was the eldest daughter of Japanese industrialist Shigejiro Tottori, and through marriage, a member of the Japanese Imperial Family.
Princess Hisako accompanied her father to
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he was transferred for work, and while still a child became fluent in the
English languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
. She subsequently graduated from
Girton CollegeGirton College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college was established on 16 October 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon, as the first residential women's college in England. The college became mixed in 1977 with the arrival of the first male...
,
Cambridge UniversityThe University of Cambridge , located in the City of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, is the second oldest university in the English-speaking world and the fourth oldest in Europe...
in the
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
in 1975 with undergraduate degrees in
anthropologyAnthropology is the study of human beings, everywhere and throughout time....
and
archaeologyArchaeology or archeology is the science that studies human cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material culture and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, biofacts, and landscapes...
. On her return to Japan, she obtained a position working for a translation company, but soon returned to England to learn about legal terminology used in
statuteA statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a country, state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law and the regulations issued by...
s.
was the eldest daughter of Japanese industrialist Shigejiro Tottori, and through marriage, a member of the Japanese Imperial Family.
Biography
Princess Hisako accompanied her father to
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he was transferred for work, and while still a child became fluent in the
English languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
. She subsequently graduated from
Girton CollegeGirton College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college was established on 16 October 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon, as the first residential women's college in England. The college became mixed in 1977 with the arrival of the first male...
,
Cambridge UniversityThe University of Cambridge , located in the City of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, is the second oldest university in the English-speaking world and the fourth oldest in Europe...
in the
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
in 1975 with undergraduate degrees in
anthropologyAnthropology is the study of human beings, everywhere and throughout time....
and
archaeologyArchaeology or archeology is the science that studies human cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material culture and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, biofacts, and landscapes...
. On her return to Japan, she obtained a position working for a translation company, but soon returned to England to learn about legal terminology used in
statuteA statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a country, state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law and the regulations issued by...
s. She returned to Japan again in 1982. After her return, she was hired to assist
Prince Mikasais the fourth and youngest son of Emperor Taishō and Empress Teimei. He is a younger brother of Emperor Shōwa and the only surviving paternal uncle of Emperor Akihito. With the death of his sister-in-law, Princess Takamatsu on 17 December 2004, Prince Mikasa became the oldest living member of...
as an interpreter and assistant at the 31st International Asian-North African Cultural Symposium.
Marriage and family
On 23 April 1984, she attended a reception hosted by the Embassy of
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in Tokyo, where she first met
Prince Takamado (Norihito)was a member of the Japanese Imperial Family and the third son of Prince Mikasa . He was a first cousin of Emperor Akihito, and formerly was seventh in line to the Chrysanthemum throne.-Education:...
. He proposed on 20 May, with the formal engagement made on 17 September 1984, and the wedding held on 6 December 1984. The Prince and Princess had three daughters:
Public service
Prince and Princess Takamado were the most widely traveled couple in the Japanese Imperial Family, visiting 35 countries together in 15 years to represent Japan on various functions. The Prince’s last visits included
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
and
MoroccoMorocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 32 million and an area just under . Its capital is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. Morocco has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the...
in May 2000,
HawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states, and is the only state made up entirely of islands. It is located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August...
in July 2001 (to promote the
Japanese tea ceremonyThe , or "the Way of Tea," is the ceremonial preparation and presentation of the powdered green tea known as matcha. The tea ceremony is highly ritualized and the manner in which it is performed or the art of its performance is known as . Zen Buddhism was integral to the ceremony's development,...
), and to the Republic of Korea from May to June 2002. The latter was in order to attend the Opening Ceremony of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea-Japan. The goodwill visit by the Prince and Princess to Korea was the first Japanese royal visit since
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and was an important step in the promotion of friendly bilateral
relations between Japan and KoreaKorean-Japanese relations involve the nations of Korea and Japan, and in modern times three parties: Japan, North Korea, and South Korea. Japan and Korea have had cultural interactions for well over a thousand years and direct political contact almost as long...
. While in Korea, the couple toured the country extensively, met with President Kim Dae-jung and ordinary Koreans, And He visited the facilities for the
physically disabledDisability is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities."...
in South Korea that the
Princess Nashimoto MasakoYi Bangja, Crown Princess Uimin of Korea was the consort of Crown Prince Euimin of Korea...
had sponsored.
Prince Takamado died of
ventricular fibrillationVentricular fibrillation is a condition in which there is uncoordinated contraction of the cardiac muscle of the ventricles in the heart, making them tremble rather than contract properly...
while playing
squashSquash is a racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball.Squash is recognized by the IOC and remains in contention for incorporation in a future Olympic program....
with the Canadian
ambassadorAn ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents their country. They are usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of their country....
Robert G. WrightRobert G. Wright is currently the Canadian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the People's Republic of China and to Mongolia. He was appointed Ambassador to China on August 19, 2005. From 2001 to 2005 he was the Ambassador of Canada to Japan....
at the Canadian Embassy, leaving HIH a widow with three young daughters. Since the Prince’s death, Princess Takamado has been extremely active in a very large number of charitable organizations involving sports, cultural exchange and the environment, taking on all of the posts formerly held by her late husband, as well as numerous new posts.
In June 2003, she visited
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
,
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
for the
2003 Special Olympics World Summer GamesThe 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games were hosted in Ireland, with participants staying in various host towns around the island in the lead up to the games before moving to Dublin for the events. Events were held from 21 June-29 June, 2003 at many venues including Morton Stadium, the Royal...
. In June 2004, she made an official visit to Canada, traveling extensively across the nation as part of the 75th Anniversary of the formal diplomatic relations between Canada and Japan. During this visit, she received two honorary doctorates in Law, one from the
University of AlbertaThe University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the top universities in Canada...
and the other from the
University of Prince Edward IslandThe University of Prince Edward Island is a university in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. It is the only university in the province.-History:...
. In November 2004, she visited
BangkokBangkok is the capital, largest urban area and primary city of Thailand. Known in Thai as Krung Thep Mahanakhon , or กรุงเทพฯ Krung Thep for short, it was a small trading post at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River during the Ayutthaya Kingdom. It came to the forefront of Siam when it was given the...
,
ThailandThe Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia.It is bordered to the north by Laos and Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma...
, to attend the 3rd IUCN World Conference as Honorary President of
BirdLife InternationalBirdLife International is the international conservation organization working to protect the world’s birds and their habitats...
.
In June 2005, she visited
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
to attend the
2005 FIFA Confederations CupThe 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the seventh FIFA Confederations Cup. It was held in Germany between 15 June and 29 June 2005. The tournament was won by 2002 FIFA World Cup winners Brazil, who defeated Argentina 4–1 in the final Waldstadion in Frankfurt...
, attending
matchesFootball is the name of several similar team sports, all of which involve kicking a ball with the foot in an attempt to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"...
between Germany against Argentina, and Japan against Brazil. Afterwards, she visited
JordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in Western Asia spanning the southern part of the Syrian Desert down to the Gulf of Aqaba. Jordan shares borders with Syria to the north, Iraq to the northeast, Saudi Arabia to the east and south, the Gulf of Aqaba to the southwest,...
to attend the royal wedding of
Princess Badiya bint El HassanPrincess Badiya bint El Hassan was born on March 28, 1974 in Amman, Jordan. Her father is Prince Hassan bin Talal and her mother is Princess Sarvath El Hassan.- Education :* Amman Baccalaureate School* University of Oxford - B.A. Hons in History...
. In November of the same year, returned to England for the Global Council Meeting of BirdLife International. In January 2006, she returned to Canada to attend the opening of the “Prince Takamado Gallery of Japan” at the
Royal Ontario MuseumThe Royal Ontario Museum, commonly known as the ROM, is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's largest museum of world culture and natural history. The ROM is the fifth largest museum in North America, containing more than six million items and over 40 galleries...
. She also returned to Germany later that year in order to attend the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
In March 2004, Her Highness was elected to succeed Queen Noor of Jordan as Honorary President of BirdLife International. She visited
MontevideoMontevideo is the largest city, the capital and chief port of Uruguay. Montevideo is the only city in the country with a population over 1,000,000...
,
UruguayUruguay , is a country located in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to 3.46 million people, of whom 1.1 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area. An estimated 88–94% of the population are of mostly European and/or mixed descent.Uruguay's only land border is...
in 2008, and
Buenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital, and largest city, of Argentina, currently the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the eastern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
,
ArgentinaArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
for the Birdlife World Conservation Conference. During this visit, she attended special high goal
poloPolo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a long-handled mallet...
exhibition played by the Novillo Astrada brothers in her honor at the La Aguada Polo Club.
The Princess is the author of a children's book titled
Lulie the Iceberg (OUP, 1998); it is her second book.
Honorary positions
- Patron of the Japan Grass Ski Association
- Patron of the Federation of Japan Amateur Orchestras Corp
- Honorary President of |Ikebana International http://www.ikebanahq.org/profile.html
- Honorary President of the Amateur Rubberball Baseball Association of Japan
- Honorary President of the All Japan Archery Federation
- Honorary President of the Japan Fencing Federation
- Honorary President of the Marine Rescue Japan (MRJ)
- Honorary President of the Japan Hockey Association
- Honorary Patron of the Japan Football Association
- Honorary President of the Japan Spanish Society
- Honorary Patron of Center For Promotion Of Folk-Performing Arts
- Honorary President of the Inamori Foundation
- Honorary President of the Japan Sailing Federation
- Honorary Chairman of Japan Squash Association
- Honorary President of Junior Sea Friend's Federation of Japan
- Honorary Patron of the Japan National Student Association Fund
- Honorary Patron of the Asiatic Society of Japan
- Honorary Patron of Les Amies de Langue Francaise
- Honorary Governorship of the Japan-Egypt Association
- Honorary Patron of the Canada-Japan Society
- Honorary President of BirdLife International
- Honorary Chairman of the International Education Center Supporter Association
- Honorary Vice-President of the Japanese Red Cross
The ' is the Japanese affiliate of the International Red Cross.The Imperial Family of Japan traditionally has supported the society, with Empress as Honorary President and other royal family members as Vice-Presidents. Its headquarters is located in Tokyo and local chapters are set up in all 47...
Society
- Honorary Patron for Asia, Bird life International's Rare Bird Club
- Honorary Chairman of The International Kyudo Federation
External links