Imperial Family of Japan: News & Photos III

[Mandy]

Please post news and pictures of the members of the Japanese Imperial Family. Have fun!

Here is the link to the old thread http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums...&page=10&pp=20

[merampo]

Mandy,Thank you!:)

Princess Kikoku Takamatsu was born on December 26,
1911 as the daughter of Duke Tokugawa,
and she was the granddaughter of the last of the shoguns,
Japan's feudal rulers until the Meiji Restoration of 1868
which gave power to the emperor and marked the start of Japan's modernization,and died on December 17, 2004.
She married Prince Takamatsu(1905~1987),brother of Emperor Hirohito(1901~1989),
on February 4, 1930, and became Princess when she was 18 years old.
Her marriage with Prince Takamatsu was planed in her age of two,so she was brought up like a princess.

1.Her childhood
2.Before her wedding,with her mother,Mieko Tokugawa(born as Princess Mieko Arisugawa)
3.On their wedding day.(1930-2-4)
I like silhouette and skirt part of her wedding dress very much:) .

They honeymooned from April 21, 1930 to June 11, 1931 two months after the marriage.
They said thier honeymoon, as revalued on the current price basis,
cost them nealy 5.5 million dollars, and additional 1.6 million dollars for her clothing.
She had fittings for many clothes day by day,
standing all the day. And she was often down with anemia.

4.In London,they paraded to the Buckingham Palace with the carriage. (1930-6-26)
It is my avator now.

5.In Paris(1930-6-7)
She have took the train in Paris for a firstime, because she went to school by jinrikisha.
Then, she hadn't took the train for a long time, till that she went out with her friend in her private 1990's.
Finally, it was only two times that she took the train.

6.In New York(1931-4)
7.In Hawaii(1931-6-2)
8.as a married couple
9.with a traditional Japanese hairstyle(1936-11)
10,After WWII,they invited the serviceman in the United States
to home and frequently had a party to please them.

[Mandy]

What an interesting life story. Thank you for sharing it with us Merampo.

[mandyy]

Accompanied by Brazilian First Lady Marisa Letila Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is welcomed by Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko upon their arrival at the Imperial Palace for a luncheon in Tokyo, 27 May 2005.

[mandyy]

Visiting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva talks with Japanese Emperor Akihito before their luncheon at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo May 27, 2005. Lula called on Thursday for more permanent seats on the Security Council, saying the U.N. body should reflect a diverse world or risk losing its legitimacy.

[mandyy]

The Emperor, Empress and Princess Sayako invited 560 employees of the Imperial Household Agency to a tea reception during the evening to celebrate the Empress' 70th birthday on May 27, 2005.

[mandyy]

The Emperor, Empress and Princess Sayako will visit Hayama Imperial Villa on May 28, 2005 and stay there for a rest until May 31.

[Elsa M.]

May 26th
Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko and Princess Sayako received the Portuguese President, Jorge Sampaio, and his wife, Maria José Ritta, upon their arrival for a luncheon at the Imperial residence. The presidential couple flew to Japan to attend Expo Aichi.
Photo from GettyImages:

[merampo]

The Empress Kojun was born on 6 March 1903 in the Azabu district of Tokyo, the eldest daughter of Late Prince Kuniyoshi of Kuni and was given the name Nagako.

On 26 January 1924 Empress Kojun married Emperor Showa, who was Crown Prince at the time. On 25 December 1926 upon the demise of Emperor Taisho, Emperor Showa ascended to the throne and Empress Kojun became Empress.

Empress Kojun counted painting, calligraphy and poetry among her pastimes, and Her Majesty’s paintings and poetry were published and also displayed in exhibitions.
On becoming Empress Dowager upon the death of Emperor Showa on 7 January 1989, Empress Kojun was often visited by members of the Imperial Family, including Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress and spent quiet days recollecting the days she spent with Emperor Showa. During the night of 14 June 2000, Her Majesty began to ail from respiratory problems and received medical attention, but on 16 June, Her Majesty's condition suddenly worsened, and she passed away at 4:46pm due to old age at the Fukiage Omiya Palace. Her Majesty was 97 years old and was posthumously named Empress Kojun.

1.her childhood
2.with her sister,Princess Satoko Kuni(1908)
3.with her mother ,Princess Chikako Kuni(June 12, 1922 )
4.her family.The second from the left of the front rank is her.
5.after wedding ceremony
6.in 1925
7.Prince (later Emperor) Hirohito of Japan and his wife, Princess (later Empress) Nagako of Japan, in their home, ca. 1925
I like this picture.
8.at the coronation ceremony(Nov,1928)
9.her formal portrait
10.with her first boy,Crown Prince Akihito(1934-7-10)

[mandyy]

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife Kristiani Herawati arrive at the Imperial Palace to meet Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo June 1, 2005.

Emperor expresses condolences to Indonesia over tsunami

(Kyodo) _ Emperor Akihito expressed sympathy and condolences over the earthquake and tsunami disaster when he met Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Imperial Palace on Wednesday, the Imperial Household Agency said.


Yudhoyono, in a meeting with the emperor and Empress Michiko, expressed gratitude for support from Japan.

"There are many children who lost their families and relatives. We will do our best (to recover)," Yudhoyono said, according to the agency.

The earthquake and tsunami on Dec. 26 is believed to have left 250,000 people dead or missing in countries on the Indian Ocean including Thailand, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia. In Indonesia alone some 164,000 people were killed or went missing and the country's economy was severely damaged.

[mandyy]

New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark (L) shakes hands with Japan's Emperor Akihito before their talks at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan June 1, 2005.

Meeting of Emperor, PM cloaked in tradition
02 June 2005 by COLIN ESPINER

Prime Minister Helen Clark has met Japan's Emperor Akihito in a ceremony cloaked in tradition.



Clark, who controversially wore trousers to meet the head of Britain's Royal Family, appeared in a conservative eggshell blue two-piece jacket and matching skirt. Akihito, a frail-looking 71-year-old, greeted her in a plush reception room of the Imperial Palace, an imposing block building surrounded by lush greenery in the heart of downtown Tokyo.

The ritual demanded Akihito enter the room precisely 15 seconds before Clark, in a pause that seemed to be timed by officials. Clark, who is considerably taller than the Emperor, did not bow or curtsy.

Only three New Zealand media representatives were allowed to witness the meeting, and were given just 90 seconds to take photographs. They were not allowed to make sound recordings, hold notebooks or walk on the carpet.

Officials objected to the dress of two of the reporters, in one case because the jacket was of too light a shade.

The head of palace etiquette, Yutaka Kawashima, said only dark clothes were allowed on men in the Emperor's presence, and only light clothes on women. Holding a pen or a notepad would make the Emperor "uncomfortable", Kawashima said.

The Emperor's wife, Empress Michiko, materialised from behind a bamboo screen precisely two minutes before Clark's visit was scheduled to end. Clark told reporters afterwards Empress Michiko had been very engaging, and had wanted to talk for longer.

The ceremony and rules surrounding imperial audiences date back to pre-World War 2 times, when the Japanese considered their royal family to be gods. That changed after the war, but many of the traditions live on.

Clark and the Emperor talked briefly about New Zealand's presence at the Aichi Expo in Nagoya and environmental and cultural matters.

[mandyy]

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Mrs. Yudhoyono meet with Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace on June 1. The emperor expressed sympathy and condolences over the earthquake and tsunami disaster that hit Indonesia on Dec. 26.

[mandyy]

Princess Kiko visits the International Red Cross Red Crescent Pavilion at the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi Prefecture on June 2.

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Prince Akishino and his wife Princess Kiko look at flowers displayed at the Shizuoka International Garden and Horticulture Exhibition in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, on April 7th 2004 after an opening ceremony for the event. The exhibition will be open to the public from April 8 through Oct. 11 at the 56-hectare Lake Hamana Garden, featuring a total of 5 million plants. (Kyodo)