

Emperor Naruhito of Japan; Credit – Wikipedia

Unofficial Royalty: Japanese Naming Conventions

Emperor Naruhito of Japan was born on February 23, 1960, at the Imperial Household Agency Hospital at the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan. He is the elder of the two sons and the eldest of the three children of Emperor Akihito and Michiko Shōda. Born during the reign of his grandfather Emperor Hirohito, Naruhito was then second in line to the throne.

Naruhito has a younger brother and a younger sister:

Crown Prince Akishino (born 1965), married Kiko Kawashima, had two daughters and one son
Sayako, Princess Nori (born 1969), married Yoshiki Kuroda, lost her imperial status due to marrying a commoner, no children

Naruhito was educated at the Gakushūin (or Peers School) in Tokyo from the age of four and went on to earn his Bachelor’s Degree in History from Gakushūin University in 1982. He then studied at Merton College at Oxford University in the United Kingdom before returning to Gakushūin University, earning his Master’s Degree in history in 1988.

photo: Imperial Household Agency

In 1986, Naruhito first met Masako Owada at a tea held in honor of Infanta Elena of Spain, and by all reports, was instantly smitten with the beautiful and intelligent Masako. Despite disapproval from the Imperial Household Agency, and Masako leaving Japan for several years to study abroad, the two continued their relationship. Initially, Masako refused Naruhito’s proposals, as it would mean giving up her career and conforming to the stringent guidelines of the Imperial Household. However, he finally convinced her, and she accepted his third proposal in December 1992. Their engagement was announced in January 1993, and the formal engagement ceremony was held that April. Finally, On June 9, 1993, Naruhito and Masako were married in a traditional ceremony at the Imperial Shinto Hall in Tokyo. Following the ceremony, and a change into more contemporary attire, the newly married couple processed through the streets of Tokyo.

Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Emperor Naruhito of Japan and Masako Owada

The couple has one daughter:

- Princess Aiko ( born 2001)

Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, and their daughter Princess Aiko in 2019; Credit – Wikipedia

Aside from many official duties, during his time as Crown Prince, Naruhito served as Honorary Vice-President of the Japanese Red Cross and Honorary President of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation. He also actively supported the World Organization of the Scout Movement. He undertook many official international visits and often represented his father Emperor Akihito at royal weddings and other events. He was very interested in water conservation served on the World Commission on Water for the 21st Century, and is the patron of the Global Water Partnership.

On December 1, 2017, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that Emperor Akihito would abdicate on April 30, 2019, and that his elder son Crown Prince Naruhito would become Emperor. In 2016, Emperor Akihito had expressed a desire to abdicate, citing his age. The last abdication occurred 200 years ago when Emperor Kōkaku abdicated in 1817. Emperor Akihito succeeded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on January 7, 1989, upon the death of his father Emperor Hirohito, now known by his posthumous name Emperor Shōwa.

On April 1, 2019, it was announced that Naruhito will reign over the Reiwa era. The term for the new era comprises the two characters Rei and Wa. Rei means “commands” or “order” and also “auspicious” or “good”. Wa means “harmony” and is also used in the Japanese word for “peace” – hei-wa.

Wikipedia: Reiwa period

Emperor Naruhito at the Enthronement Ceremony; Credit – By 首相官邸 – http://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/98_abe/actions/201910/22sokuirei.html, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83287923

On May 1, 2019, Naruhito ascended the throne as Emperor of Japan and the Presentation of the Three Sacred Treasures ceremony occurred. Several more ceremonies occurred – October 22, 2019: Enthronement Ceremony (Sokui-Rei) and November 14-15, 2019: Great Thanksgiving Festival (Daijo-sai). See the link below for more information about the accession and enthronement ceremonies.

Unofficial Royalty: Ceremonies: Abdication of Emperor Akihito and Accession and Enthronement of Emperor Naruhito

There is male-line, male-only succession in Japan which means that Emperor Naruhito’s daughter cannot inherit the throne nor can any of her potential sons inherit the throne. There has been discussion about changing the succession but no action has been taken. Currently, there are only three people in the line of succession: Crown Prince Akishino (born in 1965, brother of Emperor Naruhito), Prince Hisahito, (born in 2005, son of Crown Prince Akishino), and Prince Hitachi (born in 1935, uncle of Emperor Naruhito). Probably, there will not be another person in the line of succession until Prince Hisahito marries and has a son.