1.
Emperor of Japan
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The Emperor of Japan is the head of the Imperial Family and is the ceremonial head of state of Japans system of constitutional monarchy. According to the 1947 constitution, he is the symbol of the State, in Japanese, the Emperor is called Tennō, which means heavenly sovereign. In English, the use of the term Mikado for the Emperor was once common, currently, the Emperor of Japan is the only remaining monarch in the world reigning under the title of Emperor. The Imperial House of Japan is the oldest continuing hereditary monarchy in the world, in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, it is said that Japan was founded in 660 BC by Emperor Jimmu. He acceded the Chrysanthemum Throne upon the death of his father, Emperor Shōwa, the role of the Emperor of Japan has historically alternated between a largely ceremonial symbolic role and that of an actual imperial ruler. Since the establishment of the first shogunate in 1192, the Emperors of Japan have rarely taken on a role as supreme battlefield commander, Japanese Emperors have nearly always been controlled by external political forces, to varying degrees. In fact, between 1192 and 1867, the shoguns, or their shikken regents in Kamakura, were the de facto rulers of Japan, although they were nominally appointed by the Emperor. After the Meiji Restoration in 1867, the Emperor was the embodiment of all power in the realm. His current status as a figurehead dates from the 1947 Constitution, since the mid-nineteenth century, the Imperial Palace has been called Kyūjō, later Kōkyo, and is located on the former site of Edo Castle in the heart of Tokyo. Earlier, Emperors resided in Kyoto for nearly eleven centuries, the Emperors Birthday is a national holiday. Unlike most constitutional monarchies, the Emperor is not the nominal Chief Executive, article 65 of the Constitution explicitly vests executive power in the Cabinet, of which the Prime Minister is the leader. The Emperor is also not the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the Japan Self-Defense Forces Act of 1954 also explicitly vests this role with the Prime Minister. The Emperors powers are limited only to important ceremonial functions, article 4 of the Constitution stipulates that the Emperor shall perform only such acts in matters of state as are provided for in the Constitution and he shall not have powers related to government. It also stipulates that the advice and approval of the Cabinet shall be required for all acts of the Emperor in matters of state, article 4 also states that these duties can be delegated by the Emperor as provided for by law. Article 6 of the Constitution delegates the Emperor the following ceremonial roles, Appointment of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as designated by the Cabinet. Dissolution of the House of Representatives, proclamation of general election of members of the Diet. Attestation of the appointment and dismissal of Ministers of State and other officials as provided for by law, attestation of general and special amnesty, commutation of punishment, reprieve, and restoration of rights. Attestation of instruments of ratification and other documents as provided for by law
Emperor of Japan
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Emperor of Japan
Emperor of Japan
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Imperial Standard
Emperor of Japan
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The current empress,
Michiko
Emperor of Japan
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The current crown princess,
Masako
2.
Enthronement of the Japanese Emperor
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The Enthronement of the Emperor of Japan is an ancient ceremony which marks the accession of a new ruler to the Chrysanthemum Throne, in the worlds oldest continuous hereditary monarchy. Various ancient imperial regalia are given to the new sovereign during the course of the rite, the Japanese enthronement ceremony consists of three main parts. The first is the simplest, and takes place immediately after the death of the preceding sovereign, unlike other monarchies, Japan has no crown in its regalia. These three objects were originally said to have given by the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu-ōmikami, to her grandson when he first descended to earth. The most important of these three treasures is the mirror Yata no Kagami, which is enshrined in the Ise Shrine as the go-shintai and it is permanently housed in the shrine, and is not presented to the Emperor for the enthronement ceremony. Imperial messengers and priests are sent to this shrine, as well as to the tomb-shrines of the four Emperors whose reigns immediately preceded his, to inform them of the new Emperors accession. The second part of the ceremony, called the Sokui-Rei, is the enthronement ritual itself and this ancient rite was traditionally held in Kyoto, the former capital of Japan, but in 1990, Emperor Akihito was enthroned in Tokyo. The 1990 enthronement was the first to be covered on television and it was done indoors, with the elevated stand placed inside the Imperial Palace complex. Only part of the ritual is public, and the regalia itself is seen only by the Emperor. This was followed by the enthronement itself, which place in an enclosure called the Takamikura. This was surrounded by a pavilion with curtains, surmounted by a great golden Phoenix. At the same time, the Empress of Japan, in full dress regalia, traditional drums were, at this point of the ceremony, beaten to start the proceddings. The new Emperor proceeded to the chair, where after being seated, a simple wooden sceptre was presented to the Emperor, who faced his Prime Minister standing in an adjacent courtyard, representing the Japanese people. The Emperor offered an address announcing his accession to the throne and his Prime Minister replied with an address promising fidelity and devotion, followed by a three cheers of Banzai from all of those present. The timing of this last event was synchronized, so that Japanese around the world could join in the Banzai shout at precisely the moment that it was being offered in Kyoto or in Tokyo. This moment of the ends with the firing of a 21-gun salute by the Japan Self-Defense Force. First, two special rice paddies are chosen and purified by elaborate Shinto purification rites, the families of the farmers who are to cultivate the rice in these paddies must be in perfect health. Once the rice is grown and harvested, it is stored in a special Shinto shrine as its goshintai, each kernel must be whole and unbroken, and is individually polished before it is boiled
Enthronement of the Japanese Emperor
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Enthronement ceremony of Emperor Taisho in Kyoto Imperial Palace in 1915
Enthronement of the Japanese Emperor
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Emperor Shōwa at his enthronement in 1928.
Enthronement of the Japanese Emperor
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Takamikura used for the Enthronement.
Enthronement of the Japanese Emperor
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Ritual items from the Enthronement of the Japanese Emperor.
3.
Hirohito
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Emperor Shōwa was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from December 25,1926, until his death on January 7,1989. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Akihito, upon his death, although better known outside Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan, he is now referred to primarily by his posthumous name Emperor Shōwa. The word Shōwa is the name of the era that corresponded with the Emperors reign, the name Hirohito means abundant benevolence. He was the head of state under the Constitution of the Empire of Japan during Japans imperial expansion, militarization, born in Tokyos Aoyama Palace, Hirohito was the first son of Crown Prince Yoshihito and Crown Princess Sadako. He was the grandson of Emperor Meiji and Yanagihara Naruko and his childhood title was Prince Michi. At the age of 3, Hirohito and his brother Chichibu were returned to court when Kawamura died – first to the mansion in Numazu, Shizuoka. In 1908, he began studies at the Gakushūin. When his grandfather, Emperor Meiji, died on July 30,1912, Hirohitos father, Yoshihito, assumed the throne, in 1914, he was promoted to the ranks of lieutenant in the army and sub-lieutenant in the navy, then to captain and lieutenant in 1916. He was formally proclaimed Crown Prince and heir apparent on November 2,1916, Hirohito attended Gakushūin Peers School from 1908 to 1914 and then a special institute for the crown prince from 1914 to 1921. In 1920, Hirohito was promoted to the rank of Major in the army, in 1921, Hirohito took a six-month tour of Western Europe, including the United Kingdom, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium. After his return to Japan, he became Regent of Japan on November 29,1921, in 1923, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the army and Commander in the navy, and to army Colonel and Navy Captain in 1925. The Washington Naval Treaty was signed on February 6,1922, Japan withdrew troops from the Siberian Intervention on August 28,1922. The Great Kantō earthquake devastated Tokyo on September 1,1923, on December 27,1923, Daisuke Namba attempted to assassinate Hirohito in the Toranomon Incident but his attempt failed. During interrogation, he claimed to be a communist and was executed, the General Election Law was passed on May 5,1925, giving all men above age 25 the right to vote. Prince Hirohito married his distant cousin Princess Nagako Kuni, the eldest daughter of Prince Kuniyoshi Kuni and they had two sons and five daughters. On December 25,1926, Hirohito assumed the throne upon his father, Yoshihitos, the Crown Prince was said to have received the succession. The Taishō eras end and the Shōwa eras beginning were proclaimed, the deceased Emperor was posthumously renamed Emperor Taishō within days. Following Japanese custom, the new Emperor was never referred to by his name, but rather was referred to simply as His Majesty the Emperor
Hirohito
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Emperor Shōwa 昭和天皇
Hirohito
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Hirohito in 1902 as a baby
Hirohito
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Emperor Taishō 's four sons in 1921: Hirohito,
Takahito,
Nobuhito and
Yasuhito
Hirohito
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Prince Hirohito and British Prime Minister
Lloyd George, 1921
4.
Crown Prince Naruhito
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Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan is the elder son of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, which makes him the heir apparent to the Chrysanthemum Throne. Naruhito is first in line to become the 126th Emperor according to Japans traditional order of succession, in January 2017, reports emerged that the Emperor was considering abdicating the throne at the end of 2018 or beginning of 2019. Crown Prince Naruhito would succeed his father to the Chrysanthemum Throne, Naruhito was born on 23 February 1960 in a makeshift hospital on the grounds of the palace. The prince later quipped, I was born in a barn inside the moat, naruhitos childhood was reported to be happy, and he enjoyed such diverse hobbies as music, mountain climbing, and riding. He played with the children of the chamberlain, and he was a fan of the Yomiuri Giants in the Central League. He later said, I have had a keen interest in roads since childhood, on roads you can go to the unknown world. Since I have been leading a life where I have few chances to go out freely, roads are a bridge to the unknown world. In August 1974, when the prince was 14, he was sent to Melbourne, naruhitos father, then the Crown Prince Akihito, had had a positive experience there on a trip the year before and encouraged his son to go as well. He stayed with the family of businessman Colin Harper and he got along with his host brothers, riding around Point Lonsdale, playing violin and tennis, and climbing Uluru together. Once he even played violin for dignitaries at a dinner at Government House hosted by Governor-General Sir John Kerr. When Naruhito was four years old he was enrolled in the prestigious Gakushūin school system, in senior high, Naruhito joined the geography club. Naruhito graduated from Gakushuin University in March 1982 with a Bachelor of Letters degree in History, in July of the next year he entered a three-month intensive English course before entering Merton College, Oxford University, in the United Kingdom, where he would study until 1986. Naruhito would not, however, submit his thesis A Study of Navigation and he later revisited these years in his book, The Thames and I--a Memoir of Two Years at Oxford. Among his sightseeing destinations were some 21 historic pubs, including the Trout Inn, Naruhito joined the Japan Society and the drama society, and was the honorary president of the karate and judo clubs. He played inter-college tennis, seeding number three out of six on the Merton team, and took lessons from a pro. In his three years at Merton he also climbed the highest peaks in three of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom, Scotlands Ben Nevis, Wales Snowdon and Scafell Pike in England. While at Oxford, Naruhito also was able to go sightseeing across Europe and meet many of its royalty, the relatively relaxed manners of the United Kingdoms royals amazed him, Queen Elizabeth II, he noted with surprise, poured her own tea and served the sandwiches. He also went skiing with Liechtensteins Hans-Adam II, holidayed on Majorca in the Mediterranean with Juan Carlos I, upon his return to Japan, Naruhito would enroll once more in Gakushuin University to earn a Master of Humanities degree in History, successfully earning his degree in 1988
Crown Prince Naruhito
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The Crown Prince in 2015
Crown Prince Naruhito
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Naruhito in February 1961
Crown Prince Naruhito
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Naruhito with
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, in 2015
5.
Prime Minister of Japan
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The Prime Minister of Japan is the head of government of Japan. The Prime Minister is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the National Diet and he or she is the head of the Cabinet and appoints and dismisses the other Ministers of State. The literal translation of the Japanese name for the office is Minister for the Comprehensive Administration of the Cabinet, prior to the adoption of the Meiji Constitution, Japan had in practice no written constitution. Originally, a Chinese-inspired legal system known as ritsuryō was enacted in the late Asuka period, theoretically, the last ritsuryō code, the Yōrō Code enacted in 752, was still in force at the time of the Meiji Restoration. It took its current form with the adoption of the Constitution of Japan in 1947, to date,62 people have served this position. The current Prime Minister is Shinzō Abe, who re-took office on December 26,2012 and he is the first former Prime Minister to return to office since 1948, and the 6th longest serving member to date. The Prime Minister is designated by both houses of the Diet, before the conduct of any other business, for that purpose, each conducts a ballot under the run-off system. If the two houses choose different individuals, then a joint committee of both houses is appointed to agree on a common candidate. Ultimately, however, if the two houses do not agree within ten days, the decision of the House of Representatives is deemed to be that of the Diet, therefore, the House of Representatives can theoretically ensure the appointment of any Prime Minister it wants. The candidate is presented with their commission, and formally appointed to office by the Emperor. Must be a member of house of the Diet. Note that former officers from the World War II-era may be appointed prime minister despite the civilian requirement. Exercises control and supervision over the executive branch. Presents bills to the Diet on behalf of the Cabinet, appoints all Cabinet ministers, and can dismiss them at any time. May permit legal action to be taken against Cabinet ministers, must make reports on domestic and foreign relations to the Diet. Must report to the Diet upon demand to provide answers or explanations, may advise the Emperor to dissolve the Diets House of Representatives. Presides over meetings of the Cabinet, commander in chief of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. May override a court injunction against an act upon showing of cause
Prime Minister of Japan
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Incumbent
Shinzō Abe since December 26, 2012
Prime Minister of Japan
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Official Emblem of the Prime Minister of Japan
Prime Minister of Japan
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Kantei, the Office of the Prime Minister
6.
Noboru Takeshita
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Noboru Takeshita was a Japanese politician and the 74th Prime Minister of Japan from 6 November 1987 to 3 June 1989. Takeshita led the largest faction in the Liberal Democratic Party, which he inherited from Kakuei Tanaka and he was dubbed the last shadow shogun for his behind-the-scenes influence in Japanese politics. He was the last prime minister to serve during the rule of Emperor Hirohito. Takeshita was born in present-day Unnan, Shimane on 26 February 1924 and he married prior to World War II, when he joined the Imperial Japanese Army to serve as an instructor. His wife committed suicide while he was away for the war, after the war, he remarried, worked as an English teacher and managed a high school judo team before entering politics in 1951. As a young judo competitor, he was known as master of the draw for his ability to avoid defeating weaker opponents, Takeshita served as a local assemblyman in Shimane Prefecture from 1951. In the 1958 general election he won a seat in the House of Representatives and he was elected at the same time as Shin Kanemaru, and the two remained close allies through their respective political careers. Takeshita eventually became Tanakas primary fundraiser, traveling the country to support for the LDPs coffers. Like Tanaka, Takeshita was fond of pork barrel politics, retaining his own seat by bringing excessively huge public works projects to Shimane, Takeshita served as chief cabinet secretary from 1971 to 1974 and as minister of construction in 1976. Takeshita was the minister of finance from 1979 to 1980, in this period, he achieved prominence as Japans negotiator during deliberations which led to the agreement which is known as the Plaza Accord in New York. In the period Takeshita was finance minister, the Yen appreciated relative to other international currencies, the rise of the strong Yen enhanced Japans status as a financial powerhouse and led to the Japanese asset price bubble of the 1980s. Kakuei Tanaka was arrested in connection with the Lockheed bribery scandals in 1976 and found guilty by a court in 1983. In February 1985, Takeshita formed a group called Soseikai. Weeks after this defection, Tanaka suffered a stroke and became hospitalized, Tanaka never recovered from his stroke, and by July 1987, Takeshitas faction counted 113 of the 143 Tanaka faction members, while only thirteen supported Takeshitas rival Susumu Nikaido. The Tanaka faction members who moved to Takeshitas faction included Ichiro Ozawa, Tsutomu Hata, Ryutaro Hashimoto, Keizo Obuchi, in July 1986 Takeshita left the Cabinet and was named to the key post of secretary general of the party. In November 1987, Takeshita became president of the LDP and was thus elected Prime Minister of Japan, among the highlights of the period in which Takeshita led the government, he acknowledged that Japan had been an aggressor during World War II. This statement was part of a speech in the Japanese Diet and he was mainly remembered within Japan for implementing the countrys first consumption tax, which his government forced through the Diet in 1988 amid public opposition. The Recruit scandal forced Takeshita to resign in 1989, although Takeshita was accused of insider trading and corruption, he was never charged and was able to retain his seat in the Diet until shortly before his death
Noboru Takeshita
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Takeshita in June 1988
Noboru Takeshita
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Takeshita and his wife disembarking from a Japan Airlines DC-10 at
Andrews AFB during a US state visit
7.
Toshiki Kaifu
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Toshiki Kaifu is a Japanese politician who was the 76th and 77th Prime Minister of Japan from 1989 to 1991. Kaifu was born in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, on 2 January 1931 and he was educated at Chuo University and Waseda University. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, Kaifu ran successfully for the Diet in 1960 and he was education minister before rising to lead the party after the resignations of Takeshita Noboru and Sōsuke Uno, elected on the platform of clean leadership. He resigned in February 1991 and was replaced by Kiichi Miyazawa, in 1994, he left the LDP to become head of the newly founded Shinshinto. He supported Ichirō Ozawas party until he returned to LDP in 2003 and he was defeated in the election of 2009 by DPJ candidate Mitsunori Okamoto, which witnessed the end of almost uninterrupted LDP dominance since 1955. At the time of his defeat, he was the member of the lower house of the Diet
Toshiki Kaifu
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Kaifu in 1991
Toshiki Kaifu
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with the G7 leaders
8.
Kiichi Miyazawa
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Kiichi Miyazawa was a Japanese politician and the 78th Japanese Prime Minister serving from 5 November 1991 to 9 August 1993. Miyazawa was born into a wealthy, politically active family in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture and his father was a member of the Diet and his grandfather a cabinet minister. He graduated from Tokyo Imperial University with a degree in law, in 1942, he joined the ministry of finance, avoiding military service during World War II. In 1953, he was elected to the house of the Diet of Japan. He became minister of finance under the government of Noboru Takeshita in July 1986, however, Miyazawa had to resign amid the Recruit scandal in 1988. Miyazawa became Prime Minister on 5 November 1991 backed by his faction, Miyazawa gained brief fame in the United States when President George H. W. Bush vomited in his lap and fainted during a state dinner on 8 January 1992. His government passed a law allowing Japan to send its forces overseas for peacekeeping missions as well as negotiating an agreement with the United States. It also introduced reforms to address the growing economic malaise in Japan in the 1990s. Miyazawa resigned in 1993 after losing a vote of no confidence marking an end to 38 years of Liberal Democratic Party government, the reason for the vote was a scandal involving Fumio Abe, a member of Miyazawas faction. The Liberal Democratic Party returned to power in June 1994, Miyazawa later returned to frontbench politics when he was once again appointed finance minister from 1998 to 2001 in the governments of Keizō Obuchi and Yoshirō Mori. In 1998, Miyazawa replaced Hikaru Matsunaga as finance minister and he served a total 14 terms in both upper and lower houses before retiring from politics in 2003. The reason for his retirement was that then prime minister Junichiro Koizumi set an age limit of 73 for LDP political candidates, Miyazawa married while studying in the United States. He published a book, entitled Secret Talks Between Tokyo and Washington, the book is about Miyazawas views concerning the relationships between the US and Japan in terms of the political, economic, and security-related negotiations during the period of 1949 and 1954. Miyazawa died in Tokyo at the age of 87 on 28 June 2007
Kiichi Miyazawa
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Kiichi Miyazawa
Kiichi Miyazawa
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Kiichi Miyazawa, left, meets in 1999 with U.S. Secretary of Treasury
Robert Rubin. At the time, Miyazawa was serving as minister of finance.
9.
Morihiro Hosokawa
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Morihiro Hosokawa is a Japanese politician who was the 79th Prime Minister of Japan from 9 August 1993 to 28 April 1994. His coalition was the first non-Liberal Democratic Party government since 1955 and he ran as a candidate for governor of Tokyo in the February 2014 gubernatorial election as an independent supported by the Democratic Party of Japan. He is since 2005, the 18th Head of the Kumamoto-Hosokawa clan, morihiro Hosokawa was born in Tokyo as the eldest grandson of Moritatsu, 3rd Marquess Hosokawa, and the 16th Head of the Hosokawa clan. His maternal grandfather is the prime minister Prince Fumimaro Konoe. He is also a descendant of Christian heroine Gracia Hosokawa, Hosokawa received his LL. B. degree from Sophia University in 1961. After working for the newspaper Asahi Shimbun as journalist for five years and he was elected to the House of Councillors of Japan as an LDP representative of Kumamoto Prefecture in 1971, with his campaign funded by party boss Kakuei Tanaka. After serving two terms in the National Diet, he left in 1983 to become the governor of Kumamoto, during his term as governor, he complained about interference in local affairs from the central government in Tokyo. In May 1992, a campaign contribution scandal inspired him to form the reformist Japan New Party. The previous LDP government of Kiichi Miyazawa was replaced by an eight-party coalition government which promised a series of social, political, Hosokawa, one of the major voices in forming the coalition, was chosen as the new Prime Minister. He was also at odds with Japans bureaucracy, which he sought to reform after decades of bureaucratic entrenchment under the LDP, Hosokawa made several unprecedented moves toward atonement with Japans Asian neighbors during his term as prime minister. In his first news conference in office, he made a statement acknowledging that Japan waged a war of aggression in World War II. He later said, You can obviously define aggression in any number of ways, I knew my opinion was going to invite heated controversy. Hosokawa viewed the Japanese annexation of Korea as wrong and rejected the view in Japan that it was with Koreas consent and was beneficial to Korea. On 19 March 1994, he visited China, and the two signed an agreement of cooperation in environmental protection. In May 1994, right-wing extremist Masakatsu Nozoe fired a gunshot into the ceiling of a Tokyo hotel where Hosokawa was giving a speech, Hosokawas acts toward China and Korea inspired Russian president Boris Yeltsin to apologize to Hosokawa for the Soviet detention of Japanese prisoners of war in Siberia. Hosokawa later speculated that if men had remained in office longer Russian-Japanese relations would have improved significantly. Hosokawa also had a personal relationship with Bill Clinton. These compromises had a impact on the public approval of the Hosokawa coalition
Morihiro Hosokawa
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Hosokawa campaigning at
Takadanobaba Station
10.
Tsutomu Hata
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Tsutomu Hata is a Japanese politician and was the 80th Prime Minister of Japan for 9 weeks in 1994. He was a member of the house representing Nagano #3 district. He was elected 14 times, retiring in 2012 and he was born in Tokyo on August 24,1935, a son of the Liberal Democratic Party Member of Parliament Bushiro Hata. Hata graduated from Seijo University and was employed by the Odakyu bus company from 1958 to 1969, in 1969, he entered the House of Representatives of Japan, representing Nagano Prefecture as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He rose to become a top lieutenant in the Tanaka/Takeshita faction in the 1980s, in 1991, he served as Minister of Finance under Kiichi Miyazawa. He left the LDP in 1993 to found the Japan Renewal Party with longtime LDP ally Ichirō Ozawa, Hata served as foreign minister in the Hosokawa cabinet. On 28 April 1994, Hosokawa resigned and Hata became prime minister, however, the Japan Socialist Party had recently left the coalition, destroying its majority in the Diet. Rather than face a vote of no confidence, Hata elected to resign in June, a number of progressive reforms were introduced during Hatas tenure as prime minister. A health insurance amendment law passed on the 29th of June 1994 exempted employees from the requirement to pay National Health Insurance fees during child-care leave, after the Shinseito merged into the Shinshinto in late 1994, Hata contested the leadership against Ichiro Ozawa. After losing this contest, he and twelve other Diet members formed the splinter Sun Party, the Sun Party in January 1998 became a part of the Good Governance Party which itself was subsumed by the Democratic Party of Japan in April 1998. Hatas son, Yuichiro, is a member of the House of Councillors of Japan and he was appointed the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on 4 June 2012. Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers Sanger, David E, man in the News, Cautious Leader in Japan, Tsutomu Hata
Tsutomu Hata
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H. Itō
11.
Tomiichi Murayama
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Tomiichi Murayama is a retired Japanese politician who served as the 81st Prime Minister of Japan from 30 June 1994 to 11 January 1996. He was the head of the Social Democratic Party of Japan and he is most remembered today for his speech On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the wars end, in which he publicly apologised for Imperial Japanese atrocities committed during World War II. Murayama was born in Ōita Prefecture on 3 March 1924, his father was a fisherman and he entered Meiji University in 1943 as a philosophy student, but was mobilised in 1944 and assigned to work in the Ishikawajima shipyards. Later that year, he was drafted into the Imperial Army and he was demobilised following Japans surrender with the rank of officer candidate. Murayama was appointed secretary of the union in his company and entered the Japan Socialist Party. He began his career as a member of the Ōita city council in 1955. In 1963 his supporters urged him to be a candidate for the Ōita prefectural assembly and he was elected three times successively. In 1972 he was elected to the House of Representatives of Japan, in 1991 he was appointed chairman of the Diet Affairs Committee of his party. In August 1993 after the election, the Japan Socialist Party joined the cabinet until 1994. In October of the year he was elected the head of the party. Murayama became prime minister on 30 June 1994, the cabinet was based on a coalition consisting of the Japan Socialist Party, the Liberal Democratic Party, and the New Party Sakigake. Because of the coalition, his leadership was not strong. His government was criticised for not dealing quickly with the Kobe earthquake that hit Japan on 17 January 1995, just two months later, on 20 March, the Aum Shinrikyo cult carried out the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway. As the prime minister, he apologised for the committed by Japan during World War II. In social policy, various reforms were carried out in such as labour rights, care for the elderly, child support. Amendments made to the Radiation Hindrance Prevention Law of 1957 in 1995 extended the law to cover rental business workers, rental business offices, in July 1995, a law came into effect that imposed strict liability, or liability without fault, upon manufacturers and importers of defective products. The Food Sanitation Law of 1995 introduced a food safety system. In addition, new comprehensive employment measures were introduced, in the Japanese House of Councillors election,1995, his party lost seats
Tomiichi Murayama
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Murayama in June 1995
12.
Yasuo Fukuda
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Yasuo Fukuda was the 58th Prime Minister of Japan, serving from 2007 to 2008. He was previously the longest-serving Chief Cabinet Secretary in Japanese history, following the resignation of Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, Fukuda was elected as President of the Liberal Democratic Party and became Prime Minister in September 2007. Fukuda was the first son of a former Japanese Prime Minister to also take up the post, on 1 September 2008, Fukuda announced his resignation, triggering another LDP leadership election. Fukuda was born in Takasaki, Gunma, the eldest son of politician Takeo Fukuda and he grew up in Setagaya, Tokyo, attending Azabu High School and graduating from Waseda University in 1959 with a degree in economics. After university, he joined Maruzen Petroleum and he was only minimally involved in politics over the next seventeen years, working his way up to section chief as a typical Japanese salaryman. He was posted to the United States from 1962-64, while his father Takeo Fukuda was prime minister from 1976–78, Yasuo became a political secretary. From 1978 to 1989, he was a director of the Kinzai Institute for Financial Affairs, Fukuda also served as president of the Japanese Canoe Federation prior to his September 2007 election as Prime Minister. Fukuda ran for the House of Representatives in 1990 and won a seat and he was elected deputy director of the Liberal Democratic Party in 1997 and became Chief Cabinet Secretary to Yoshirō Mori in October 2000. He resigned his position as Chief Cabinet Secretary on 7 May 2004 amid a political scandal related to the Japanese pension system. Fukuda was considered a contender for the leadership of the LDP in 2006, instead, Shinzō Abe succeeded Junichirō Koizumi as leader of the LDP and Prime Minister of Japan. One of his most noted policy goals is to end prime ministerial visits to Yasukuni Shrine, in June 2006, Fukuda joined 134 other lawmakers in proposing a secular alternative to the shrine, citing constitutional concerns. Fukuda received a deal of support in his bid, including that of the LDPs largest faction, led by Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura. Finance Minister Fukushiro Nukaga, who initially had intended to run for the leadership, Fukudas only competitor for the leadership, Tarō Asō, publicly acknowledged the likelihood of his own defeat a week before the election. In the election, on 23 September, he defeated Aso, Fukuda was formally elected as Japans 91st prime minister on 25 September. This deadlock was resolved in favor of the lower houses choice. Fukuda and his cabinet were sworn in by Emperor Akihito on September 26. On 11 June 2008, a non-binding censure motion was passed by parliaments opposition-controlled upper house against Yasuo Fukuda, filed by the Democratic Party of Japan and two other parties, it was the first censure motion against a prime minister under Japans post-war constitution. Ahead of the G8 summit, it attacked his handling of issues including an unpopular medical plan
Yasuo Fukuda
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Fukuda at the 2008
World Economic Forum.
Yasuo Fukuda
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Fukuda at his fundraising party in October 2004.
Yasuo Fukuda
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Fukuda (left) and United States President
George W. Bush (right) exchange handshakes following their joint statement at the White House, November 16, 2007.
Yasuo Fukuda
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Fukuda and United States President George W. Bush exchange handshakes following their first meeting at the White House.
13.
Yukio Hatoyama
–
Yukio Hatoyama is a former Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 16 September 2009 to 2 June 2010. He was the first Prime Minister from the modern Democratic Party of Japan, first elected to the House of Representatives in 1986, Hatoyama became President of the DPJ, the main opposition party, in May 2009. He then led the party to victory in the August 2009 general election, defeating the long-governing Liberal Democratic Party and he represented the Hokkaido 9th district in the House of Representatives from 1986 to 2012. Hatoyama comes from a prominent Japanese political family which has been likened to the Kennedy family of the United States, Hatoyama, who was born in Bunkyō, Tokyo, is a fourth generation politician. His paternal great-grandfather, Kazuo Hatoyama, was speaker of the House of Representatives of the Diet of Japan from 1896 to 1897 during the Meiji era, Kazuo later served as the president of Waseda University. His paternal great-grandmother, Haruko Hatoyama, was a co-founder of what is today as Kyoritsu Womens University. His paternal grandfather, Ichirō Hatoyama, was a politician, he served as Prime Minister and was a founder. As Prime Minister, he restored diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, Hatoyama is the son of Iichirō Hatoyama, who was Foreign Minister for a time. His mother, Yasuko Hatoyama, is a daughter of Shojiro Ishibashi, Yasuko Hatoyama is known as the Godmother within the Japanese political world for her financial contributions to both of her sons political ambitions. In particular, Yasuko donated billions of yen when Kunio and Yukio co-created their previous Democratic Party of Japan in 1996 to help establish her sons fledgling political party. His younger brother, Kunio Hatoyama, served as Minister of Internal Affairs and his younger sister-in-law Emily Hatoyama who is Kunios wife, an Australian Japanese, was a TV personality in Japan. Hatoyama graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Tokyo in 1969 and he met his wife, Miyuki Hatoyama, while studying at Stanford. The couple married in 1975 after Miyuki divorced her ex-husband, the couples son, Kiichirō, graduated from the urban engineering department of the University of Tokyo, is a visiting engineering researcher at Moscow State University. Hatoyama worked as assistant professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology and later transferred to Senshu University as associate professor, Hatoyamas son Kiichiro Hatoyama is married and has given Hatoyama senior two grandchildren. Hatoyama ran for a seat in the Hokkaido 9th District and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1986 representing the ruling LDP, in 1993 he left the LDP to form the New Party Sakigake with Naoto Kan, Masayoshi Takemura and Shūsei Tanaka. He and Kan then left to join the newly formed Democratic Party of Japan, Hatoyama and his younger brother, Kunio Hatoyama, co-created the party, using billions of yen donated by their mother, Yasuko. Kunio Hatoyama eventually left the DPJ, saying the party had drifted too far to the left from its original centrist roots, Yukio remained with the party through its merger with several other opposition parties in 1998. He was Secretary-General of the Democratic Party of Japan before he succeeded Ozawa as party leader following Ozawas resignation on 11 May 2009, Hatoyama was chosen by fellow party representatives on 16 May 2009, winning 124 of the 219 votes and defeating rival Katsuya Okada
Yukio Hatoyama
–
Hatoyama in September 2009
Yukio Hatoyama
–
Ichirō Hatoyama and his two grandsons, Yukio and
Kunio
Yukio Hatoyama
–
Hatoyama with
Dmitry Medvedev,
President of Russia
Yukio Hatoyama
–
Hatoyama with
Barack Obama, President of the United States
14.
Naoto Kan
–
Naoto Kan is a Japanese politician, and former Prime Minister of Japan. In June 2010, then-Finance Minister Kan was elected as the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, on 26 August 2011, Kan announced his resignation. Yoshihiko Noda was formally appointed as Prime Minister on 2 September 2011, on 1 August 2012, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced Kan would be one of the members of the UN high-level panel on the post-2015 development agenda. Kan was born in Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, as the son of Hisao Kan and he graduated in 1970 from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and became a licensed benrishi in 1971. After graduating from college, Kan worked at a patent office for four years and he actively engaged in civic grassroots movements for years and also served on election campaign staff for Fusae Ichikawa, a womens rights activist. After having lost in the 1976 and 1979 general elections and 1977 Upper House election, at that time, he was a member of a small party forming the ruling coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party. His frank action was unprecedented and was applauded by the media. In 1998, his image was affected by allegations of an affair, after Yukio Hatoyama resigned as the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, Kan again took over the position. In July 2003, the DPJ and the Liberal Party led by Ichirō Ozawa agreed to form an opposition party to prepare for the general election that was anticipated to take place in the fall. His face was used as the trademark of the campaign against the LDP, however, in 2004 Kan was accused of unpaid annuities and again resigned the position of leader. On 10 May 2004, he announced his resignation and made the Shikoku Pilgrimage. Later, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare spokesman apologized, in mid-October 2005, Kan, who turned 60 in 2006, proposed the creation of a new political party to be called the Dankai Party. The initial intent of the party was to offer places of activity for the Japanese baby boomers –2.7 million of whom began to retire en masse in 2007 and he believes the Japan Self-Defense Forces should play a more prominent role on the international stage. On 6 January 2010, he was picked by Yukio Hatoyama to be the new finance minister and he replaced Hirohisa Fujii as finance minister. When it comes to foreign exchange, stability is desirable and rapid moves are undesirable, the government basically shouldnt comment on foreign exchange, he told reporters. The Cabinet resigned en masse on 4 June, on 8 June, Emperor Akihito formally appointed Kan as the countrys 94th Prime Minister, and the 29th postwar Prime Minister. Kans approval ratings fell in the month of June after he proposed an increase in the tax rate from 5% to 10%. His sales tax proposal was opposed by Ichirō Ozawa, amongst others in the DPJ
Naoto Kan
–
Kan in January 2011
Naoto Kan
–
Kan with
Dmitry Medvedev at the
36th G8 summit on 25 June 2010.
Naoto Kan
–
with
Barack Obama (the
2010 G-20 Toronto summit, 27 June 2010)
Naoto Kan
–
Kan inspects
Ishinomaki, one month after the
Great East Japan earthquake
15.
Yoshihiko Noda
–
Yoshihiko Noda is a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 2011 to 2012. He is a member of the Democratic Party of Japan, and he was named to succeed Naoto Kan as a result of a runoff vote against Banri Kaieda in his party, and was formally appointed by the Emperor on 2 September 2011. Following a severe loss for the DPJ in the December 2012 general election, Noda conceded defeat and he was succeeded by Shinzō Abe as Prime Minister on 26 December 2012. Noda was born in Funabashi, Chiba on 20 May 1957, unlike many prominent Japanese politicians, Noda has no family connections to Nagatachō. His parents were too poor to pay for a wedding reception, Noda graduated from Chiba Prefectural Funabashi Senior High School in 1975. He graduated from Waseda University with the B. A. degree in Political Science in 1980 and was accepted into the prestigious Matsushita Institute. This institution was founded by Kōnosuke Matsushita to groom future civic leaders of Japan and he was first elected to the assembly of Chiba Prefecture in 1987 at the age of 29. In 1993, he was elected to the Diet for first time representing Chibas Lower House District #4 as a member of the now-defunct Japan New Party and he later joined the DPJ and served as its Diet affairs chief as well as head of the partys public relations office. In October 2005, Noda criticized Prime Minister Junichirō Koizumi for his position on Japanese class A war criminals as war criminals, however, Noda supported Koizumis visit to Yasukuni Shrine. Noda acted as senior vice finance minister when the DPJ won control of the Diet in September 2009 and he was known as a reformist and had led a DPJ intraparty group critical of ex-DPJ powerbroker Ichirō Ozawa. Upon assuming the post of minister, Noda, a fiscal conservative, expressed his determination to slash Japans deficit. After Naoto Kans resignation in August 2011, Noda stood as a candidate in the party election to replace him and he won a runoff vote against Banri Kaieda in the leadership election, making him the presumptive prime minister. He inherited the challenge of rebuilding from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, during the party caucus making the leadership decision, Noda made a 15-minute speech in which he summarized his political career by comparing himself to dojo loach, a kind of bottom-feeding fish. Paraphrasing a poem by Mitsuo Aida, he said, Ill never be a goldfish in a scarlet robe, Ill work hard for the people, to move politics forward. The loach speech was popular among his colleagues and cemented his reputation at the start of his term. Noda was said to have relations with the United States. On 15 August 2011 —the anniversary of the Surrender of Japan in World War II and this proved controversial and was widely discussed in Japanese society. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government under Governor Shintaro Ishihara sought to buy the Senkaku Islands, on 27 April 2012 the Tokyo government began raising funds from the public to purchase the islands
Yoshihiko Noda
–
Noda in October 2011
Yoshihiko Noda
–
Noda with Singapore Finance Minister
Tharman Shanmugaratnam and
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner
Yoshihiko Noda
–
Poster in
Toyonaka, Osaka
Yoshihiko Noda
–
Noda at the 2010
APEC Finance Summit
16.
Tokyo Imperial Palace
–
The Tokyo Imperial Palace is the primary residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is built on the site of the old Edo Castle, the total area including the gardens is 3.41 square kilometres. During the height of the 1980s Japanese property bubble, the grounds were valued by some to be more than the value of all of the real estate in the state of California. After the capitulation of the shogunate and the Meiji Restoration, the inhabitants, leaving the Kyoto Imperial Palace on 26 November 1868, the Emperor arrived at the Edo Castle, made it to his new residence and renamed it to Tōkei Castle. At this time Tōkyō had also been called Tōkei and he left for Kyōto again, and after coming back on 9 May 1869, it was renamed to Imperial Castle. Previous fires had destroyed the Honmaru area containing the old donjon, on the night of 5 May 1873, a fire consumed the Nishinomaru Palace, and the new imperial Palace Castle was constructed on the site in 1888. A non-profit Rebuilding Edo-jo Association was founded in 2004 with the aim of a historically correct reconstruction of at least the main donjon, a reconstruction blueprint had been made based on old documents. The Imperial Household Agency at the time had not indicated whether it would support the project, in the Meiji era, most structures from the Edo Castle disappeared. Some were cleared to make way for other buildings while others were destroyed by earthquakes, for example, the wooden double bridges over the moat were replaced with stone and iron bridges. The buildings of the Imperial Palace constructed in the Meiji era were constructed of wood and their design employed traditional Japanese architecture in their exterior appearance while the interiors were an eclectic mixture of then-fashionable Japanese and European elements. The ceilings of the chambers were coffered with Japanese elements, however, Western chairs, tables. The floors of the rooms had parquets or carpets while the residential spaces used traditional tatami mats. The main audience hall was the part of the palace. It was the largest building in the compound, guests were received there for public events. The floor space was more than 223 tsubo or approximately 737.25 m2, in the interior, the coffered ceiling was traditional Japanese-style, while the floor was parquetry. The roof was styled similarly to the Kyoto Imperial Palace, but was covered with copper plates rather than Japanese cypress shingles, in the late Taishō and early Shōwa period, more concrete buildings were added, such as the headquarters of the Imperial Household Ministry and the Privy Council. These structures exhibited only token Japanese elements, from 1888 to 1948, the compound was called Palace Castle. On the night of 25 May 1945, most structures of the Imperial Palace were destroyed in the Allied firebombing raid on Tokyo
Tokyo Imperial Palace
–
Panorama of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo
Tokyo Imperial Palace
–
Map of the Imperial Palace and surrounding gardens
Tokyo Imperial Palace
–
Aerial photograph of Imperial Palace of Japan in 1979
Tokyo Imperial Palace
–
The Kyūden (宮殿
?) shortly after its completion in the late 1800s
17.
Tokyo
–
Tokyo, officially Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan and one of its 47 prefectures. The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous area in the world. It is the seat of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government, Tokyo is in the Kantō region on the southeastern side of the main island Honshu and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands. Formerly known as Edo, it has been the de facto seat of government since 1603 when Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu made the city his headquarters. It officially became the capital after Emperor Meiji moved his seat to the city from the old capital of Kyoto in 1868, Tokyo Metropolis was formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo Prefecture and the city of Tokyo. The Tokyo metropolitan government administers the 23 Special Wards of Tokyo, the metropolitan government also administers 39 municipalities in the western part of the prefecture and the two outlying island chains. The population of the wards is over 9 million people. The prefecture is part of the worlds most populous metropolitan area with upwards of 37.8 million people, the city hosts 51 of the Fortune Global 500 companies, the highest number of any city in the world. Tokyo ranked third in the International Financial Centres Development IndexEdit, the city is also home to various television networks such as Fuji TV, Tokyo MX, TV Tokyo, TV Asahi, Nippon Television, NHK and the Tokyo Broadcasting System. Tokyo ranked first in the Global Economic Power Index and fourth in the Global Cities Index. The city is considered a world city – as listed by the GaWCs 2008 inventory – and in 2014. In 2015, Tokyo was named the Most Liveable City in the world by the magazine Monocle, the Michelin Guide has awarded Tokyo by far the most Michelin stars of any city in the world. Tokyo ranked first in the world in the Safe Cities Index, the 2016 edition of QS Best Student Cities ranked Tokyo as the 3rd-best city in the world to be a university student. Tokyo hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics, the 1979 G-7 summit, the 1986 G-7 summit, and the 1993 G-7 summit, and will host the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tokyo was originally known as Edo, which means estuary. During the early Meiji period, the city was also called Tōkei, some surviving official English documents use the spelling Tokei. However, this pronunciation is now obsolete, the name Tokyo was first suggested in 1813 in the book Kondō Hisaku, written by Satō Nobuhiro. When Ōkubo Toshimichi proposed the renaming to the government during the Meiji Restoration, according to Oda Kanshi, Tokyo was originally a small fishing village named Edo, in what was formerly part of the old Musashi Province. Edo was first fortified by the Edo clan, in the twelfth century
Tokyo
–
Clockwise from top:
Nishi-Shinjuku,
Rainbow Bridge,
National Diet Building,
Shibuya,
Tokyo Skytree
Tokyo
–
Satellite photo of Tokyo's 23 Special wards taken by
NASA 's
Landsat 7
Tokyo
–
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokyo
–
Ginza area in 1933
18.
Japan
–
Japan is a sovereign island nation in Eastern Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies off the eastern coast of the Asia Mainland and stretches from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea, the kanji that make up Japans name mean sun origin. 日 can be read as ni and means sun while 本 can be read as hon, or pon, Japan is often referred to by the famous epithet Land of the Rising Sun in reference to its Japanese name. Japan is an archipelago consisting of about 6,852 islands. The four largest are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, the country is divided into 47 prefectures in eight regions. Hokkaido being the northernmost prefecture and Okinawa being the southernmost one, the population of 127 million is the worlds tenth largest. Japanese people make up 98. 5% of Japans total population, approximately 9.1 million people live in the city of Tokyo, the capital of Japan. Archaeological research indicates that Japan was inhabited as early as the Upper Paleolithic period, the first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other regions, mainly China, followed by periods of isolation, from the 12th century until 1868, Japan was ruled by successive feudal military shoguns who ruled in the name of the Emperor. Japan entered into a period of isolation in the early 17th century. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan is a member of the UN, the OECD, the G7, the G8, the country has the worlds third-largest economy by nominal GDP and the worlds fourth-largest economy by purchasing power parity. It is also the worlds fourth-largest exporter and fourth-largest importer, although Japan has officially renounced its right to declare war, it maintains a modern military with the worlds eighth-largest military budget, used for self-defense and peacekeeping roles. Japan is a country with a very high standard of living. Its population enjoys the highest life expectancy and the third lowest infant mortality rate in the world, in ancient China, Japan was called Wo 倭. It was mentioned in the third century Chinese historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms in the section for the Wei kingdom, Wa became disliked because it has the connotation of the character 矮, meaning dwarf. The 倭 kanji has been replaced with the homophone Wa, meaning harmony, the Japanese word for Japan is 日本, which is pronounced Nippon or Nihon and literally means the origin of the sun. The earliest record of the name Nihon appears in the Chinese historical records of the Tang dynasty, at the start of the seventh century, a delegation from Japan introduced their country as Nihon
Japan
–
The
Golden Hall and
five-storey pagoda of
Hōryū-ji, among the oldest wooden buildings in the world,
National Treasures, and a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Japan
Japan
–
Samurai warriors face Mongols, during the
Mongol invasions of Japan. The
Kamikaze, two storms, are said to have saved Japan from Mongol fleets.
Japan
–
Samurai could
kill a commoner for the slightest insult and were widely feared by the Japanese population.
Edo period, 1798
19.
Fumihito, Prince Akishino
–
Fumihito, Prince Akishino is a member of the Japanese imperial family. He is the son of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. Since his marriage in June 1990, he has held the title of Akishino-no-miya, the prince was born on 30 November 1965 in Tokyo. His childhood appellation was Prince Aya and he attended the elementary and secondary departments of the Gakushuin. In April 1984, he entered the Law Department of Gakushuin University, after graduating from the university with a Bachelors degree in Political Science, he studied the taxonomy of fish at St Johns College, Oxford in the United Kingdom from October 1988 to June 1990. Upon the death of his grandfather, Emperor Shōwa, in January 1989, he became second-in-line to the throne after his elder brother, Prince Fumihito received a PhD degree in ornithology from the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in October 1996. His doctoral dissertation was titled, Molecular Phylogeny of Jungle Fowls, genus Gallus and he conducted field research in Indonesia in 1993 and 1994, in Yunnan Province in the Peoples Republic of China. When the current Emperor was still Crown Prince, he introduced tilapia to Thailand as an important source of protein. Tilapia can be cultured and Prince Fumihito, who is also known as catfish specialist, has managed to maintain. On 29 June 1990, Prince Fumihito married Kiko Kawashima, the daughter of Tatsuhiko Kawashima and his wife, the couple met when they were both undergraduates at Gakushuin. Like his father, the present Emperor, the Prince married outside the former aristocracy, upon marriage, he received the title Prince Akishino and authorization from the Imperial Household Economy Council to form a new branch of the Imperial Family. Prince Akishino serves as the president of the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology and he is also the honorary president of the World Wide Fund for Nature Japan, the Japan Tennis Association, and the Japan-Netherlands Association. He is a professor of Tokyo University of Agriculture. Prince and Princess Akishino also foster friendly relations with foreign countries by representing Japan at select international events, for example, they traveled to the Netherlands in August 2009 to commemorate 400 years of trade between the Netherlands and Japan. They were invited by the Dutch government and were hosted by Queen Beatrix in The Hague and their public activities included meeting Japanese language students, visiting the Siebold House, a university hospital, and two other museums. In addition, this visit also included talks with the Dutch prime minister. In addition, Prince Akishino carried out duties on behalf of the Emperor when he was hospitalized. He and other members of the family visited the affected areas after the Great East Japan earthquake in March 2011
Fumihito, Prince Akishino
–
Prince Akishino on 23 December 2009.
Fumihito, Prince Akishino
–
The Prince and Princess Akishino in December 2005.
20.
Sayako Kuroda
–
Sayako Kuroda, formerly Sayako, Princess Nori, is an imperial Shinto Priestess of the Ise Grand Shrine. She is the youngest child and only daughter of Emperor Akihito, Kuroda held the appellation Nori-no-miya, until her marriage to Yoshiki Kuroda on 15 November 2005. As a result, she gave up her title and left the Japanese Imperial Family. Later in the year she was accepted as associate at the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology. In 1998, she was appointed researcher at the same institute and she contributed articles about birds to various academic works. Apart from her research, she has traveled abroad and within Japan. Princess Sayako was the first to lose royal status since the marriage of Princess Masako of Mikasa, one of Emperor Akihitos cousins, the Emperor and Empress were in attendance at her wedding, as were Crown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako and other members of the Imperial Family. About 30 people attended the ceremony, and some 120 guests attended the reception, thousands of well-wishers lined the streets between the royal palace and the city hotel where the half-hour marriage rite took place. Kuroda resigned from her job as an ornithologist to focus on her family life, while she is no longer entitled to an imperial allowance, she reportedly received a dowry worth US$1.29 million. To prepare for her change of lifestyle, Princess Sayako reportedly took driving lessons and she was among the guests during a banquet held at the Tokyo Imperial Palace in honour of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium in October 2016. In years after her marriage, Kuroda has continued to appear during some formal occasions with members of the Imperial Family. Prior to her marriage on 15 November 2005, she was styled as Her Imperial Highness The Princess Nori, after her marriage, she became known as Mrs. Sayako Kuroda, having adopted her husbands surname. Japan, Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown, hello. magazine — Article on Sayako and Yoshiki Kurodas wedding BBC News — The wedding takes place The princess and the people - The Scotsman
Sayako Kuroda
–
Sayako Kuroda (then Princess Nori) at
Expo 2005
21.
Dynasty
–
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a feudal or monarchical system but sometimes also appearing in elective republics. The dynastic family or lineage may be known as a house, historians periodize the histories of many sovereign states, such as Ancient Egypt, the Carolingian Empire and Imperial China, using a framework of successive dynasties. As such, the dynasty may be used to delimit the era during which the family reigned and to describe events, trends. The word dynasty itself is often dropped from such adjectival references, until the 19th century, it was taken for granted that a legitimate function of a monarch was to aggrandize his dynasty, that is, to increase the territory, wealth, and power of his family members. The longest-surviving dynasty in the world is the Imperial House of Japan, dynasties throughout the world have traditionally been reckoned patrilineally, such as under the Frankish Salic law. Succession through a daughter when permitted was considered to establish a new dynasty in her husbands ruling house, however, some states in Africa, determined descent matrilineally, while rulers have at other times adopted the name of their mothers dynasty when coming into her inheritance. It is also extended to unrelated people such as poets of the same school or various rosters of a single sports team. The word dynasty derives via Latin dynastia from Greek dynastéia, where it referred to power, dominion and it was the abstract noun of dynástēs, the agent noun of dynamis, power or ability, from dýnamai, to be able. A ruler in a dynasty is referred to as a dynast. For example, following his abdication, Edward VIII of the United Kingdom ceased to be a member of the House of Windsor. A dynastic marriage is one that complies with monarchical house law restrictions, the marriage of Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange, to Máxima Zorreguieta in 2002 was dynastic, for example, and their eldest child is expected to inherit the Dutch crown eventually. But the marriage of his younger brother Prince Friso to Mabel Wisse Smit in 2003 lacked government support, thus Friso forfeited his place in the order of succession, lost his title as a Prince of the Netherlands, and left his children without dynastic rights. In historical and monarchist references to formerly reigning families, a dynast is a member who would have had succession rights, were the monarchys rules still in force. Even since abolition of the Austrian monarchy, Max and his descendants have not been considered the rightful pretenders by Austrian monarchists, nor have they claimed that position. The term dynast is sometimes used only to refer to descendants of a realms monarchs. The term can therefore describe overlapping but distinct sets of people, yet he is not a male-line member of the royal family, and is therefore not a dynast of the House of Windsor. Thus, in 1999 he requested and obtained permission from Elizabeth II to marry the Roman Catholic Princess Caroline of Monaco. Yet a clause of the English Act of Settlement 1701 remained in effect at that time and that exclusion, too, ceased to apply on 26 March 2015, with retroactive effect for those who had been dynasts prior to triggering it by marriage to a Catholic
Dynasty
–
Charles I of England and his son, the future
James II
22.
Imperial House of Japan
–
Under the present Constitution of Japan, the Emperor is the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people. Other members of the family perform ceremonial and social duties. The duties as an Emperor are passed down the line to their children, the Japanese monarchy is the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world. The imperial house recognizes 125 monarchs beginning with the legendary Emperor Jimmu and continuing up to the current emperor, Akihito, see its family tree. Historical evidence for the first 29 emperors is marginal by modern standards, in English, shinnō and ō are both translated as prince as well as shinnōhi, naishinnō, ōhi and joō as princess. There are currently 19 members of the Imperial Family, The Emperor was born at Tokyo Imperial Palace on 23 December 1933 and he was married on 10 April 1959 to Michiko Shōda. Emperor Akihito succeeded his father as emperor on 7 January 1989 and he became heir apparent upon his fathers accession to the throne. Crown Prince Naruhito was married on 9 June 1993 to Masako Owada, the Crown Princess was born on 9 December 1963, the daughter of Hisashi Owada, a former vice minister of foreign affairs and former permanent representative of Japan to the United Nations. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess have one daughter, The Princess Toshi The Prince Akishino, the Emperors second son and his childhood title was Prince Aya. He received the title Prince Akishino and permission to start a new branch of the family upon his marriage to Kiko Kawashima on 29 June 1990. The Princess Akishino was born on 11 September 1966, the daughter of Tatsuhiko Kawashima and his childhood title was Prince Yoshi. He received the title Prince Hitachi and permission to set up a new branch of the family on 1 October 1964. The Princess Hitachi was born on 19 July 1940, the daughter of former Count Yoshitaka Tsugaru, Prince and Princess Hitachi have no children. The Princess Mikasa is the widow of the Prince Mikasa, the son of Emperor Taishō and Empress Teimei. The Princess was born on 4 June 1923, the daughter of Viscount Masanori Takagi. Princess Mikasa has two daughters and three sons with the late Prince Mikasa, Princess Tomohito of Mikasa is the widow of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, the eldest son of the Prince and Princess Mikasa and a first cousin of Emperor Akihito. The Princess was born on 9 April 1955, the daughter of Takakichi Asō, chairman of Asō Cement Co. and his wife, Kazuko, the Princess was born 10 July 1953, the eldest daughter of Shigejiro Tottori. She married the prince on 6 December 1984, originally known as Prince Norihito of Mikasa, he received the title Prince Takamado and permission to start a new branch of the imperial family on 1 December 1984
Imperial House of Japan
–
The Imperial Family on the occasion of
the Emperor's Birthday at the
Tokyo Imperial Palace in 2005
Imperial House of Japan
–
Imperial House of Japan
Imperial House of Japan
–
Members of the Imperial Family and the new year greeting 2011 at the Tokyo Imperial Palace.
Imperial House of Japan
–
The Japanese Imperial Family in 1900.
23.
Shinto
–
Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written historical records of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki in the 8th century. Still, these earliest Japanese writings do not refer to a unified Shinto religion, practitioners express their diverse beliefs through a standard language and practice, adopting a similar style in dress and ritual, dating from around the time of the Nara and Heian periods. The word Shinto was adopted, originally as Jindō or Shindō, from the written Chinese Shendao, the oldest recorded usage of the word Shindo is from the second half of the 6th century. Kami are defined in English as spirits, essences or gods, Kami and people are not separate, they exist within the same world and share its interrelated complexity. Shinto is the largest religion in Japan, practiced by nearly 80% of the population, Shinto has 81,000 shrines and 85,000 priests in the country. According to Inoue, In modern scholarship, the term is used with reference to kami worship and related theologies, rituals. In these contexts, Shinto takes on the meaning of Japans traditional religion, as opposed to religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, Islam. Shinto religious expressions have been distinguished by scholars into a series of categories, Shrine Shinto and it consists in taking part in worship practices and events at local shrines. Before the Meiji Restoration, shrines were disorganized institutions usually attached to Buddhist temples, the current successor to the imperial organization system, the Association of Shinto Shrines, oversees about 80,000 shrines nationwide. Folk Shinto includes the folk beliefs in deities and spirits. Practices include divination, spirit possession, and shamanic healing, some of their practices come from Buddhism, Taoism or Confucianism, but most come from ancient local traditions. Sect Shinto is a designation originally created in the 1890s to separate government-owned shrines from local organised religious communities. These communities originated especially in the Edo period, the basic difference between Shrine Shinto and Sect Shinto is that sects are a later development and grew self-consciously. They can identify a founder, a set of teachings. Sect Shinto groups are thirteen, and usually classified under five headings, pure Shinto sects, Confucian sects, mountain worship sects, purification sects, and faith-healing sects. Koshintō, literally Old Shinto, is a reconstructed Shinto from before the time of Buddhism, today based on Ainu religion and it continues the restoration movement begun by Hirata Atsutane. Many other sects and schools can be distinguished, Kami or shin is defined in English as god, spirit, spiritual essence, all these terms meaning the energy generating a thing. Since the Japanese language does not distinguish between singular and plural, kami refers to the divinity, or sacred essence, that manifests in multiple forms, rocks, trees, rivers, animals, places, and even people can be said to possess the nature of kami
Shinto
–
Takachiho-gawara. Here is the sacred ground of the
descent to earth of
Ninigi-no-Mikoto (the grandson of
Amaterasu).
Shinto
–
Shinto
priest and
priestess.
Shinto
–
Yutateshinji ceremony performed at the
Miwa Shrine.
24.
Empress Michiko
–
Empress Michiko, born Michiko Shōda on 20 October 1934, is the Empress consort of Japan as the wife of Emperor Akihito, the current Emperor of Japan reigning from 7 January 1989. She succeeded her mother-in-law, Empress Nagako, consort of the late Emperor Hirohito, Michiko married Crown Prince Akihito and became the Crown Princess of Japan in 1959. She was the first commoner to marry into the Japanese Imperial Family and she has three children with her husband. Her elder son, Naruhito, is the current heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne, as crown princess and later as empress, she has become the most visible and widely travelled imperial consort in Japanese history. Michiko Shōda was born in Tokyo, the second of four children to Hidesaburō Shōda, president and later chairman of Nisshin Flour Milling Company. She has an older brother Iwao, a younger brother Usamu and she is the niece of several academics, including Kenjirō Shōda, a mathematician who was the president of the University of Osaka from 1954 until 1960. Shōda attended Futaba Elementary School in Kōjimachi, a neighborhood in Chiyoda, Tokyo and she was then successively educated in the prefectures of Kanagawa, Gunma, and Nagano. She returned to Tokyo in 1946 and completed her education in Futaba and then attended the Seishin Junior High School and High School in Minato. She graduated from school in 1953. In 1957, she graduated cum laude from the Faculty of Literature at the University of the Sacred Heart with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature. She also took courses at Harvard and Oxford, since she came from a particularly wealthy family, her parents were very selective about her suitors. In fact, there had been contenders for her hand in marriage in the 1950s. In August 1957, she met then-Crown Prince Akihito on a court at Karuizawa near Nagano. The Imperial Household Council formally approved the engagement of the Crown Prince to Michiko Shōda on 27 November 1958, at that time, the media presented their encounter as a real fairy tale, or the romance of the tennis court. The engagement ceremony took place on 14 January 1959, although the future Crown Princess was the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, she was still regarded as a commoner. It was also rumored that Empress Kōjun had opposed the engagement. Death threats alerted the authorities to ensure the security of the Shōda family, yukio Mishima, known for his traditionalist position, said at the time, The imperial system becomes tabloïdesque in its move toward democratization. Its all wrong—the idea losing its dignity by connecting with the people, however, the young couple had by then gained wide public support
Empress Michiko
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The Empress during
Barack Obama 's visit to the Imperial Palace, 24 April 2014
Empress Michiko
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The future Empress in 1940
Empress Michiko
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Wedding portrait with Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun, 10 April 1959
Empress Michiko
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The newly married Crown Prince and Crown Princess in traditional Japanese attire, with the Prince wearing a
sokutai, the Princess a
jūnihitoe
25.
Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan
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Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan is the elder son of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, which makes him the heir apparent to the Chrysanthemum Throne. Naruhito is first in line to become the 126th Emperor according to Japans traditional order of succession, in January 2017, reports emerged that the Emperor was considering abdicating the throne at the end of 2018 or beginning of 2019. Crown Prince Naruhito would succeed his father to the Chrysanthemum Throne, Naruhito was born on 23 February 1960 in a makeshift hospital on the grounds of the palace. The prince later quipped, I was born in a barn inside the moat, naruhitos childhood was reported to be happy, and he enjoyed such diverse hobbies as music, mountain climbing, and riding. He played with the children of the chamberlain, and he was a fan of the Yomiuri Giants in the Central League. He later said, I have had a keen interest in roads since childhood, on roads you can go to the unknown world. Since I have been leading a life where I have few chances to go out freely, roads are a bridge to the unknown world. In August 1974, when the prince was 14, he was sent to Melbourne, naruhitos father, then the Crown Prince Akihito, had had a positive experience there on a trip the year before and encouraged his son to go as well. He stayed with the family of businessman Colin Harper and he got along with his host brothers, riding around Point Lonsdale, playing violin and tennis, and climbing Uluru together. Once he even played violin for dignitaries at a dinner at Government House hosted by Governor-General Sir John Kerr. When Naruhito was four years old he was enrolled in the prestigious Gakushūin school system, in senior high, Naruhito joined the geography club. Naruhito graduated from Gakushuin University in March 1982 with a Bachelor of Letters degree in History, in July of the next year he entered a three-month intensive English course before entering Merton College, Oxford University, in the United Kingdom, where he would study until 1986. Naruhito would not, however, submit his thesis A Study of Navigation and he later revisited these years in his book, The Thames and I--a Memoir of Two Years at Oxford. Among his sightseeing destinations were some 21 historic pubs, including the Trout Inn, Naruhito joined the Japan Society and the drama society, and was the honorary president of the karate and judo clubs. He played inter-college tennis, seeding number three out of six on the Merton team, and took lessons from a pro. In his three years at Merton he also climbed the highest peaks in three of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom, Scotlands Ben Nevis, Wales Snowdon and Scafell Pike in England. While at Oxford, Naruhito also was able to go sightseeing across Europe and meet many of its royalty, the relatively relaxed manners of the United Kingdoms royals amazed him, Queen Elizabeth II, he noted with surprise, poured her own tea and served the sandwiches. He also went skiing with Liechtensteins Hans-Adam II, holidayed on Majorca in the Mediterranean with Juan Carlos I, upon his return to Japan, Naruhito would enroll once more in Gakushuin University to earn a Master of Humanities degree in History, successfully earning his degree in 1988
Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan
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The Crown Prince in 2015
Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan
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Naruhito in February 1961
Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan
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Naruhito with
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, in 2015
26.
Masako, Crown Princess of Japan
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She is a member of the Imperial House of Japan through marriage. Should the Crown Prince ascend the throne as expected, Masako will become empress consort, Masako Owada was born in Tokyo, on 9 December 1963, in a public hospital in Toranomon. Masako is the eldest daughter of Yumiko Egashira and Hisashi Owada and she has two younger sisters, twins named Setsuko and Reiko. Masako went to live in Moscow with her parents when she was two old, where she attended Detskiysad No.1127 daycare. At the age of five, Masakos family moved to New York City, in 1971, the Owadas returned to Japan, moving in with her maternal grandparents in Meguro while Hisashi returned to the Foreign Ministry office. After failing the examination and attending two other schools in a span of a few weeks, Masako was able to enter Futaba Gakuen. Established by the Congregation of the Holy Infant Jesus in 1872, Masakos mother and it was here that Masako learned to play piano and tennis, joined a handicrafts club, and became interested in animals, tending several after school and deciding to become a veterinarian. Masako also studied her fourth and fifth languages, French and German, with a school friend, Masako revived Futabas softball team, serving as third baseman and after three years bringing her team to the district championships. In 1981, she graduated from the co-educational Belmont High School, Masako joined the schools softball team and won a Goethe Society award for her German poetry. Masako even participated in a production of M*A*S*H. Masako enrolled in the Economics Department of Harvard University/Radcliffe College in 1981, Masako liked to ski and traveled overseas during vacations, staying with a host family in France and studying at the Goethe-Institut. Masako worked with Jeffrey Sachs to obtain a A. B. magna cum laude in economics in March 1985. After graduation Masako moved back to Japan, where for six months she studied law at the University of Tokyo to prepare for the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairss entrance examination, out of 800 applicants only 28 passed, three of them being Masako and two other women. Her assignments included dealing with the OECDs environmental affairs committee, by all accounts she acquitted herself well—her command of spoken languages, so rare in Japan, was a huge advantage—and was popular with most of her workmates. During her free time, Masako attended cooking classes to, according to interviews with her instructor, be able to cook proper Japanese dishes when she was entertaining. Two years later, in 1988, Masako was chosen by the Ministry to be sponsored for two years study overseas with full pay, just as her father Hisashi had been years earlier. Masako desperately wanted to go back to Harvard to do her masters, according to her former Harvard adviser Oliver Oldman, she tried to re-enroll to work towards. However, Harvards bureaucrats would not give her credit for her study-time at the University of Tokyo, therefore, Masako enrolled in her second choice, studying International Relations under Sir Adam Roberts at Balliol College, Oxford. However, for unclear reasons Masako did not finish her thesis, Masako first met Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan, at a tea for Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo in November 1986, during her studies at the University of Tokyo
Masako, Crown Princess of Japan
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Crown Princess Masako on 23 December 2009
Masako, Crown Princess of Japan
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500-yen coin was issued to commemorate the Imperial Wedding
Masako, Crown Princess of Japan
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The Crown Princess (far left) with the other members of the Imperial Family on the occasion of
the Emperor's Birthday at the
Tokyo Imperial Palace, December 2005
27.
Aiko, Princess Toshi
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Aiko, Princess Toshi is the only child of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako of Japan. On December 1,2001, the Crown Princess gave birth to a baby girl, lt was their first child after 8 years of marriage for the then 37-year-old crown princess and 41-year-old crown prince. The baby was born at 2,43 PM and was 49.6 centimeters tall, the crown prince was in the delivery room during the birth and the crown princess was attended by a 12-person medical team with four doctors. The crown princess was eight short of her 38th birthday when she gave birth to Aiko. In a break with tradition, the name of the princess was chosen by her parents and it was selected from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Mencius. In clause 56 of Li Lou II, Mencius said One who loves the others will be loved by them. Aiko, the personal name, is written with kanji character for love and child. The princess also has a title, Princess Toshi which means a person who respects others. This formal title will be dropped if she marries a commoner, Princess Aiko began her education at Gakushuin Kindergarten on April 3,2006. She left kindergarten on March 15,2008, on 18 March 2014, Princess Aiko finished at Gakushuin elementary school and on 6 April 2014 she entered Gakushuin Girls Junior High-school. On her eighth birthday, it was revealed her interests include but are not limited to, writing Kanji characters, calligraphy, jump rope, playing piano and violin, and writing poetry. In early March 2010, Aiko began to home from school due to, along with other girls. Aiko returned to school on a basis on May 2,2010. After returning to school, a palace official said that she would attend a limited number of classes accompanied by her mother. In November 2011, Aiko was hospitalized with pneumonia, the Imperial Household Law of 1947 abolished the Japanese nobility, under provisions of this law, the imperial family was streamlined to the descendants of Emperor Taishō. The laws of succession in Japan forbid inheritance by or through females, if the laws were changed, Aiko would be second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne. A government-appointed panel of experts submitted a report on 25 October 2005, on September 6,2006, at 8,27 a. m. Princess Kiko gave birth to a son, Hisahito, who is third in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne under the current law, after his uncle, the princes birth provided the first male heir to be born in the imperial family in 41 years
Aiko, Princess Toshi
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Japanese Imperial Family
28.
Kiko, Princess Akishino
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Kiko, Princess Akishino, born 11 September 1966 as Kiko Kawashima, is the wife of Fumihito, Prince Akishino, the second son of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan. She is also known as Princess Kiko, Kiko was born in Shizuoka, Japan. She is the eldest daughter of Kazuyo and Tatsuhiko Kawashima, the family moved to Philadelphia in 1967 while her father attended the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a doctorate at University of Pennsylvania in 1971 in regional science, the future princess became fluent in English and German. In 1972, they moved back to Japan, and her father taught economics at Gakushuin University in Tokyo and she lived with her parents and brother in a tiny on-campus apartment in Tokyo. She received the PhD degree in Humanities from Ochanomizu University and she participated in The Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program in 1987 and continues to be a supporter of the program. Prince Fumihito first proposed marriage to Kiko Kawashima on 26 June 1986 while they were undergraduates at Gakushuin. Three years later, Imperial Household Council announced the engagement on 12 September 1989, no marriage date would be set until the official one-year mourning period ended for Fumihitos grandfather, Emperor Hirohito, who had died in January 1989. The wedding took place at a shrine at the Tokyo Imperial Palace on 29 June 1990. The Imperial Household Council had previously granted the permission to establish a new branch of the Imperial Family. Upon marriage, his bride became Her Imperial Highness The Princess Akishino, as of tradition dictates, upon her entry into the imperial family and like other members, she received a personal emblem, iris setosa. The engagement and marriage of Prince Akishino to the former Kiko Kawashima broke precedent in several respects, at the time, the groom was still a graduate student at Gakushuin and married before his older brother, Crown Prince Naruhito. Officials at the Imperial Household Agency was opposed to the marriage, the first woman from a middle-class background to marry into the imperial family, she was given the nickname the apartment princess by the media. Although Empress Michiko was also born a commoner, she was from a wealthy family. The Princess had said repeatedly that she wanted to finish her masters degree and she completed her post-graduate studies in psychology between her official duties and received her masters degree in psychology in 1995. She is known for her continuing interest in culture and the Deaf in Japan. She learned Japanese sign language and she is a sign language interpreter. She attends the Sign Language Speech Contest for High School Students held every August, in October 2008, she participated in the 38th National Deaf Womens Conference
Kiko, Princess Akishino
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Princess Akishino on 23 December 2009.
Kiko, Princess Akishino
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Princess Akishino in 1990.
29.
Princess Mako of Akishino
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Princess Mako of Akishino is the first child and oldest daughter of Fumihito, Prince Akishino and Kiko, Princess Akishino, and a member of the Japanese Imperial Family. She is the eldest grandchild of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, Princess Mako was educated at the prestigious Gakushūin School in her Primary, Girls Junior and Senior High School years. She studied English at the University College Dublin for one month in 2010 and she had an informal talk with President of Ireland Mary McAleese as a trainee and visited Northern Ireland. Princess Mako graduated from the International Christian University in Mitaka, Tokyo on 26 March 2014 with a Bachelors degree in Art and she obtained a Japanese national certification in curation as well as a drivers licence while she was an undergraduate student. On 17 September 2014, she left for the United Kingdom where she studied museology at the University of Leicester for a year and she also studied art history at the University of Edinburgh for nine months, from September 2012 to May 2013. She has been something of an idol since 2004, when images of her in sailor fuku appeared on television. An image repository was set up, and a video featuring fanart of Princess Mako was uploaded onto the popular video-sharing website Nico Nico Douga, in August 2006 she visited Vienna, Austria for two weeks on a school-sponsored homestay program. She stayed in the home of an Austrian man who was a colleague of Tatsuhiko Kawashima, because Mako is interested in art and architecture, she visited the museums, St. Stephens Cathedral and Schönbrunn Palace. Accompanied by her father, she participated in her first official function, Princess Mako has a younger sister, Princess Kako, and a younger brother, Prince Hisahito. In 2011, Mako came of age and was conferred Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown on 23 October, since then, she has been attending official events as an adult member of the Imperial Family. In July 2011, she worked as a volunteer in the areas of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake. She is able to communicate using Japanese Sign Language and is interested in the Deaf community, like Kiko, Princess Akishino and she became the project researcher of the University of Tokyos museum on 1 April 2016. Mako is styled as Her Imperial Highness Princess Mako of Akishino, Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown - Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Akishino and their family at the Imperial Household Agency website
Princess Mako of Akishino
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At the new year congratulatory imperial palace visit. 2 January 2012
30.
Princess Kako of Akishino
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Princess Kako of Akishino is the second daughter of Fumihito, Prince Akishino and Kiko, Princess Akishino, and a member of the Japanese Imperial Family. She is the second-eldest grandchild of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, in April 2001, Princess Kako began Gakushuin Primary School and graduated in March 2007. Princess Kako entered Gakushūin Girls Senior High School Tokyo in April 2007, in 2012, Princess Kako spent some time studying English at Trinity College in Dublin. In April 2013, she attended the ceremony of Gakushuin University. On 2 April 2015, the Princess attended the ceremony of the university in Tokyo.2017 Research Degree Programme Morocco. She has a sister, Princess Mako, and a younger brother. Kako participated in figure skating while in primary school, in 2007, she represented the Meijijingu Gaien Figure Skating Club and joined the Spring Cup Figure Skating Competition held by the Japan Skating Federation. Princess Kako ranked top in the Shinjuku division, Kako is styled as Her Imperial Highness Princess Kako of Akishino. Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown - Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Akishino, at the Imperial Household Agency website
Princess Kako of Akishino
English pronunciation (help·info); born 23 December 1933) is the Emperor of Japan. He is the 125th Emperor of his line according to Japan's traditional order of succession. Akihito succeeded his father Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) and acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on 7 January 1989. There has been ongoing coverage of his possible abdication due to age and health issues; 31 December 2018 and 1 January 2019 have been mentioned as possible dates of abdication.[1]
Collar and Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum
Grand Cordon of The Order of the Rising Sun with the Paulownia Blossoms (renamed Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers from 2003)
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure
Order of Culture
The Golden Medal of Merit of the Japanese Red Cross
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