Imperial Family of Japan: New and Photos II

[merampo]

Empress Michiko's old pictures.
She was born Michiko Shoda.
Though her parents' family was very affluent, she was not an aristocrat,
so it is said that she was bullied by some princess and their servant.

1.Michiko Shoda's official portrait(1959-1)
2.Michiko Shoda with her parents.

On her wedding day.She became Crown Princess Michiko.(April 10, 1959)
They put on two kinds of clothes, traditional Imperial robe and western style clothes.
Her wedding dress was designed by Christian Dior.

3.Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko in traditional Imperial robe.(1959-4-10)
4.Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko with his parents,Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako.(1959-4-10)
5 and 6.They came out from the Imperial Palace.(1959-4-10)
7.They paraded by carriage.(1959-4-10)
8~10.unknown location & time.Maybe taken in 1959 or 1960's.

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Thanks lots merampo and mandyy.

[Poppy]

I love those pictures as always.

Empress Michiko was very and is still very beautiful. I think Princess Kiko is the next most beautiful female member in the family.

How did the Emperor fall in love with her? I know that they met at a tennis court and the Emperor took a picture of her and her friends together. From the picture, Michiko was like a star, in the centre and the most beautiful. Was there any other stories about why the Emperor insisted on marrrying her?

[pdas1201]

Thanks very much, Merampo, for these beautiful pictures of a dazzling woman, Empress Michiko.

[pdas1201]

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at a press conference to discuss their upcoming visit to Ireland and Norway.

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Thanks lots pdas1201.

[merampo]

Originally Posted by Poppy

I love those pictures as always.

Empress Michiko was very and is still very beautiful. I think Princess Kiko is the next most beautiful female member in the family.

How did the Emperor fall in love with her? I know that they met at a tennis court and the Emperor took a picture of her and her friends together. From the picture, Michiko was like a star, in the centre and the most beautiful. Was there any other stories about why the Emperor insisted on marrrying her?

Thank you,I think so,too.
I'm sorry...I don't know some other story about their romance.
But I heard that they met each other only 2or3 times before wedding
and that in the court, Empress Nagako and some other princess
opposed the marriage of Crown Prince Akihito to the common women,Mihiko Shoda.

Questions for Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress of Japan
Before Their Majesties’ Visit to Europe
http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/epress/epress-05-04e.html
(pictures1~3)

4~8 old pictures about Empress Michiko and Princess Sayako
4.Michiko Shoda with her parents
5.Crown Princess Michiko with little Prince Naruhito
6.1962
7and8.Princess Sayako in traditional Imperial robe when she became 5years old.
(1973-12.This ceremony will be held when Princess Aiko become 5years old.)

[merampo]

Japanese Crown Princess Masako (R) and Crown Prince Naruhito wave as they attend a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Japanese branch of UNICEF in Tokyo May 1, 2005.
Masako, who spent more than a year in seclusion due to a stress-related illness,
made a rare public appearance on Sunday, in her first public duties since January.

[merampo]

various pictures:)
1.Princess Sayako with her mother,Crown Princess Michiko.(1969or1970)
2.Princess Akiko with her mother,Princess Nobuko(1981-12)
3.Princess Akiko at the garden party.(2003-10-30)
(to see her pictures,you can see them at the first page of this thread)
4and10.Princess Kiko at the banquet for Danish Queen(2004-11-16)
5.Prince and Princess Akishino on their wedding day(1990-6-29)

6~9.Imperial family official photo
6.before the wedding dinner of Crown Prince Naruhito Crown Princess Msako(1993-6-15)
7.1997?
8.2000?
9.2002

[Amira]

Emperor and empress to travel to Ireland, Norway from Saturday

(Kyodo) _ Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will travel to Ireland and Norway from Saturday to help foster friendly relations between Japan and the European countries.

The couple's overseas trip will be their first since July 2002 when they visited Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Austria, and their 11th since the emperor acceded to the throne in 1989.

The emperor will make an official visit to Norway to mark the centenary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Norway. The couple visited Norway in 1985 when they were crown prince and princess.

Their trip to Ireland will be an unofficial visit, government officials said.

They will arrive in Dublin on Saturday afternoon and during their stay until Tuesday they will meet with Irish President Mary McAleese. They also plan to talk with Seamus Heaney, a poet who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995. On Tuesday, they will fly to Oslo and attend a banquet hosted by Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon Magnus on behalf of King Harald V who recently underwent heart surgery.




In Oslo, the imperial couple will also meet with Jostein Gaarder, author of the worldwide bestseller "Sophie's World."

They will visit Norway's ancient capital of Trondheim on May 12-13, before returning home on May 14. King Harald V and Queen Sonja visited Japan in 2001 as state guests and then Irish President Mary Robinson visited in 1995, also as a state guest.

[HMQueenElizabethII]

I hope maybe Queen Sonja,and princess Astrid would be at the Banquet.

[mandyy]

The Imperial Family sends of the Empress and Empress to Ireland and Norway at Haneda Airport

[mandyy]

More pics at the airport

[merampo]

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko left for Norway and Ireland

I like first picture:)

7,Princes and Princesses at the airport

9.Princess Hanako HItachi(R) and Princess HisakoTakamado(L)
at send-off ceremony for Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in the guesthouse of the Tokyo International airport, 07 May 2005.

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Thanks lots mandyy and merampo for the pictures.Happy to see the Princess Masako again.