Japanese Princess Yuriko has passed away at the age of 101 following a recent decline in her health, according to palace officials.
Wife of Emperor Hirohito’s younger brother
Princess Yuriko, the wife of Emperor Hirohito’s younger brother, was the eldest member of Japan’s imperial family. The Imperial Household Agency reported that she died on Friday at a hospital in Tokyo. While the agency did not specify the cause of death, Japanese media attributed it to pneumonia.
Born in 1923 into an aristocratic family, Yuriko married Prince Mikasa, Hirohito’s younger brother and the great-uncle of the current Emperor Naruhito, at the age of 18. Their marriage took place just months before the onset of World War II.
Yuriko family
She had previously described how she and her husband, along with their infant daughter, sought refuge in a shelter after their home was destroyed during the U.S. fire bombings of Tokyo in 1945, during the war’s final months.
Throughout her life, Yuriko raised five children, supported Prince Mikasa’s academic research on ancient Near Eastern history, and fulfilled her imperial duties. She was also actively involved in philanthropic work, particularly in the areas of maternal and child health.
Death of Yuriko further reduces Japanese imperial family
Yuriko outlived her husband and all three of her sons. Her passing further reduces the already shrinking Japanese imperial family, leaving only 16 members, of whom just four are men. This exacerbates the challenges faced by Japan in preserving the monarchy, as traditionalists within the ruling party continue to advocate for male-only succession.
The 1947 Imperial House Law, which enforces conservative pre-war family values, limits succession to male heirs and requires female members of the royal family to forfeit their royal status upon marrying commoners. This has left Prince Hisahito, Emperor Naruhito’s nephew and the youngest male in the family, as the sole heir apparent. The situation has reignited debates about ensuring stable succession while adhering to these restrictive rules.
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