Empress Michiko Picture Thread Part 1


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Empress Michiko is such a tiny, dainty woman! I love her little hats.
 
I've enjoyed looking at these old pictures of Empress Michiko. She was a great beauty in her day. And she still has a natural elegance about her. :flowers:
 
Thanks for sharing amazing photos of Empress Michiko!:flowers::flowers:
She was and is a stunning beauty: ethereal and graceful.
 
Beautiful Crown Princess Michiko

Then Princess Michiko with little Naruhito and Princess Masako with Baby Aiko
Although Michiko was the first Japanese crown princess who was allowed to raise her children herself, it is imo visible here that the custom was new and by no means to be taken for granted. I would suppose that Michiko would have loved to carry her baby herself... :ermm:

Then Princess Michiko with little Naruhito

Young Crown Princess Michiko in her kitchen
It is easy to see here that “commoner crown princess” Michiko was a great a help in creating a new image for the imperial family after the lost war.
 
Here is a nice photo gallery of the empress when she was young and, in particular, of the time of her engagement. It is mostly pics, but there is also one Life Magazine article, published on December 15, 1958, about the engagement of then-Prince Akihito to Michiko: „You have overwhelmed me“. :flowers:

Some quotes:
[Prince Akihito´s] ichthyology tutor, Dr. Kaname Okada, declares, “The prince has received his sex education through me. The behaviour of fish is related to reproduction, and so we discussed it.”
The crown prince and Michiko met for the first time on a tennis court. Akihito is an indifferent tennis player and has sometimes had difficulty finding opponents, most Japanese being understandably reluctant to lick His Imperial Highness. On these occasions the prince is likely to round up players by dispatching a chamberlain with a royal command. At the Karuizawa mountain resort north of Tokyo such a summons one day in August 1957 produced Miss Shoda and a 12-year-old boy, who promptly beat the prince and his partner 6-1. “Wonderful!” cried Akihito, eying the accomplished Miss Shoda. “You have overwhelmed me.” From that moment he was in love.
Last summer they met again at Karuizawa, but Michiko cut short her stay for a trip abroad. During her absence Akihito asked for his own family´s consent to their marriage. He encountered no opposition. But Michiko´s parents were more difficult to convince. They had no intention of forcing their daughter into a marriage against her will, even with the future emperor, and from Europe Michiko wrote her mother, “I do not believe commoners should be united with the imperial family. I doubt if such a step would have good results. The history of royalty in Europe proves this. If something should go wrong, the crown prince would have to suffer. “ To Akihito himself Michiko wrote, “I hope you will let me be a close friend of yours for a long, long time.”
When Akihito was 3 he was taken from his parents and reared by court chamberlains. But this is not for Akihito. “I want to have three children,” he says, “and I want us all to live together.”
Well, the prince knew for sure what he wanted! And he got it... ;)

For me, the article is a bit too small for reading, so I have made a bigger copy of it and put it into this album at photobucket. (When you have opened a page, you can click on it to enlarge it.)
 
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Empress Michiko has always had such refined and unassuming beauty - and she continues to have.
 
Japanese fashion website mi-mollet has a daily retrospective on Empress Michiko. Looks like they're focused on the 1960s - 1970s and will post until the abdication? mi-mollet is also promoting their book; all photographs are from Kurashinohon's collection and digitally restored.

Main page: https://mi-mollet.com/category/feature-michikosama

General Public New Year's Greeting on January 2, 1971
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/6/9/670/img_696e950a0f81ef5db507870cb03887ec145699.jpg

General Public New Year's Greeting on January 1969
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/c/d/670/img_cdae182483927fabc246bd8e26e3b190155881.jpg

Opening ceremony of an international conference, May 1966
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/2/e/670/img_2eb771ce0531a41c99ff86adcc83f2c5205420.jpg

Garden party in November 1967
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/2/2/670/img_2243c6dcadde6d3e1a5130c0117135b8237172.jpg

White coat and mink hat for the 3rd National Sports Competition for Disabled Persons, November 1967
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/e/7/670/img_e7f72e23498c5161e13b536f962e8bef192333.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/3/0/670/img_30aa9a859771bd822147014401b6f632215925.jpg

Pink for a roundtable discussion at Saitama National Paralympics Games, November 1967
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/f/c/670/img_fc03c0d1fd3868d5f36c30c765528ecd193512.jpg

Yasukuni Shrine visit in December 1969
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/a/c/670/img_ac5db2ba81638138c41c67a653ba86de186971.jpg

Attending the wedding of niece Fumiko Higashikuni to Kazutoshi Omura in March 1968 in Tokyo. Fumiko is the eldest daughter of former Princess Shigeko (eldest daughter of Emperor Showa and sister of Emperor Akihito)
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/f/1/670/img_f1814690d5b8d65acb17b26d928efe6f188329.jpg

Gray skirt suit, brown gloves, and deep green hat for a marathon competition at the Tokyo Olympics in October 1964
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/4/3/670/img_4330429ceaa1fcd8ed538302153f4906272023.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/4/f/670/img_4f2c2b3d64a8564068ffb90951d42c06106949.jpg

Kimono with fur wrap for a charity show in October 1964
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/c/e/670/img_cea517c142aa565c60b934d465f34257216391.jpg

Blue kimono with flowers at the General Assembly of International Tourism Organizations, October 1967
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/0/0/670/img_001c7cd0be491ae9f4969822f2816ca1186952.jpg

Jacquard coat for welcoming the Belgian King and Queen, January 1964
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/8/0/670/img_80aabdbd6351adb2241c11f71fbe2e64186781.jpg

White/grey kimono with flowers and fur wrap at the International Road Conference, November 1967
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/8/8/670/img_88ff74ed023fe7bda90a29c500f96db4242920.jpg

ETA: Pale pink with gray accessories to a mental health national conference in November 1967
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/3/2/670/img_3246e0c92251e2e64846f760801044e2216258.jpg
 
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Continuing the daily Empress Michiko feature from mi-mollet 1/15-19

Gray tweed, mustard hat, and black purse and heels for a visit to Iwate Prefecture, October 1970
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/9/7/670/img_977901f916326c4f7f8d675899ce916e241422.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/b/4/670/img_b4fbdb92ae7a5e0e6f96ee68c6231fcf169922.jpg

Beige tweet skirt suit with purple and black accessories for a visit to a school for disabled people, November 1967
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/4/5/670/img_45cb01ec3f04780dc05615610db40fd6234915.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/e/3/670/img_e339ddcad1a42e505c790d35c4fcd6f7198482.jpg

White outfit with black purse for a junior high school director general meeting in Tokyo, October 1967
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/d/f/670/img_dfae7b8864bae4eab17771edaa029f1b210615.jpg

Grey two piece suit with reddish brown hat and belt for a visit to the former home of Koizumi Yakumo, October 1967
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/7/c/670/img_7cd5103fe68fe505c5bab053977bb663230523.jpg

Pink jacket, gray pants, and white fur hat & mittens for skiing in Niigata, March 1971
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/d/0/670/img_d0d4f383be9fe43c38618d5f8e499891216353.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/5/8/670/img_58cdc0846d66c9e65f6a2c11aacb45ad158350.jpg
 
mi-mollet's 1/20-1/26 daily fashions of Empress Michiko from the 1960s-1970s.

pale peach outfit with fuzzy hat for the opening ceremony of the Summer Paralympic Games in November 1964
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/d/6/670/img_d6edf57ddc0667bd2768c426c0dcb126177359.jpg

orange V-neck sweater over white shirt with gray lattice, pencil skirt for a visit to Chiba Prefecture in 1964
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/0/a/670/img_0adec8b6d765c8350ad5fbb33cac5d5a270277.jpg

coat and houndstooth dress for visiting Naruhito (then titled Prince Hiro) at Gakushuin Primary School in January 1967
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/4/f/670/img_4f3f25f0d5a899849b46ca6c48045977217282.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/d/4/670/img_d47a6b3f188eb946d1ac15f452ef4bc1179751.jpg

beige outfit with orange turban for a rose exhibition in October 1967
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/0/f/670/img_0fcbf5cbc78723cf8a0527decf1f749e158835.jpg

head to toe in white to worship at the tombs of Emperor Taisho and Empress Teimei in October 1962
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/7/a/670/img_7a535937c3f1059f2182d5f254a45190232955.jpg

gray skirt suit, fuzzy turban with flat bow, and a fur stole in March 1964
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/2/2/670/img_22c796394f492eca684a7164d2552e6c250795.jpg

off-white outfit with brick colored hat & blouse and beige accessories for a radio exhibition at Keio department store in Tokyo, June 1968. Michiko's makeup is also slightly orange.
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/0/8/670/img_089a5d3bdd35c371656e122ef062cb81137068.jpg
 
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mi-mollet daily Empress Michiko fashions for 1/27 - 2/3

Departing for Thailand wearing a light blue coat and fur hat in December 1964.
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/2/3/670/img_235749953bc3a22ad084da28be96dd4b224247.jpg

Cream A-line coat with moss green hat and silver purse for a visit to Saitama Prefecture in November 1964.
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/3/f/670/img_3fe3a51502ead9d894a8b28cba7f47db158239.jpg

White and green hat with beige outfit in September 1963
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/2/d/670/img_2d4d60516ad5167b0fa39f26dc197197172926.jpg
same hat with polka dot dress and coat in 1964
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/4/6/670/img_463551bbab63c0170b0764fff34bf9a5218642.jpg

Beige outfit, cream hat, and black accessories for an athletic meeting at Gakushuin primary school October 1968
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/0/5/670/img_05bb796902fefafe681d0c62a4f11e6e217225.jpg

Tweed skirt suit with red pillbox hat and black accessories at Kitayama, Kyoto in November 1966
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/3/4/670/img_345287c64e2b6ff211d64d6eedb491bf248521.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/b/6/670/img_b6ab2d1240987a6d9cbb24bc4d76ed8d254161.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/c/d/670/img_cd53924cb2b977d15662b598d7c22805226799.jpg

White two-piece skirt suit and a big, layered, yellow hat for the 20th anniversary of PTA in May 1968. Same outfit minus the brooch for a nursing home visit in September 1969.
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/a/0/670/img_a0926ff42aec8ce1a0143ba2a896b596180819.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/a/8/670/img_a80b3445b92ac1605fda11f99e0359fe197186.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/3/6/670/img_36806075a54a2d26ae6123dc4e629ec6160253.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/4/4/670/img_4447dd5fe74c2fbf69f62c130b5ac507173938.jpg

Olive skirt suit with fur hat for a visit to Chigasaki Gakuen in Kanagawa, March 1966
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/6/4/670/img_640a3b1f7c2423e6c90939c677619481201521.jpg

Navy A-line coat and dress for a charity movie screening at Tokyo Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan in January 1969. Then-Crown Princess as pregnant with Sayako here. Sayako (former Princess Nori) was born on April 18, 1969.
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/6/5/670/img_6528e106bffebca4075277657e403885194735.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/6/3/670/img_63f5bdbcab2f6475ddfabb614f456600180862.jpg
 
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:previous: Michiko's style has always been impeccable. The only things that look dated in most of these photos are the hats. With the possible exception of the polka dot coat, any one of these ensembles could be worn today and still look perfectly elegant.

What a beautiful woman she is.
 
Michiko was and is a very elegant woman. She was very pretty when she was younger. I have really enjoyed these pictures. I really liked the 3rd picture from November 1966 in Kyoto. It was just so cute with her picking something, probably a piece of lint, off her husband's shoulder.
 
mi-mollet's 2/4 - 2/10 daily fashions for Empress Michiko

Elegant in white for the Red Cross Society in November 1967.
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/2/7/670/img_272fd000e06ae9df61cbabfee9e50d57176786.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/4/5/670/img_45c998ea13c177a086989bc0d3dc2084199237.jpg

Kimono with a chrysanthemum pattern for the 6th International Women's Sports Council in August 1969
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/b/9/670/img_b923ae2f3e357ad02a937a2f97a4adde176276.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/c/6/670/img_c6416548f615bd5585ede8dc0a782b02196140.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/c/b/670/img_cb6021e99ae846b6dd75cbfc78233feb166085.jpg

Skiing in style at Naeba Ski Resort in Yuzawa, Niigata Prefecture, February 1967
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/1/c/670/img_1c8612ff582da2271ca093ca31ac12e3204236.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/6/d/670/img_6dcac6213accdbf55ba9d0efe7d294c5229487.jpg


White and blue for Meiji Art exhibition at the National Museum in March 1968
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/5/1/670/img_5164d5d4b82459604cd9d7b6bfbfc296186925.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/a/3/670/img_a378479a0790962ce244507547a46218202146.jpg

Bright yellow outfit with beige accessories for a gathering at Ueno Cultural Center in Tokyo in January 1968.
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/1/4/670/img_145be5b5643f5b683abc68f3bb4c85c1201690.jpg

Brown outfit with white borders, black and white heels, and a layered, white turban to visit the monkey center in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, March 1968.
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/b/f/670/img_bf386a10fa750ab5457ceb03a7dbed17271223.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/b/a/670/img_ba4e721de2e283e2ab9698308eaf73c4202795.jpg

Plaid turban and blouse with navy coat to visit Seto, Aichi Prefecture in March 1968. Slightly different plaid with cream jacket and skirt at Ueno Western Museum of Art in Tokyo, April 1968.
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/d/5/670/img_d59d638bb3ae14d14497ce2e32f3ba32180361.jpg
https://mi-mollet.com/mwimgs/9/6/670/img_96548700bad7d06152e5fa9ffbd3a59a155080.jpg
 
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