Japanese Princess Yuriko, the spouse of wartime Emperor Hirohito’s brother and the oldest member of the imperial household, has died after her well being deteriorated not too long ago, palace officers mentioned. She was 101.
Yuriko died on Friday at a Tokyo hospital, the Imperial Family Company mentioned. It didn’t announce the reason for demise, however Japanese media mentioned she died of pneumonia.
Born in 1923 as an aristocrat, Yuriko married at age 18 to Prince Mikasa, the youthful brother of Hirohito and the uncle of present Emperor Naruhito, months earlier than the beginning of World Warfare II.
She has recounted residing in a shelter together with her husband and their child daughter after their residence was burned down within the US hearth bombings of Tokyo within the closing months of the struggle in 1945.
Yuriko raised 5 youngsters and supported Mikasa’s analysis into historic Close to Jap historical past, whereas additionally serving her official duties and collaborating in philanthropic actions, together with promotion of maternal and little one well being.
She outlived her husband and all three sons.
Her demise reduces Japan’s quickly dwindling imperial household to 16 folks, together with 4 males, because the nation faces the dilemma of learn how to keep the royal household whereas conservatives within the governing occasion insist on retaining male-only succession.
The 1947 Imperial Home Regulation, which largely preserves conservative prewar household values, permits solely males to take the throne and forces feminine royal members of the family who marry commoners to lose their royal standing.
The youngest male member of the imperial household, Prince Hisahito — the nephew of Emperor Naruhito — is presently the final inheritor obvious, posing a significant drawback for a system that doesn’t permit empresses. The federal government is debating learn how to preserve succession steady with out counting on girls.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, visiting South America to attend the Asia Pacific Financial Cooperation and Group of 20 summits, issued a press release expressing “heartfelt condolences”.
“I can not assist however really feel saddened to listen to of the loss. I lengthen my heartfelt condolences together with different Japanese residents,” Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba mentioned in a press release.
Yuriko had lived a wholesome life as a centenarian earlier than struggling a stroke and pneumonia in March. She loved train within the morning whereas watching a day by day health program on tv, the Imperial Family Company says.
She additionally continued to learn a number of newspapers and magazines and loved watching information and baseball on TV.
On sunny days, she sat within the palace backyard or was wheeled in her wheelchair.
Yuriko was hospitalized after her stroke and had been out and in of intensive care since then. Her total situation deteriorated over the previous week, the Imperial Family Company mentioned.
