Princess Tomohito of Mikasa

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Princess Tomohito of Mikasa bigraphy, stories - Japanese princess

Princess Tomohito of Mikasa : biography

9 April 1955 –

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, née , is a member of the Japanese Imperial Family as the widow of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa.

Notes

Health

Princess Tomohito had a brain ischemia attack in May 2004, which forced her to withdraw for a time in the villa of Sōma in the town of Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture for medical treatment and rest.

The Princess was also absent from the funeral of her husband owing to bad health.

Other interests

Princess Tomohito is usually presented by her family as an excellent cook, and has published a book of recipes titled: . Kōbunsha ISBN 4334780075

Ancestry

Marriage and Children

The family lives in a compound within the Akasaka Estate complex, in Akasaka Minato, Tokyo.http://www.japannewsreview.com/society/kanto/20080314page_id=4116 Wikimap of Akasaka Estate

Official duties

The princess accompanied her husband on various missions abroad to charity and welfare events, especially those concerning health issues.

In December 1992, the Prince and Princess visited the United States to support a newly established cancer ward in the New York Medical College and Prince Tomohito made a keynote address at a charity ball. In May 1994, they visited Hawaii and attended a charity dinner in Hawaii for the reconstruction of Kuakini Hospital.

In February 1994, the Prince and Princess were invited by the Government of the Kingdom of Norway to visit the country and attend the Lillehammer Winter Olympics. They offered their encouragement to the Japanese athletes there.

In July 1994, Nobuko visited Australia to offer her support to the Sydney Royal Research Institute for those with Visual and Listening Disabilities, where Prince Katsura had served as Executive Committee Chairman. There she attended a charity ball, which Prince Tomohito had been planning for four years, organized through the volunteer spirit of the Japanese living in Australia.

In April 1998, Tomohito and Nobuko visited the Republic of Turkey to attend the opening ceremony of the Turkey-Japan Foundation Cultural Centre, in the establishment of which Prince Mikasa had been involved. That was their second visit following the visit to attend the celebrations of 100 years of relations between Japan and Turkey in 1990.

In July 2003, the Princess visited Glasgow in the United Kingdom to attend the World Rose Convention in her capacity as Honorary President of the Japan Rose Society.

Early life and education

Nobuko, a Roman Catholic, was born on 9 April 1955. She is the third daughter of Takakichi Asō, the chairman of the Aso Cement Company and a close associate of Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka; her mother, Kazuko Asō, was Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida’s daughter. She is also a great-great-granddaughter of Ōkubo Toshimichi. Her elder brother is former Prime Minister and current Deputy Prime Minister Tarō Asō.

She studied in England and graduated from Rosslyn House College in 1973.

Titles and styles

  • 9 April 1955 – 7 November 1980: Miss Nobuko Asō
  • 7 November 1980 – present: Her Imperial Highness Princess Tomohito of Mikasa

Issue

Name Birth Marriage Issue
Princess Akiko of Mikasa 20 December 1981
Princess Yōko of Mikasa 25 October 1983

Honours

See also List of honours of the Japanese Imperial Family by country

National honours

  • Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown

Foreign honours

  • : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav

Honorary Positions

  • President of the Tokyo Jikeikai
  • Honorary President of the Japan Rose Society
  • Honorary Vice-President of the Japanese Red Cross Society