Princess Mikasa, the oldest member of Japan’s Imperial Family and great aunt to Emperor Naruhito, passed away at the age of 101 on Friday in a Tokyo hospital, the Imperial Household Agency confirmed. The princess had been hospitalized since March after suffering a stroke and pneumonia, and was recuperating in intensive care.
Born Yuriko Takagi on June 4, 1923, to an aristocratic family, she married Prince Mikasa, the younger brother of wartime Emperor Hirohito, at 18. Together, they had five children—two daughters and three sons. Her first child was born during World War II, a challenging time marked by the destruction of their home in an air raid, forcing her to seek shelter with her infant daughter.
Prince Mikasa, who passed away in 2016 at age 100, was a supporter of Japan’s decision to surrender in 1945, following the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, young officers who opposed the surrender would visit the family’s shelter to challenge his stance. Princess Mikasa recalled this tense period as “frightening,” with heated debates that felt as if “bullets were about to fly,” according to The Asahi Shimbun.
Following the war, the family faced financial struggles, leading Princess Mikasa to take on domestic duties. On her 100th birthday, she reflected on these years, expressing gratitude for the support of her husband and others during Japan’s challenging post-war period.
Tragically, all three of Princess Mikasa’s sons predeceased her, including one who died at age 47 while playing squash at the Canadian embassy. In Japan’s male-only succession system, royal women are barred from the throne and lose their imperial status if they marry outside the family. Despite these restrictions, Princess Mikasa has left a legacy through her three granddaughters, who remain in the royal family. Among them is Princess Akiko, whose memoir about her time at Oxford became a bestseller in Japan.
Princess Mikasa’s passing comes as the imperial succession faces uncertainty. Under current rules, Emperor Naruhito’s nephew, 18-year-old Prince Hisahito, is the only young heir, while Naruhito’s daughter, Princess Aiko, is ineligible to ascend the throne due to the Imperial Household Law established in 1947.
