Princess Takamatsu
Encyclopedia
Princess Takamatsu (Kikuko
) of Japan, (Japanese
: 宣仁親王妃喜久子, romanized
Nobuhito Shinnō-hi Kikuko) (26 December 1911 – 18 December 2004), known informally as Princess Kikuko, was a member of the Japanese imperial family. The Princess was the widow of Prince Takamatsu (Nobuhito)
, the third son of the Emperor Taishō
and the Empress Teimei. She was, therefore, a sister-in-law of the Shōwa Emperor
and an aunt of the present Emperor, HIM
Akihito
. She was mainly known for philanthropic activities, particular her patronage of cancer research organizations. At the time of her death, Princess Takamatsu was the oldest member of the Imperial Family.
, Japan's last shogun
. Her maternal grandfather, Prince Arisugawa (Takehito), was the seventh head of the Arisugawa-no-miya
, one of the four shinnōke
or collateral branches of the Imperial Family during the Edo period
entitled to provide a successor to the throne in default of a direct heir. Lady Tokugawa Kikuko received her primary and secondary education at the then-girls' department of the Gakushuin
. At age eighteen, she became engaged to Prince Takamastu, who was then third-in-line to the Chrysanthemum throne
.
in Tokyo. The couple had no children. Shortly after the wedding, Prince and Princess Takamatsu embarked upon a world tour, partly to return the courtesies shown to them by King George V of the United Kingdom
in sending a mission to Tokyo to present Emperor Shōwa with the Order of the Garter
. The Prince and Princess returned to Japan in June 1931 and took up residence in Takanawa
in Minato, Tokyo
. A photo of them on the Chichibu Maru
which left San Francisco on May 28, 1931 can be seen at The Passionist Historical Archives website.
Following her mother's death from bowel cancer in 1933, Princess Takamatsu became champion of cancer research. Using money donated by the public, she established the Princess Takamatsu Cancer Research Fund in 1968, organizing symposia and awarding scientists for groundbreaking work. She also served as president of an organization extending relief to Hansen's disease patients. The Princess also served as the honorary president of the "Saiseikai" Imperial Gift Foundation Inc., Tofu Kyokai Foundation, Shadan Houjin Tokyo Jikeikai, Nichifutsu Kyokai, and Nichifutsu Kaikan, and as an honorary vice-president of the Japan Red Cross Society.
, she gave the diary to the magazine Chūōkōron
which published excerpts in 1995. The diary revealed that Prince Takamatsu had opposed the Kwantung Army's incursions in Manchuria
in September 1931, the expansion of the July 1937 Marco Polo Bridge Incident
into a full-scale war against China
and had warned in November 1941 his brother Hirohito
that the Navy could not fight more than two years against United States.
After the death of her sister-in-law, Empress Kōjun
, in 2000, Princess Takamatsu became the oldest member of the Imperial Family. In 2002, after Crown Prince Naruhito
and Princess Masako
had a daughter, the ninety-year-old princess was the first member of the Imperial Family to publicly call for changes to the 1947 Imperial Household Law
, which limits the succession to the Chrysanthemum throne
to legitimate males in the male line of descent. In an article she wrote for a women's magazine, she argued that having a female tennō was "not unnatural" since women had assumed the throne in the past, most recently in the eighteenth century.
Princess Takamatsu died of blood poisoning at St. Luke's Medical Center
in Tokyo on 18 December 2004. She had been in and out of the hospital with various ailments during the last decade of her life. Her funeral was held on 26 December at Toshimagaoka cemetery in Tokyo's Bunkyo
Ward
.
Kikuko
Kikuko is a Japanese name, used for females. Although written romanized the same way, the kanji can be different.* Tokugawa Kikuko, later Princess Takamatsu of Japan, a Japanese singer and voice actress....
) of Japan, (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...
: 宣仁親王妃喜久子, romanized
Romanization of Japanese
The romanization of Japanese is the application of the Latin alphabet to write the Japanese language. This method of writing is known as , less strictly romaji, literally "Roman letters", sometimes incorrectly transliterated as romanji or rōmanji. There are several different romanization systems...
Nobuhito Shinnō-hi Kikuko) (26 December 1911 – 18 December 2004), known informally as Princess Kikuko, was a member of the Japanese imperial family. The Princess was the widow of Prince Takamatsu (Nobuhito)
Prince Takamatsu
was the third son of HIM Emperor Taishō and HIM Empress Teimei and a younger brother of the HIM Emperor Shōwa . He became heir to the Takamatsu-no-miya , one of the four shinnōke or branches of the imperial family entitled to inherit the Chrysanthemum throne in default of a direct heir...
, the third son of the Emperor Taishō
Emperor Taishō
The was the 123rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 30 July 1912, until his death in 1926.The Emperor’s personal name was . According to Japanese customs, the emperor has no name during his reign and is only called the Emperor...
and the Empress Teimei. She was, therefore, a sister-in-law of the Shōwa Emperor
Hirohito
, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to...
and an aunt of the present Emperor, HIM
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
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...
. She was mainly known for philanthropic activities, particular her patronage of cancer research organizations. At the time of her death, Princess Takamatsu was the oldest member of the Imperial Family.
Early life
The future Princess was born in Tokyo on 26 December 1911, as Tokugawa Kikuko. She was the second daughter of Prince Tokugawa Yoshihisa (2 September 1884 - 22 January 1922) (peer) and his wife Mieko (14 February 1891 - 25 April 1933). Her paternal grandfather was Tokugawa YoshinobuTokugawa Yoshinobu
was the 15th and last shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was part of a movement which aimed to reform the aging shogunate, but was ultimately unsuccessful...
, Japan's last shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
. Her maternal grandfather, Prince Arisugawa (Takehito), was the seventh head of the Arisugawa-no-miya
Arisugawa-no-miya
The ' is one of the shinnōke, branches of the Imperial Family of Japan which were, until 1947, eligible to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne in the event that the main line should die out....
, one of the four shinnōke
Shinnoke
was the collective name for the four cadet branches of the Imperial Household of Japan, which were until 1947 entitled to provide a successor to the Chrysanthemum throne if the main line failed to produce an heir...
or collateral branches of the Imperial Family during the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
entitled to provide a successor to the throne in default of a direct heir. Lady Tokugawa Kikuko received her primary and secondary education at the then-girls' department of the Gakushuin
Gakushuin
The or Peers School is an educational institution founded in Tokyo in 1877, during the Meiji period, for the education of the children of the Japanese aristocracy, though it eventually also opened its doors to the offspring of extremely wealthy commoners...
. At age eighteen, she became engaged to Prince Takamastu, who was then third-in-line 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....
.
Marriage
On 4 February 1930, she married Prince Takamatsu at the Kokyo Imperial PalaceKokyo
is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda area of Tokyo close to Tokyo Station and contains several buildings including the main palace , the emperor left Kyoto Imperial Palace for Tokyo...
in Tokyo. The couple had no children. Shortly after the wedding, Prince and Princess Takamatsu embarked upon a world tour, partly to return the courtesies shown to them by King George V of the United Kingdom
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
in sending a mission to Tokyo to present Emperor Shōwa with the Order of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
. The Prince and Princess returned to Japan in June 1931 and took up residence in Takanawa
Takanawa
Takanawa is a neighborhood in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.-Education:*The Takanawa Library is in Takanawa. is a junior high school. Takamatsunomiya contributed some of its own mansions for Minato and a junior high school was built there.-Notable sites:...
in Minato, Tokyo
Minato, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies...
. A photo of them on the Chichibu Maru
Chichibu Maru
The was a Japanese passenger ship which, renamed Kamakura Maru, was sunk during World World II, killing 2,035 soldiers and civilians on board....
which left San Francisco on May 28, 1931 can be seen at The Passionist Historical Archives website.
Following her mother's death from bowel cancer in 1933, Princess Takamatsu became champion of cancer research. Using money donated by the public, she established the Princess Takamatsu Cancer Research Fund in 1968, organizing symposia and awarding scientists for groundbreaking work. She also served as president of an organization extending relief to Hansen's disease patients. The Princess also served as the honorary president of the "Saiseikai" Imperial Gift Foundation Inc., Tofu Kyokai Foundation, Shadan Houjin Tokyo Jikeikai, Nichifutsu Kyokai, and Nichifutsu Kaikan, and as an honorary vice-president of the Japan Red Cross Society.
Unconventional frankness
In 1991, Princess Takamatsu and an aide discovered a twenty-volume diary, written in Prince Takamatsu's own hand between 1934 and 1947. Despite opposition from the Imperial Household AgencyImperial 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...
, she gave the diary to the magazine Chūōkōron
Chuokoron
is a monthly Japanese literary magazine is a monthly Japanese literary magazine is a monthly Japanese literary magazine is a monthly Japanese literary magazine is a monthly Japanese literary magazine is a monthly Japanese literary magazine is a monthly Japanese literary magazine is a monthly...
which published excerpts in 1995. The diary revealed that Prince Takamatsu had opposed the Kwantung Army's incursions in Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
in September 1931, the expansion of the July 1937 Marco Polo Bridge Incident
Marco Polo Bridge Incident
The Marco Polo Bridge Incident was a battle between the Republic of China's National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Army, often used as the marker for the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War .The eleven-arch granite bridge, Lugouqiao, is an architecturally significant structure,...
into a full-scale war against China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and had warned in November 1941 his brother Hirohito
Hirohito
, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to...
that the Navy could not fight more than two years against United States.
After the death of her sister-in-law, Empress Kōjun
Empress Kojun
' was empress consort of Emperor Hirohito of Japan. Born , she was the mother of the present Emperor .Her posthumous name is Kōjun, which means "fragrant purity"...
, in 2000, Princess Takamatsu became the oldest member of the Imperial Family. In 2002, after Crown Prince Naruhito
Naruhito
Naruhito is a male Japanese given name. People named Naruhito include the following:, eldest son of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, head of the imperial Kanin-no-miya household , actor and voice actor...
and Princess Masako
Masako, Crown Princess of Japan
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.-Early life and education:...
had a daughter, the ninety-year-old princess was the first member of the Imperial Family to publicly call for changes to the 1947 Imperial Household Law
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:...
, which limits the succession 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....
to legitimate males in the male line of descent. In an article she wrote for a women's magazine, she argued that having a female tennō was "not unnatural" since women had assumed the throne in the past, most recently in the eighteenth century.
Princess Takamatsu died of blood poisoning at St. Luke's Medical Center
St. Luke's medical center
St. Luke's Medical Center is a Tertiary referral hospital located in Quezon City and Taguig City, Philippines. It has a bed capacity of 660. It is the first in the Philippines and second in Asia to be accredited by the USA-based Joint Commission International , one of the leading international...
in Tokyo on 18 December 2004. She had been in and out of the hospital with various ailments during the last decade of her life. Her funeral was held on 26 December at Toshimagaoka cemetery in Tokyo's Bunkyo
Bunkyo, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. Situated in the middle of the ward area, Bunkyō is a residential and educational center. Beginning in the Meiji period, literati like Natsume Sōseki, as well as scholars and politicians have lived there...
Ward
Wards of Japan
A is a subdivision of one of the cities of Japan that is large enough to have been designated by government ordinance. Wards are used to subdivide each city designated by government ordinance...
.