Masako, Crown Princess of Japan
Encyclopedia
is the wife of Crown Prince Naruhito
, the first son of the Emperor Akihito
and the Empress Michiko, and a member of the Imperial House of Japan
through marriage.
, a senior diplomat
, and President of the International Court of Justice
. Her siblings are two younger sisters, twins
named Setsuko and Reiko.
Masako went to live in Moscow
with her parents when she was two years old, where she completed her kindergarten education. Upon returning to Japan, she attended a private girls' school in Tokyo, Denenchofu Futaba, from elementary school through her second year of senior high school. Masako and her family moved to the United States
when her father became a guest professor at Harvard University
and vice ambassador to the United States. In 1981, she graduated from Belmont High School
, where she was president of the National Honor Society
, and she entered Radcliffe College
.
Princess Masako holds an A.B.
magna cum laude in Economics
from Harvard College
and attended but did not finish the graduate course in International Relations
at Balliol College, Oxford University. Her senior thesis advisor at Harvard was Jeffrey Sachs
. She also studied briefly at the University of Tokyo
, where her father taught, in preparation for the entrance examinations at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In addition to her native Japanese
, she is fluent in English
and French
, and is said to be of conversational standard in German
, Russian
, and Spanish
.
, where she worked with her father, the Director General and prospective Vice Minister. During her career she met many world leaders, such as U.S.
president
Bill Clinton
and Russia
n president Boris Yeltsin
. She also took part as a translator in negotiations with the United States concerning superconductors.
in November 1986, although some say they had actually met previously when her father served as an escort to members of the Imperial Family. Masako and the prince were pursued relentlessly by the press throughout 1987.
Masako's name disappeared from the list of possible royal brides due to controversy about her maternal grandfather, Yutaka Egashira, Chairman of Chisso
, a corporation infamous for the Minamata disease
, a major pollution scandal. Behind the scenes, however, her relationship with the prince continued unabated. The Prince proposed several times before Masako finally honored his request on 9 December 1992. Palace officials formally announced the engagement on 19 January 1993. Although many were surprised at the news (as it was believed that the prince and Masako had gone their separate ways), the engagement was met with a surge of renewed media attention directed towards the imperial family and their new princess.
Masako was joined in marriage with His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito in a traditional wedding ceremony on 9 June 1993. By virtue of the marriage, Masako Owada assumed the formal predicate Her Imperial Highness, the Crown Princess of Japan. In addition, she was placed in the Japanese Imperial Order of Precedence (used for the most formal occasions) behind her mother-in-law, the Empress Michiko, and her grandmother-in-law, the Dowager Empress Nagako.
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The Crown Princess' first pregnancy was announced in December 1999. However, the Crown Princess miscarried soon after the announcement.
(her official title is Toshi no Miya, or Princess Toshi), born on 1 December 2001.
The child's birth, which occurred more than eight years after her parents' marriage, sparked lively debate
in Japan about whether the The Imperial Household Law of 1947
should be changed from that of agnatic primogeniture to absolute primogeniture, which would allow a woman to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne
.
A government-appointed panel of experts submitted a report on 25 October 2005, recommending that the Imperial Succession Law be amended to permit absolute primogeniture. On 20 January 2006, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
used part of his annual keynote speech to address the controversy when he pledged to submit a bill to the Diet
letting women ascend to the throne in order that the imperial throne be continued into the future in a stable manner. Koizumi did not announce a timing for the legislation to be introduced nor did he provide details about the content but he did note that it would be in line with the conclusions of the 2005 Government Panel.
The Japanese Constitution does not allow the members of the Imperial Family to engage in political activities. The Prince has made pointed and controversial comments about discourtesies and pressures placed on his wife by the Imperial Household Agency
and his wife's desire to pursue the life of a diplomat.
, and his wife Princess Kiko were expecting their third child. On 6 September 2006, Princess Kiko gave birth to a son, Hisahito
, who is third-in-line to the Chrysanthemum Throne under the current law, after his uncle, the Crown Prince and his father, Prince Akishino.
and is reported to be seeking treatment.
On July 11, 2008, Naruhito sought public understanding for his ailing wife. He was on an eight-day trip to Spain
without her: "I would like the public to understand that Masako is continuing to make her utmost efforts with the help of those around her. Please continue to watch over her kindly and over the long term." Pressures to produce a male heir, to conform with the ancient traditions and a 1947 Imperial Law are perceived to be behind her illness.
Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan
is the eldest son of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, which makes him the heir apparent to the Chrysanthemum Throne of Japan.-Early life and education:...
, the first son of the Emperor Akihito
Akihito
is the current , the 125th emperor of his line according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He acceded to the throne in 1989.-Name:In Japan, the emperor is never referred to by his given name, but rather is referred to as "His Imperial Majesty the Emperor" which may be shortened to . In...
and the Empress Michiko, and a member of the Imperial House of Japan
Imperial House of Japan
The , also referred to as the Imperial Family or the Yamato Dynasty, comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present Constitution of Japan, the emperor is the symbol of the state and unity of the people...
through marriage.
Early life and education
Born in Tokyo, Japan, she was originally named . She is eldest daughter of Hisashi OwadaHisashi Owada
is a former Japanese diplomat and a judge on the International Court of Justice, and currently serves as its President, having been elected to this post in 2009.-Early life:Hisashi Owada was born in Shibata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. After earning a B.A...
, a senior diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
, and President of the International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
. Her siblings are two younger sisters, twins
TWINS
Two Wide-Angle Imaging Neutral-Atom Spectrometers are a pair of NASA instruments aboard two United States National Reconnaissance Office satellites in Molniya orbits. TWINS was designed to provide stereo images of the Earth's ring current. The first instrument, TWINS-1, was launched aboard USA-184...
named Setsuko and Reiko.
Masako went to live in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
with her parents when she was two years old, where she completed her kindergarten education. Upon returning to Japan, she attended a private girls' school in Tokyo, Denenchofu Futaba, from elementary school through her second year of senior high school. Masako and her family moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
when her father became a guest professor at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and vice ambassador to the United States. In 1981, she graduated from Belmont High School
Belmont High School (Belmont, Massachusetts)
Belmont High School is a four-year public high school in Belmont, Massachusetts. It was built in 1970 at a cost of $9 million. The school had 1,170 students enrolled and a student/teacher ratio of 16:1 in the 2004-05 school year....
, where she was president of the National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
, and she entered Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
.
Princess Masako holds an A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
magna cum laude in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
from Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
and attended but did not finish the graduate course in International Relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
at Balliol College, Oxford University. Her senior thesis advisor at Harvard was Jeffrey Sachs
Jeffrey Sachs
Jeffrey David Sachs is an American economist and Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University. One of the youngest economics professors in the history of Harvard University, Sachs became known for his role as an adviser to Eastern European and developing country governments in the...
. She also studied briefly at the University of Tokyo
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
, where her father taught, in preparation for the entrance examinations at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In addition to her native Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, she is fluent in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and is said to be of conversational standard in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.
Employment
Masako was formerly employed by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign AffairsMinistry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)
The is a cabinet level ministry of Japan responsible for the country's foreign relations.The ministry is due to the second term of the third article of the National Government Organization Act , and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Establishment Act establishes the ministry...
, where she worked with her father, the Director General and prospective Vice Minister. During her career she met many world leaders, such as U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
president
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n president Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
. She also took part as a translator in negotiations with the United States concerning superconductors.
Marriage
Masako first met the prince when she was a student at the University of TokyoUniversity of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
in November 1986, although some say they had actually met previously when her father served as an escort to members of the Imperial Family. Masako and the prince were pursued relentlessly by the press throughout 1987.
Masako's name disappeared from the list of possible royal brides due to controversy about her maternal grandfather, Yutaka Egashira, Chairman of Chisso
Chisso
The is a Japanese chemical company. It is particularly well known as a supplier of liquid crystal used for LCD displays.Chisso is also known for its thirty-four year long contamination of the water supply in Minamata, Japan that led to thousands of deaths and victims of disease...
, a corporation infamous for the Minamata disease
Minamata disease
', sometimes referred to as , is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. Symptoms include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, narrowing of the field of vision and damage to hearing and speech. In extreme cases, insanity, paralysis, coma, and death...
, a major pollution scandal. Behind the scenes, however, her relationship with the prince continued unabated. The Prince proposed several times before Masako finally honored his request on 9 December 1992. Palace officials formally announced the engagement on 19 January 1993. Although many were surprised at the news (as it was believed that the prince and Masako had gone their separate ways), the engagement was met with a surge of renewed media attention directed towards the imperial family and their new princess.
Masako was joined in marriage with His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito in a traditional wedding ceremony on 9 June 1993. By virtue of the marriage, Masako Owada assumed the formal predicate Her Imperial Highness, the Crown Princess of Japan. In addition, she was placed in the Japanese Imperial Order of Precedence (used for the most formal occasions) behind her mother-in-law, the Empress Michiko, and her grandmother-in-law, the Dowager Empress Nagako.
Family and succession
Princess Aiko
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess have one child, Princess AikoAiko, Princess Toshi
, born 1 December 2001, is the daughter and only child of the heir apparent to the Japanese throne, Crown Prince Naruhito, and Crown Princess Masako....
(her official title is Toshi no Miya, or Princess Toshi), born on 1 December 2001.
The child's birth, which occurred more than eight years after her parents' marriage, sparked lively debate
Japanese imperial succession controversy
The Japanese imperial succession controversy refers to desires to change the laws of succession to the Japanese Throne, which is currently limited to males of the Japanese imperial family.- Overview :...
in Japan about whether the The Imperial Household Law of 1947
Imperial Household Law
is a statute in Japanese law that governs the line of imperial succession, the membership of the imperial family, and several other matters pertaining to the administration of the Imperial Household.-Passage of the Law:...
should be changed from that of agnatic primogeniture to absolute primogeniture, which would allow a woman to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne
Chrysanthemum Throne
The is the English term used to identify the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term can refer to very specific seating, such as the takamikura throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace....
.
A government-appointed panel of experts submitted a report on 25 October 2005, recommending that the Imperial Succession Law be amended to permit absolute primogeniture. On 20 January 2006, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
Junichiro Koizumi
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended.Widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party , he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japan's government debt and the...
used part of his annual keynote speech to address the controversy when he pledged to submit a bill to the Diet
Diet of Japan
The is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...
letting women ascend to the throne in order that the imperial throne be continued into the future in a stable manner. Koizumi did not announce a timing for the legislation to be introduced nor did he provide details about the content but he did note that it would be in line with the conclusions of the 2005 Government Panel.
The Japanese Constitution does not allow the members of the Imperial Family to engage in political activities. The Prince has made pointed and controversial comments about discourtesies and pressures placed on his wife by the Imperial Household Agency
Imperial Household Agency
The is a government agency of Japan in charge of the state matters concerning Japan's imperial family and also keeping the Privy Seal and the State Seal...
and his wife's desire to pursue the life of a diplomat.
Nephew
Plans to change the male-only law of Imperial succession were shelved after it was announced in February 2006 that Masako's brother-in-law, Prince AkishinoPrince Akishino
Fumihito, The Prince Akishino is a member of the Japanese imperial family...
, and his wife Princess Kiko were expecting their third child. On 6 September 2006, Princess Kiko gave birth to a son, Hisahito
Prince Hisahito of Akishino
is the third child of the Prince and Princess Akishino, and their only son. He is third in line to become Emperor of Japan.Prince Hisahito has two older sisters, Princess Mako of Akishino and Princess Kako of Akishino .- Name :His personal name Hisahito in this case means "serene and virtuous,"...
, who is third-in-line to the Chrysanthemum Throne under the current law, after his uncle, the Crown Prince and his father, Prince Akishino.
Health
Princess Masako has remained largely out of the public eye since 2002, reportedly due to emotional disorders which many speculate are caused by the pressure to produce a male heir and adjusting to life in the Imperial Family. In July 2004, she was diagnosed as suffering from adjustment disorderAdjustment disorder
Adjustment disorder is a psychological response to an identifiable stressor or group of stressors that cause significant emotional or behavioral symptoms that do not meet criteria for anxiety disorder, PTSD, or acute stress disorder...
and is reported to be seeking treatment.
On July 11, 2008, Naruhito sought public understanding for his ailing wife. He was on an eight-day trip to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
without her: "I would like the public to understand that Masako is continuing to make her utmost efforts with the help of those around her. Please continue to watch over her kindly and over the long term." Pressures to produce a male heir, to conform with the ancient traditions and a 1947 Imperial Law are perceived to be behind her illness.
Ancestry
External links
Biographies:- Who2 profile
- Profile at kjeld.com | Crown Princess Masako
- Australian author of Princess Masako biography receives death threats
- Hello! Magazine | Japan's Masako
- Kunaicho | Their Imperial Highnesses Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako
- Imperial Household Denies Exerting Pressure Over Masako Book, 19 February 2007
- Website of Ben Hills, author of Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne
- The Sunday Times | Land of the rising daughter 4 June 2006