Princess Yuriko, oldest member of the imperial family, has died

This is terrible news that the Japanese have unfortunately been expecting for several weeks. Princess Yuriko, aunt of Emperor Emeritus Akihito, has died at the age of 101. The centenarian princess had been hospitalized since the spring and her vital functions had declined rapidly over the past two weeks. The oldest member of the imperial family was the widow of Prince Takahito of Mikasa.

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Princess Yuriko of Mikasa dies at 101

Princess Yuriko of Mikasa died at Saint-Luc Hospital in Tokyo this Friday, November 15, 2024 in the early hours of the morning, the Imperial Household announced in a press release. For two weeks, his loved ones, including his daughters and grandchildren, took turns at his bedside in the hospital. Princess Yuriko, great-aunt of Emperor Naruhito, had been hospitalized several times in her last years. In March 2024, she was hospitalized following a mild stroke and aspiration pneumonia. She had not left the hospital since then.

The centenarian princess was fitted with a pacemaker in 1999 to overcome her bradyarrhythmia problems. In recent weeks, tests indicated a decline in his vital functions, including increasing heart weakness and a deterioration in his breathing capacity. Princess Yuriko celebrated her 101st birthday on June 4 and was therefore the oldest member of the imperial family. With his death, the imperial family of Japan only has 16 members.

Yuriko Takagi was born on June 4, 1923, the daughter of Viscount Masanari Takagi. Coming from the Japanese nobility, she was descended through her father from the daimyo Hotta Masayoshi, an influential figure of the 19th century. Her mother was the daughter of Viscount Irie Tamemori and her great-great-grandparents were the 6th Lord of Ōtaki, the 5th^e lord of Sakura or the 8^e lord of Uwajima. His maternal family was already related by marriage to the imperial family, his mother being a cousin of Emperor Hirohito.

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Emperor Naruhito's great-aunt had already lost her three sons

Barely out of Gakushuin school, reserved for girls of the nobility, Yuriko married Prince Takahito of Mikasa at the age of 18. Prince Takahito was the youngest of Emperor Yoshihito's four sons and at the time of his marriage in 1941, his older brother, Emperor Hirohito, ruled Japan. After the war, she became passionate about the research carried out by her husband, who was an archaeologist and orientalist. Together, they worked in the field and she took care of the archiving alongside him.

Prince Takahito and Princess Yuriko of Mikasa had five children. Prince Takahito died of a heart attack in 2016 at age 100. Princess Yuriko was therefore a widow for eight years. Given their longevity, Takahito and Yuriko have unfortunately witnessed the death of several of their children. Of their five children, only the two daughters, Yasuko (1944) and Masako (1951), are still alive. As required by the rules of the Imperial House, the two princesses were deposed upon their marriage, joining their husband's family. They are therefore no longer princesses or members of the imperial family. All three sons, Princes Tomohito (1946-2012), Yoshihito (1948-2014) and Norihito (1954-2002) are deceased. Princess Yuriko had nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Princess Yuriko no longer took on official commitments in recent years but she was still president of the Imperial Boshiaiiku-kai Foundation, which works for the well-being of mothers and children. Emperor Emeritus Akihito's aunt was also honorary president of the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Japanese Clothing. Above all, Princess Yuriko was involved in the Japanese Red Cross and she still held the title of honorary vice-president of the organization.