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
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
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
4.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
12.
Ryutaro Hashimoto
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Ryutaro Hashimoto was a Japanese politician who served as the 82nd and 83rd Prime Minister of Japan from 11 January 1996 to 30 July 1998. Disgraced, he not to stand in the general election of 2005. He died on 1 July 2006 at a Tokyo hospital, Hashimoto was born on 29 July 1937, in Sōja in Okayama Prefecture. His father, Ryōgo Hashimoto, was a minister under Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. Following his fathers lead, Ryutaro received his degree in science from Keio University in 1960. In 1991, the press had discovered one of Hashimotos secretaries had been involved in an illegal financial dealing. Hashimoto retired as Minister of Finance from the Second Kaifu Cabinet, following the collapse of the bubble economy, the LDP momentarily lost power in 1993/94 during the Hosokawa and Hata anti-LDP coalition cabinets negotiated by LDP defector Ichirō Ozawa. Hashimoto became Minister of International Trade and Industry in the Murayama Cabinet of Tomiichi Murayama, as the chief of MITI, Hashimoto made himself known at meetings of APEC and at summit conferences. In September 1995, Yōhei Kōno did not stand for another term, Hashimoto won the election to LDP president against Junichirō Koizumi 304 votes to 87, and succeeded Kōno as leader of the party and as deputy prime minister in the Murayama cabinet. Hashimoto reached an agreement with the United States for the repatriation of MCAS Futenma, the deal was opposed by Japans foreign ministry and defense agency but was backed by Hashimotos American counterpart, President Bill Clinton. The repatriation of the base has yet to be completed as of 2015, Hashimotos domestic popularity increased during the Japanese-US trade dispute when he publicly confronted Mickey Kantor, US Trade Representative for the Clinton administration. Hashimotos popularity was based on his attitude. When asked about why Japanese car dealerships did not sell American cars, he answered, on September 27,1996, the Hashimoto cabinet dissolved the lower house of the National Diet. Both parties ended the coalition with the LDP, but they remained Diet allies in a cooperation outside the cabinet until 1998 and it was the first single-party LDP government since 1993. Having achieved this, Hashimoto was confirmed without challenger as party president in September 1997, Hashimotos government raised the Japanese consumption tax in 1997. Although the government implemented a reduction in the income tax prior to raising the consumption tax. During the Upper House regular election 1998, the LDP failed to restore its majority, Hashimoto resigned to take responsibility for this failure, and was succeeded as LDP president and Prime Minister by Foreign Minister Keizō Obuchi. Hashimoto remained in the echelons of the LDP and led his faction for several more years
13.
Junichiro Koizumi
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Junichiro Koizumi is a Japanese politician who was the 56th Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended in 2009, widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japans government debt and the privatization of its postal service. In 2005, Koizumi led the LDP to win one of the largest parliamentary majorities in modern Japanese history and he is a member of the Nippon Kaigi nationalist organization. His father, Junya Koizumi, was general of the Japan Defense Agency. Born in Yokosuka, Kanagawa on January 8,1942, Koizumi was educated at Yokosuka High School and he graduated with the Bachelor of Economics degree from Keio University. He attended University College London before returning to Japan in August 1969 upon the death of his father and he stood for election to the lower house in December, however, he did not earn enough votes to win election as a Liberal Democratic Party representative. In 1970, he was hired as a secretary to Takeo Fukuda, in the general elections of December 1972, Koizumi was elected as a member of the Lower House for the Kanagawa 11th district. He joined Fukudas faction within the LDP, since then, he has been re-elected ten times. Koizumi gained his first senior post in 1979 as Parliamentary Vice Minister of Finance and he held cabinet posts again in 1992 and 1996–1998. On April 24,2001, Koizumi was elected president of the LDP and he was initially considered an outside candidate against Hashimoto, who was running for his second term as Prime Minister. However, in the first poll of party organizations, Koizumi won 87 to 11 percent, in the second vote of Diet members. He defeated Hashimoto by a tally of 298 to 155 votes. He was made Prime Minister of Japan on April 26, and he spoke of the need for a period of painful restructuring in order to improve the future. Bad debts of banks were cut with the NPL ratio of major banks approaching half the level of 2001. The Japanese economy has been through a slow but steady recovery, the GDP growth for 2004 was one of the highest among G7 nations, according to the International Monetary Fund and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Takenaka was appointed as a Postal Reform Minister in 2004 for the privatization of Japan Post, in addition to the privatization of Japan Post, Koizumi also slowed down the LDPs heavy subsidies for infrastructure and industrial development in rural areas. These tensions made Koizumi a controversial but popular figure within his own party and he decided to deploy the Japan Self-Defense Forces to Iraq, which was the first military mission in active foreign war zones since the end of the World War II. Many Japanese commentators indicated that the favorable US-Japan relation was based on the Koizumis personal friendship with the US President George W. Bush
14.
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
15.
Yukio Hatoyama
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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
16.
Naoto Kan
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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
17.
Yoshihiko Noda
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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
18.
Tokyo Imperial Palace
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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
19.
Tokyo
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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
20.
Empress Michiko
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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
21.
Fumihito, Prince Akishino
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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
22.
Sayako Kuroda
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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
23.
Dynasty
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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
24.
Imperial House of Japan
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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
25.
Shinto
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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
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
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
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
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
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
31.
Prince Hisahito of Akishino
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Prince Hisahito of Akishino is the youngest child and only son of Fumihito, Prince Akishino and Kiko, Princess Akishino. He is the youngest grandchild of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, Hisahito is third in line to become Emperor of Japan, after his uncle, Naruhito and his father, Fumihito. His personal name Hisahito in this case means serene and virtuous, an alternative translation is virtuous, calm, everlasting. His name was chosen by his father, and the Akishino family crest used to mark his belongings is koyamaki tree, Prince Hisahito is the only son and youngest child of Fumihito, Prince Akishino and Kiko, Princess Akishino. He has two sisters, Princess Mako of Akishino and Princess Kako of Akishino. Hisahito was the first male child born to the Imperial House of Japan since his father in 1965. In January 2007, the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzō Abe, the proposal had been made on the basis of the fact that the two sons of Emperor Akihito had, at the time, no sons of their own. The supporters of changes criticized the current law as it placed a burden on the few aging males old enough to perform duties as females left the family. Hisahito celebrated his first birthday amid the glare of cameras at the imperial palace, newspapers published front-page pictures of the smiling prince standing on a table in pale blue rompers. The Imperial Household Agency stated his weight as 9285 grams and his height as 75 centimetres, on his third birthday, he weighed 13.6 kilograms and was 94 centimetres tall. He was shown riding a tricycle, and later in traditional dress and his parents called him Yuyu, Yu-chan and Hisahito-kun. The prince thus became the first member of the Imperial House of Japan to receive his education at an other than Gakushūin Primary School. By his second year, he was reported to be doing well at school, helping to look after first-year pupils, Hisahito is styled as His Imperial Highness Prince Hisahito of Akishino. According to tradition, he is sometimes called Akishino Jr, japanese succession controversy Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Akishino and their family. At the Imperial Household Agency website
32.
Masahito, Prince Hitachi
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Masahito, Prince Hitachi is a member of the Imperial House of Japan and the younger brother of current Emperor Akihito. He is the son and sixth born child of Emperor Shōwa. Prince Hitachi is mainly known for activities and his research on the causes of cancer. Born at the Tokyo Imperial Palace, Prince Masahito held the childhood appellation Prince Yoshi and he received his primary and secondary schooling at the Gakushūin Peers School. In late 1944, the Imperial Household Ministry evacuated Prince Yoshi, after the war, from 1947 to 1950, Mrs. Elizabeth Gray Vining tutored both princes and their sisters, the Princesses Kazuko, Atsuko, and Takako, in the English language. Her account of the experience is entitled Windows for the Crown Prince, Prince Yoshi received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from the Faculty of Science at Gakushuin University in 1958. He subsequently did postgraduate work in the Faculty of Science at Tokyo University, in 1969, he became a Research Associate of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research specializing in the study of cellular division. The results of his research have been reported in the journals of the Japanese Cancer Association. In 1997, Prince Hitachi received a doctorate from George Washington University in the United States. In March 1999, he became a member of the German Association for Cancer Research. On 30 September 1964, the Prince married Hanako Tsugaru, fourth daughter of the late Yoshitaka Tsugaru, a former count, the following day, Emperor Shōwa granted him the title Hitachi-no-miya, and authorization to start a new branch of the Imperial Family in celebration of his wedding. Prince Hitachi and Princess Hitachi have their residence in a palace in large gardens off Komazawadori in Higashi. Prince Hitachi is the president of a wide variety of charitable organizations. Most recently, Prince and Princess Hitachi visited Nicaragua and El Salvador and they also made a visit to France in September 2007 and Peru, marking the celebration of 110 years since the establishment of a Japanese community in this country, June 2009. 28 November 1935 –1 October 1964, His Imperial Highness The Prince Yoshi,1 October 1964 – present, His Imperial Highness The Prince Hitachi. Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum Denmark, Knight of the Order of the Elephant, nepal, Member of the Order of Ojaswi Rajanya
33.
Hanako, Princess Hitachi
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She is the fourth daughter of Count Yoshitaka Tsugaru, the last representative of the Tsugaru clan and adopted son of the daimyo of the Tsugaru Domain. Yoshitaka Tsugaru was originally from the Owari branch of the Tokugawa clan and he was also a member of the aristocracy created by the Meiji restoration. Her mother, Hisako Mōri, was a descendant of the Mōri clan, Princess Hitachi is descendant from the old feudal aristocracy. She is a cousin to a niece of Kikuko, Princess Takamatsu who was, like her father. She is also a cousin to Takamasa Ikeda, former head of the Ikeda clan and husband of her sister-in-law. She graduated from the Gakushuin Womens Junior College in 1961, Hanako met her future husband, Prince Masahito, during her studies at Gakushuin. The Imperial Household Council announced the engagement of Prince Masahito and Hanako Tsugaru on 28 February 1964, the wedding ceremony took place on 30 September 1964. Upon marriage, Prince Masahito received the title Prince Hitachi and authorization from the Imperial Household Economy Council to form a new branch of the Imperial Family. As of tradition dictates, upon her entry into the family and like other members, she received a personal emblem. Since December 1976, Prince Hitachi and Princess Hitachi have their residence in a palace in large grounds off Komazawadori in Higashi in the district of Shibuya in Tokyo. Princess Hitachi, like her husband, was elected on 5 September 2007 by the members of the imperial family to be one of their main representatives to the Imperial Household Council as a member. Both the members and reserve members, including Princess Hitachi, were re-elected on 7 September 2011, Princess Hitachi is president of various organizations that concern themselves with welfare and the arts. She has also translated various books from English into Japanese. Princess Hitachi has translated various books from English into Japanese. Prior to her marriage on 30 September 1964, she was styled as Lady Hanako Tsugaru, japan, Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown. Japan, Dame of the Decoration of the Red Cross, japan, Recipient of the Red Cross Medal. Nepal, Member of the Order of Ojaswi Rajanya
34.
Yuriko, Princess Mikasa
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She is the second daughter of Viscount Masanari Takagi. Princess Mikasa graduated from Gakushuin Womens Academy in 1941, the engagement of Takahito, Prince Mikasa and Yuriko Takagi was announced on 29 March 1941 and the engagement ceremony was held on 3 October 1941. The wedding ceremony took place on 22 October 1941, Princess Mikasa frequently visited her husband who was hospitalized during his final months. On 22 October 2016, they celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary in his hospital room, Prince Mikasa died on 27 October 2016, with Princess Yuriko at his side. The Princess hosted her husbands funeral ceremony as the chief mourner, the Prince and Princess had five children, of whom two are still living. In addition to their five children, they had nine grandchildren, the couples two daughters left the Imperial Family upon marriage. All of their sons predeceased them, yoshihito, Prince Katsura, created Katsura-no-miya on 1 January 1988. Princess Mikasa is honorary president of various organisations, especially those concerned with the preservation of traditional Japanese culture. She also plays an role in the Japanese Red Cross Society. In 1948, the Princess became President of the Imperial Gift Foundation Boshi-Aiiku-kai and she has participated on several formal occasions in Tokyo and other parts of Japan and she associates with charities that are concerned with mother and child health. Born as a daughter of Viscount Masanari Takagi, she was styled as The Honourable Yuriko Takagi, after her marriage, she is styled as Her Imperial Highness The Princess Mikasa. Honorary Vice-President of the Japanese Red Cross Society and their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Mikasa and their family at the Imperial Household Agency website Japan Red Cross Society | At a glance
35.
Princess Tomohito of Mikasa
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Princess Tomohito of Mikasa, born Nobuko Asō on 9 April 1955, is a member of the Japanese Imperial Family as the widow of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa. She is also known as Princess Nobuko, Nobuko, a Roman Catholic, was born on 9 April 1955. She is the daughter and youngest child of Takakichi Asō, the chairman of the Aso Company. He was also an associate of Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka. Her mother, Kazuko Yoshida, was the daughter of Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida and her elder brother is the former Prime Minister and current Deputy Prime Minister Tarō Asō. Through her paternal grandmother, she descends from a branch of the feudal clan Ichinomiya. She studied in England and graduated from Rosslyn House College in 1973, after returning to Japan, she taught English in Shoto kindergarten in Tokyo which she herself founded in the district of Shibuya. It was in the UK when she met her husband, Prince Tomohito of Mikasa. His first marriage proposal was rejected in 1973 because of Nobukos young age, the Imperial Household Council announced the engagement of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa and Nobuko Asō on 18 April 1980 and the engagement ceremony was held on 21 May 1980. The wedding ceremony took place on 7 November 1980 and she became Princess Tomohito of Mikasa, as of tradition dictates, upon her entry into the imperial family and like other members, she received a personal emblem, the flower of prunus persica. Born a Roman Catholic, she is not the first Christian to enter the imperial family, the couple had two daughters, Princess Akiko Princess Yōko The family lived in a compound within the Akasaka Estate complex, in Akasaka Minato, Tokyo. In October 2009, she separated her residence from her husband, the Princess became a widow on 6 June 2012, upon the death of her husband. According to the officials the household integration wont have any effect on the lives of the widow. The Princess accompanied her husband on various missions abroad to charity and welfare events and she is engaged in various welfare organisations and holds positions as president and vice-president. In 1990, the Prince and Princess visited Turkey to attended the celebrations held for the 100th year of relations between Japan and Turkey, in December 1992, the couple visited the cancer ward at New York Medical College. In May 1994, they went to Hawaii mainly to attend a charity dinner held for the reconstruction of Kuakini Hospital, in February 1994, the Prince and Princess went on a trip to Norway to attend the Lillehammer Winter Olympics. In July 1994, Nobuko visited Australia on her own to support the Sydney Royal Research Institute for those with Visual, in April 1998, Tomohito and Nobuko travelled to Turkey to attend the opening ceremony of the Turkey-Japan Foundation Cultural Centre. In July 2003, the Princess in her capacity as Honorary President of the Japan Rose Society, visited Glasgow, United Kingdom, on 1 November 2013, Princess Tomohito of Mikasa visited Fukushima Prefecture and met the people affected by the earthquake occurred on 11 March 2011
36.
Princess Akiko of Mikasa
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Princess Akiko of Mikasa is a member of the Imperial House of Japan and the elder daughter of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa and Princess Tomohito of Mikasa. Princess Akiko graduated from Gakushuin University in Tokyo with a degree in History. While she was at Gakushuin, she spent the 2001-2002 academic year studying abroad at Merton College, in 2004, she returned to the University of Oxford as a doctoral student at the Faculty of Oriental Studies. Her research topic was William Anderson Collection at the British Museum - Western Interest in Japanese Art in the Nineteenth Century, William Anderson was an English surgeon who taught anatomy and surgery in Japan and became an important scholar and collector of Japanese art. In December 2006, Princess Akiko assisted the University of Tokyo in opening a special exhibition on the 19th-century art movement known as Japonism, in July 2007, she participated in a symposium at Ochanomizu University on the art collection of William Anderson. From January to May 2008, she was at the Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture in Hanford, Akiko became a doctoral student at Merton College in the United Kingdom from October 2004 till January 2010 when she passed her final examination. In 2011, she was awarded a D. Phil. degree from the University of Oxford, Princess Akiko had been working as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Kinugasa Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto from October 2009 to March 2012. Akiko was inaugurated as the Visiting Researcher at the Hosei University Research Center for International Japanese Studies in May 2012 and she was inaugurated as the President of Shinyusha, General Incorporated Association in April 2013. The Princess was appointed as the President of the Japan-Turkey Society in June 2013, Akiko took over the presidency from her father, Prince Tomohito. She is also the President of the Middle Eastern Culture Center in Japan, Princess Akiko has also worked as a Guest Professor in Kyoto City University of Arts. In July 1998, Princess Akiko paid a visit to Turkey for the first time, the trip was done under the arrangement of the Middle Eastern Culture Center, an oranisation associated with her grandfather. During the trip the Princess viewed the remains of Kaman-Kalehöyük alongside many other sites, Princess Akiko came of age in December 2001 and started attending official ceremonies and events in Japan with the other members of the Imperial Family. In June 2003, Princess Akiko went on a tour of the heritage of Turkey that her father had planned, in July 2010, she also visited the Dedication Ceremony of the Museum of Archaeology Kaman-Kalehöyük, Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology. In January 2011, she went to Austria, the main purpose of this trip was attending the 19th INTERSKI Congress held in St. Anton. Princess Akiko and Princess Takamado were part of the Japanese delegation, on 5 September, the Princess delivered a speech during a ceremony held at Japanese ambassador’s residence in Buenos Aires. On 6 September, Princess Akiko toured a Japanese garden in Buenos Aires with the President of Argentinas Japanese Cultural Foundation and she also made an official visit to Chile from 7 September to 12 September 2013. During her stay, Princess Akiko of Mikasa met with President Sebastián Piñera, Princess Akiko visited University of Santiago for a conference and conversation with the students of Japanese translation and linguistics. She visited Valparaíso Viña Viu Manent to learn more about Chilean wine, there, she enjoyed a luncheon hosted by the Viu family at La Llavería visitors center
37.
Hisako, Princess Takamado
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Hisako, Princess Takamado, born Hisako Tottori on 10 July 1953, is a member of the Japanese Imperial Family as the widow of Norihito, Prince Takamado. She is the eldest daughter of Japanese industrialist Shigejiro Tottori, Hisako accompanied her father to England, where he was transferred for work, and while still a child became fluent in the English language. She subsequently graduated from Girton College, Cambridge University in the UK in 1975 with undergraduate degrees in anthropology and archaeology, on her return to Japan, she obtained a position working for a translation company, but soon returned to England to learn about legal terminology used in statutes. She returned to Japan again in 1982, after her return, she was hired to assist Prince Mikasa as an interpreter and assistant at the 31st International Asian-North African Cultural Symposium. Princess Takamado received a PhD in arts from the Osaka University of Arts in February 2012, on 23 April 1984, she attended a reception hosted by the Embassy of Canada in Tokyo, where she first met Norihito, Prince Takamado. He proposed on 20 May and the Imperial Household Council announced the engagement on 1 August 1984, the formal engagement ceremony made on 17 September 1984, and the wedding held on 6 December 1984. Princess Ayako Prince and Princess Takamado were the most widely traveled couple in the Japanese Imperial Family, the Prince’s last visits included Egypt and Morocco in May 2000, Hawaii in July 2001, and to the Republic of Korea from May to June 2002. The latter was in order to attend the Opening Ceremony of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea-Japan, Prince Takamado died of ventricular fibrillation while playing squash with the Canadian ambassador, Robert G. Wright, at the Canadian Embassy, leaving a widow and three young daughters. In June 2003, she visited Dublin, Ireland for the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games, in June 2004, she made an official visit to Canada, traveling extensively across the nation as part of the 75th Anniversary of the formal diplomatic relations between Canada and Japan. During this visit, she received two doctorates in Law, one from the University of Alberta and the other from the University of Prince Edward Island. In November 2004, she visited Bangkok, Thailand, to attend the 3rd IUCN World Conference as Honorary President of BirdLife International, in March 2004, the Princess was elected to succeed Queen Noor of Jordan as Honorary President of BirdLife International. She visited Montevideo, Uruguay in 2008, and Buenos Aires, during this visit, she attended special high goal polo exhibition played by the Novillo Astrada brothers in her honor at the La Aguada Polo Club. In June 2005, she visited Germany to attend the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup, afterwards, she visited Jordan to attend the royal wedding of Princess Badiya bint El Hassan. In November of the year, returned to England for the Global Council Meeting of BirdLife International. In January 2006, she returned to Canada to attend the opening of the Prince Takamado Gallery of Japan at the Royal Ontario Museum and she also returned to Germany later that year in order to attend the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In June 2013, she visited Sweden to attend the wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden, on 18 June 2014, Princess Hisako departed for Federative Republic of Brazil, Republic of Colombia and French Republic. In Brazil, she watched the World Cup soccer game as the president of Japan Football Association. In Colombia, she visited Colombian Football Federation, in France, she attended the event of International Kyudo Federation as the honorary president of the federation
38.
Princess Tsuguko of Takamado
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Princess Tsuguko of Takamado is a member of the Imperial House of Japan and the eldest daughter of Norihito, Prince Takamado and Hisako, Princess Takamado. The princess graduated from the Gakushuin Primary School, Gakushuin Girls Junior and Senior High School, aftar that, she entered the Faculty of Intercultural Studies of Gakushuin Womens College, but dropped out in March 2005. She attended the University of Edinburgh in Scotland from 13 April 2004 to 1 July 2008, where she studied psychology and sociology. In 2006, Princess Tsuguko represented the Imperial family at the Silver Wedding anniversary celebrations of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg. In May 2015, she visited Watari Town, Watari District, Miyagi Prefecture and she visited and inspected the 2nd Regional Coast Guard Headquarters of the Japan Coast Guard. She was also taken in the photo with the laureate, in March 2013, Princess Tsuguko graduated from the School of International Liberal Studies, Waseda University with a bachelors degree. She works at the Japan Committee for UNICEF from April 2013 and she attends ceremonies and functions at the Imperial Palace and accompanies her mother to some other official events. In August 2013, she visited Sri Lanka at the invitation of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Japan and Sri Lanka celebrated 60 years of diplomatic relations between those two countries in 2012. Tsuguko was also welcomed by First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa. Tsuguko is styled as Her Imperial Highness Princess Tsuguko of Takamado, member of the Order of the Precious Crown, 2nd Class - Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado and her family at the Imperial Household Agency website
39.
Princess Ayako of Takamado
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Princess Ayako of Takamado is a member of the Imperial House of Japan and the daughter of Norihito, Prince Takamado and Hisako, Princess Takamado. She is the youngest of the three daughters. Princess Ayako is the first member of the Imperial Family to be born in the Heisei era, Princess Ayako attended the prestigious Gakushuin School for her primary, junior high, and high school education. While She was a student at Gakushuin Women’s High School, in 2007, in April 2009, she enrolled in the Josai International University, Faculty of Social Work Studies. In 2010 and 2011 the Princess made short visits to Camosun College in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. In March 2013, Princess Ayako graduated Josai International University and was accepted into the graduate school, in September 2013, Princess Ayako returned to Camosun College begin intensive English studies. She completed her studies at Camosun College in April 2015 and she then spent time at the University of British Columbia before returning to Japan in August 2015. On 16 March, Princess Ayako of Takamado graduated from Josai International University and she continues to attend ceremonies and functions at the palace when studies permit. Ayako is styled as Her Imperial Highness Princess Ayako of Takamado, member of the Order of the Precious Crown, 2nd Class - Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado and her family at the Imperial Household Agency website
40.
Chrysanthemum Throne
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The Chrysanthemum Throne is the term used to identify the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term also can refer to very specific seating, such as the throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace. In a metonymic sense, the Chrysanthemum Throne also refers rhetorically to the head of state, Japan is the oldest continuing hereditary monarchy in the world. In much the same sense as the British Crown, the Chrysanthemum Throne is an abstract concept that represents the monarch. According to legend, the Japanese monarchy is said to have founded in 660 BC by Emperor Jimmu. The extant historical records only reach back to Emperor Ōjin, who is considered to have reigned into the early 4th century, in the 1920s, then-Crown Prince Hirohito served as regent during several years of his fathers reign, when Emperor Taishō was physically unable to fulfill his duties. However, the Prince Regent lacked the powers of the throne which he could only attain after his fathers death. The current Constitution of Japan considers the Emperor as the symbol of the State, the modern Emperor is a constitutional monarch. The metonymic meanings of Chrysanthemum Throne encompass the modern monarchy and the chronological list of legendary, the throne Takamikura is located in the Kyoto Imperial Palace. It is the oldest surviving throne used by the monarchy and it sits on an octagonal dais,5 metres above the floor. It is separated from the rest of the room by a curtain, the throne is used mainly for the enthronement ceremony, along with the twin throne michodai. This flexible English term is also a rhetorical trope, the Chrysanthemum throne is also understood as a synecdoche, which is related to metonymy and metaphor in suggesting a play on words by identifying a closely related conceptualization, e. g. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Yōzei is said to have acceded to the throne. Referring to the specific with the general, such as Chrysanthemum Throne for the reign of Emperor Yōzei or equally as well for the ambit of the Imperial system. Nihongi, Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A. D.697, brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. The Chrysanthemum Throne, A History of the Emperors of Japan, a Political History of Japan During the Meiji Era, 1867-1912. OCLC194887 Post, Jerrold and Robert S. Robins, nihon Odai Ichiran, ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon. Paris, Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain, a Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns, Jinnō Shōtōki of Kitabatake Chikafusa
English pronunciation (help·info); born 23 December 1933) is the current Emperor of Japan. He succeeded to the Chrysanthemum Throne upon the death of his father Hirohito (Emperor Shōwa) on 7 January 1989. According to Japan's traditional order of succession, he is the 125th member of the world's oldest reigning dynasty.
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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Switzerland) and 2014 (To 
Belgium). So, these visits are not included in the table.
Thailand, 
Malaysia, 
Indonesia
China
Italy, 
Germany
Vatican City)
United States
France, 
Spain
Brazil, 
Argentina
United Kingdom, 
Denmark
Netherlands, 
Sweden
Poland, 
Hungary
Norway
Singapore, 
Estonia, 
Latvia, 
Lithuania, 
Canada, 
India
Palau
Philippines
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