One of Japan’s oldest imperial family members is dead at 101. According to CNN, Princess Yuriko, the wife of former Emperor Hirohito’s brother, had fallen into poor health in recent weeks. She died at a Tokyo Hospital, as confirmed by the Imperial Household Agency. No cause of death was officially released, but Japanese media claimed it was pneumonia.
Born in 1923, Yuriko married Prince Mikasa at age 18, the brother of Hirohito and the uncle of current Japanese Emperor Naruhito. The couple were wed only months before the outbreak of World War II.
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The princess raised five children and served her official duties for years, also taking part in several charity efforts over the years. She outlived her husband and their three sons, also shrinking the remaining royal family in Japan to 16 people. Four of those remaining were men, with rules still stating only males can ascend to the imperial throne.
The 1947 Imperial House Law cemented that aspect of the imperial family, preserving the more conservative pre-war family values. It also forces female royals who marry commoners to lose their royal status, something we saw with Princess Mako in 2021.
The youngest member of the imperial family is the last heir currently. Prince Hisahito is the nephew of the current emperor and posing quite the issue for Japanese society and the old imperial rules.
Before her passing, Yuriko had lived a healthy centenarian lifestyle, according to CNN. She had an exercise routine in the mornings, read, watched news, took in some baseball. While she was wheelchair bound, she still enjoyed sitting out on sunny days. Rest in peace.
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