Monarchies Today - Royalty around the globe: Νοεμβρίου 2024

Living a long lifespan is not unusual for the Japanese Imperial Family. But exceeding a century of life is an indeed remarkable record! And it's not an exaggeration to say that The Prince & Princess Mikasa set unprecedented records in both longevity and length of marriage. Their union of 75 years and 5 days is the longest recorded marital period of any blue-blooded couple in the history of all Monarchies. And their lifespans, more than 2 centuries combined; making them both the longest-living members of The Imperial House in at least the past 1 1/2 century of modern history. First Prince Takahito (1915 - 2016), who became the first imperial prince to reach his 100th birthday and died 11 months later; and then his widow Yuriko (1923 - 2024), who exceeded his age and made it to 101, before dying of "old age" last Friday. She was the last living member of The Imperial Family born during the Reign of (her father-in-law) Emperor Taisho (1912-1926) at the time of her death.

Yuriko Takagi (as is her maiden name) was born on 4 June 1923, as the second daughter of Viscount Masanari Takagi (a nobleman, entomolosist & member of the House of Peers) and Kuniko Irie. Through her father, Yuriko descended from feudal lords of Tan'nan Domain, her prominent ancestors including a roju (shogunal minister) from the final (Bakumatsu) years of Edo Period in Japan. Her mother also came from an elite clan (Yanagihara), being a great-niece of Lady Yanagiwara Naruko (a concubine of Meiji & mother to Taisho Emperor), which made her daughter and her future husband second cousins once removed.

Yuriko finished high-school in Gakushuin Women's Academy (designated for the elites) in 1941. On 29 March, at age just 17 it was announced that she would marry the youngest brother of The (Reigning) Emperor Hirohito, Prince Takahito, thus joining The Imperial Family. The engagement ceremony was scheduled for October 3, and the Wedding ceremony followed later on October 22. This was an arranged marriage, without an explanation or rehearsals for the 18-year-old bride, who would later recall she had been crying all the morning that day. Upon her marriage to Takahito, Yuriko joined his Household and became The Princess Mikasa.

Their Imperial Wedding took place during the second Sino-Japanese War and shortly before Japan attacked Pearl-Harbor (entering WWII), thus the celebrations were scaled back, and the newlyweds were not interviewed by the press, as expected. During the War Prince Mikasa served as a junior cavalry officer in the Army and The Princess managed the household and gave birth to their first child, Princess Yasuko, in 1944. A year later, in May 1945, a US air-raid burned down their residence in Akasaka Estate (Motoakasaka district, Tokyo), forcing the young family to spend the final months of the war in an air-raid shelter, with "unhygienic" conditions outside. As Princess Yuriko would recount in interviews for the authobiography of her late husband in 2022, The Prince was against the idea of extending the war any further at that point, and had a heated conversation with young officers, visiting their shelter, who persisted not to end it. The War eventually ended that August with Japanese surrender and The Emperor giving up all of his excecutive powers & divine status to this of a figurehead, with The Imperial Family affairs coming under direct control of The Government and all of its cadet branches abolished alongside the entire nobility.

After the war Prince Takahito enrolled to The University of Tokyo's Faculty of Letters to study history. Amid his busy schedule with engagements on behalf of The Imperial Family, he would borrow notes from fellow students when he missed the lessons. But it would be only thanks to his wife, that he could always have an effective transcription on hand. It was Princess Yuriko who stayed late into the night to prepare them, as she did with playing and changing the educational records of Chinese language that her husband studied from before the war. In the meantime, the Princely Couple welcomed four more children - Prince Tomohito, Prince Yoshihito, Princess Masako and Prince Norihito - and the young mother took care of their upbringing, amid hardships and financial instability their family that faced. The Prince Mikasa would write on their 70th wedding anniversary (2011) that despite coming from a noble family, The Princess (likely) endured "extraordinary" challenges to manage all their house affairs, adapting to the more demanding and busy life in the Imperial Family. Among those extraordinary hardships, Yuriko also faced the tragic loss of her father, who disappeared with a death note in July 1948, only to be found months later.

As the impacts of WWII gradually subsided, The Prince and Princess Mikasa made a joint effort into poetry, attending haiku gatherings. Under their shared, adopted pen name Yukari, they started writing haiku poems, and published a collection of their own, titled Hatsuyuki (First Snow). Prince Takahito followed the academic path after the war, becoming a scholar specialized on ancient oriental history, archaeology and semitic languages. Princess Yuriko would always accompany him into field research trips to Asia and The Middle Ease and would capture short films with an 8mm camera to use them in slide projection during her husband's lectures in Japanese and foreign universities & research centers. Moreover, Yuriko would join Takahito in international goodwill trips, promoting Japanese friendship with foreign nations, and on occasions like the 50th anniversary of the Japanese emigration to Brazil (1958) and the 2,500th founding anniversaries of Ceylon (1956) & The Persian Empire (1971).

Princess Yuriko became President of The Imperial Gift Foundation Boshi-Aiiku-Kai in 1948. She supported this association, promoting the health of mother and child, for 62 years until retiring in September 2010. For 32 years she had been President of The Cultural Foundation for promoting The National Custom of Japan. As its honorary President Her Imperial Highness suggested that individuals with significant achievements in dyeing techniques would be also honored (& awarded) for their efforts, such as those involved in the culture of kimono. The Princess also served as Honorary Vice-President of The Japanese Red Cross Society, and other organizations in a wide range of fields, such as sports, welfare & international friendships. She contributed to the global level promotion of ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement) as well.

Yuriko, The Princess Mikasa, was a doting mother to all of her five children, while she respected the genger-based status, dictating Princesses to leave The Imperial Family upon marriage to a commoner. Ahead of such a marriage by their eldest daughter Yasuko to Tadateru Konoe in 1966, Prince Mikasa was deeply concerned about this "toughest" separation for his wife and her loneliness afterwards. Her second daughter Masako would also leave the Imperial Family after marrying to Soshitsu Sen (XVI) in 1983, while her eldest and youngest son would retain their titles upon their Weddings in 1980 & 1984 (respectively). Their two younger sons would be able to establish their own households, with Yoshihito created as Prince Katsura (in 1988), and Norihito creation as Prince Takamado (upon marriage in 1984). Thus, after five decades of marriage, Takahito & Yuriko (a senior Imperial Couple following the 1989 Imperial Succession by their nephew, Akihito) were able to enjoy the birth of nine grandchildren, including five Imperial Princesses, none of whom could inherit their or their son's Household.

Takahito, The Prince Mikasa, was appointed as a foreign associate of the Academie des Inscriptions et Belles-lettres in 1991 and a Honorary Fellow of The School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) in 1994. Princess Yuriko, his wife of more than 50 years accompanied him on both occasions. In May 1999 Princess Mikasa was admitted to St. Luke's International Hospital (in Chuo, Tokyo) to have a pacemaker implanted due to her ischemic heart disease (angina), while in July 2007 she underwent a successful surgery for colon cancer. His Imperial Highness always stayed by her side despite her frailty and thanks to him "I have lived to this day" she would later addmit. The Imperial Couple will celebrate their Diamond (60th) anniversary party in Marunouchi, Tokyo in 2001, while ten years later (in 2011), they'll publish personal gratitude message to each other to mark their (Platinum) 70th Wedding anniversary. Prince Takahito would say that undoubtedly "it was my wife Yuriko who supported me publicly and privately for 70 years". Both of them won't have enough words to express how thankful they are to each other.

From the turn of the century, Their Imperial Highnesses would be stuck with deep grief all over their later life. In November 2002, their youngest child, Prince Takamado died aged 47 from a cardiac arrest after collapsing during a squash lesson at The Canadian Embassy in Tokyo. Ten years later, in June 2012, their eldest son (& heir of the household) Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, died at 66 due to cancer, followed by his ailing brother, Prince Katsura's death two years later (June 2014) at the same age (66), from a heart attack. Thus, Prince and Princess Mikasa outlived all of their sons, while at the same time they got to see their first grandchildren marry and raising their own children. Prince Mikasa turned 100 in December 2015, and passed away in October 2016, shortly after their 75th wedding anniversary, celebrated in his hospital bed. Princess Yuriko, who was always fond of her husband's photo from his youth, riding a horse, led the funeral of her "dignified" Prince and his household for eight more years.

In her later years, Princess Yuriko stayed relatively healthy, even though she used a wheelchair and was hospitalized for short periods for heart failure, arrythmia & Covid-19 in the early 2020s. She attended the historic Abdication of her nephew Emperor Emeritus Akihito in 2019, but missed the Enthronement of her great-nephew Emperor Naruhito six months later. At the age of 100 The Princess Mikasa could still enjoy her time reading newspapers, watching baseball games on TV & relaxing in the sun in the garden. As long as her health permitted she took care of her hair & nails at a patronized hairdresser. She was hospitalized in March 2024 due to a stroke & aspirational pneumonia, but remained stable (and out of ICU) for most of her last months, undergoing rehabilitation until her organism functions declined. Princess Yuriko had been surrounded by her Imperial daughters-in-law & granddaughters (three of whom are unmarried) in her final hours, and breathed her last at 6:32' on 15 November 2024, having just lost her consciousness from the previous day. At 101 she was the world's oldest living senior Royal.

Princess Yuriko's Funeral ("Renso-no-gi") is taking place on Tuesday, 26 November 2024 at 10.00am, at Toshomagaoka cemetery in (Bunkyo Ward) Tokyo, with her eldest granddaughter, Princess Akiko of Mikasa, acting as chief mourner. Her body was brought back to her residence (Akasaka Estate, Minato Ward, Tokyo) three hours after her death, visited by The Sovereign & Retired Imperial Couples to pay their respects (as per tradition, neither will attend the funeral). The first rites took place on Saturday (November 16), with Ofunairi (placing the body inside the casket) at 5pm, followed by Haiketsu (farewell ceremony) where members of The Imperial Family paid their last respects. The vigil will take place on November 24 & 25, participated by Yuriko's immediate family, of whom The Mikasa & Takamado household are observing 30 days of mourning. The rest of The Imperial Family had five days of mourning. The death of Princess Mikasa leaves 16 living members of The Imperial House, five of whom are men and three in line of succession to The Chrysanthemum throne. The Princess is survived by her two daughters (aged 80 & 73), sons & daughters-in-law, 8 grandchildren & at least 7 great-grandchildren.