(born ; 9 April 1955) is a member of the Japanese Imperial Family as the widow of

Prince Tomohito of Mikasa was a member of the Imperial House of Japan and the eldest son of Takahito, Prince Mikasa and Yuriko, Princess Mikasa. He was a first cousin of Emperor Akihito, and was formerly sixth in the line of succession to the Japanese throne and the ...

Background and education

Nobuko, a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, was born on 9 April 1955 in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

. She is the third daughter and youngest child of , the chairman of the Aso Company (best known originally for its activities in the development of coal mines and metallurgy, but today mainly specializing in cement making, as well as being in the medical, environmental and real estate business) and a member of the House of Representatives from 1949 to 1955. He was also a close associate of Prime Minister

Kakuei Tanaka was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1947 to 1990, and was Prime Minister of Japan from 1972 to 1974. After a power struggle with Takeo Fukuda, he became the most influential member of the ruling Liberal ...

. Her mother, , was the daughter of Prime Minister

Shigeru Yoshida (22 September 1878 – 20 October 1967) was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1946 to 1947 and from 1948 to 1954. Yoshida was one of the longest-serving Japanese prime ministers, and is the third-long ...

. Her elder brother is the former Prime Minister

Tarō Asō is a Japanese politician serving as the Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2021. Asō previously served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2008 to 2009 and as Deputy Prime Minister of Japan and Minister of Finance from 2 ...

. Through her paternal grandmother, she descends from a younger branch of the feudal Ichinomiya clan. She is the great-granddaughter of the diplomat Count and the great-great-granddaughter of the samurai

Ōkubo Toshimichi was a Japanese statesman and one of the Three Great Nobles regarded as the main founders of modern Japan. Ōkubo was a ''samurai'' of the Satsuma Domain and joined the movement to overthrow the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate during the '' Bak ...

, famous for having been the cause of the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877. She studied in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

and graduated from Rosslyn House College in 1973. After returning to Japan, she taught English in Shoto kindergarten in the district of

Shibuya Shibuya (渋谷区 ''Shibuya-ku'') is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As a major commercial and finance center, it houses two of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station (southern half) and Shibuya Station. As of April 1 ...

, Tokyo.

Marriage and children

Whilst in the UK she met her future husband,

, himself a student at Oxford University. His first marriage proposal was rejected in 1973 because of Nobuko's young age. The

Imperial Household Council The is a ten-member body to approve the statutory matters on the Imperial House of Japan. The Council was established in 1947, when the current Imperial Household Law took effect. Functions The Imperial Household Law provides that the Counci ...

announced the engagement of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa and Nobuko Asō on 18 April 1980 and the engagement ceremony was held on 21 May 1980. The wedding ceremony took place on 7 November 1980 and she became Princess Tomohito of Mikasa. As tradition dictates, upon her entry into the imperial family and like other members, she received a personal

emblem An emblem is an abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a king or saint. Emblems vs. symbols Although the words ''emblem'' and '' symbol'' are often use ...

(): the flower of

prunus persica ''Prunus'' is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes (among many others) the fruits plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, and almonds. Native to the North American temperate regions, the neotropics of South America, and the ...

(). Born a Catholic, she is not the first Christian to enter the imperial family (

Empress Michiko is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who served as the Empress consort of Japan as the wife of Akihito, the 125th Emperor of Japan reigning from 7 January 1989 to 30 April 2019. Michiko married Crown Prince Akihito and became the Crow ...

also comes from a Catholic family and was raised in Christian religious institutions), but she is the first to be

baptized Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost i ...

. The couple had two daughters: * * The family lived in a compound within the Akasaka Estate complex, in

Moto-Akasaka is a district in Tokyo, and a part of the Minato ward. Education Minato City Board of Education operates public elementary and junior high schools. Moto-Akasaka (1-2-chōme The Japanese addressing system is used to identify a specific loca ...

Minato, Tokyo is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is also called Minato City in English. It was formed in 1947 as a merger of Akasaka, Azabu and Shiba wards following Tokyo City's transformation into Tokyo Metropolis. The modern Minato ward exhibits t ...

. In October 2009, she separated her residence from her husband and children.

Widowhood

The Princess became a widow on 6 June 2012, upon the death of her husband. In June 2013 in a statement about the Prince's household, it was announced by the Imperial Household Agency that "it adreduced the number of households in the Imperial family by one", integrating it into the household led by his father. According to the agency's officials the household integration would not have any effect on the lives of the widow and daughters of Prince Tomohito.

Official duties

The Princess accompanied her husband on various missions abroad to

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * C ...

and

welfare Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifical ...

events, especially those concerning

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organ ...

issues. She is engaged in various welfare organisations and holds positions as

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

and

vice-president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

. In 1990, the Prince and Princess visited

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

to attended the celebrations held for the 100th year of relations between Japan and Turkey. In December 1992, the couple visited the cancer ward at

New York Medical College New York Medical College (NYMC or New York Med) is a private medical school in Valhalla, New York. Founded in 1860, it is a member of the Touro College and University System. NYMC offers advanced degrees through its three schools: the Schoo ...

. In May 1994, they went to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

mainly to attend a charity dinner held for the reconstruction of Kuakini Hospital. In February 1994, the Prince and Princess attended the Lillehammer Winter Olympics in Norway. In July 1994, Nobuko visited

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

on her own to support the Sydney Royal Research Institute for those with audio-visual disabilities. In April 1998, Tomohito and Nobuko travelled to Turkey to attend the opening ceremony of the Turkey-Japan Foundation Cultural Centre. In July 2003, the Princess in her capacity as Honorary President of the Japan Rose Society, visited

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

, to attend the World Rose Convention. On 1 November 2013, Princess Tomohito of Mikasa visited

Fukushima Prefecture Fukushima Prefecture (; ja, 福島県, Fukushima-ken, ) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,810,286 () and has a geographic area of . Fukushima Prefecture borders Miyagi ...

and met with the people affected by the earthquake which occurred on 11 March 2011. The Princess hadn't performed any official duty since January 2006 because of a stroke and her asthma and it was her first official appearance in seven years. Since then, she has returned to public life. Princess Nobuko attended the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on 27 September 2022 in

with her eldest daughter, Princess Akiko.

Other interests

Princess Tomohito is usually presented by her family as an excellent chef, and has published two books of recipes titled: * Published in May 1992: . Kōbunsha Publishing Co., Ltd. () * Published in October 2013: . Magazine House () The second book features recipes and ingredients common in

Health

Princess Nobuko suffered a

transient ischemic attack A transient ischemic attack (TIA), commonly known as a mini-stroke, is a minor stroke whose noticeable symptoms usually end in less than an hour. TIA causes the same symptoms associated with strokes, such as weakness or numbness on one side of ...

in May 2004, which forced her to withdraw for a while to the villa of Sōma in

Karuizawa is a resort town located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 20,323 in 9897 households, and a population density of 130 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Karuizawa is one of the oldest and most ...

Nagano Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,052,493 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the ...

, for medical treatment and rest. In 2008, she also suffered from

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...

and was hospitalized. She went to her hometown for medical care and then came back to Tokyo. On the night of 8 September 2019, Princess Nobuko fell at her home in Tokyo. The next morning, due to persistent pain, the Princess went to Keio University Hospital of

, where she was diagnosed with a first lumbar vertebral fracture. She was prescribed a total recovery period of 3 months. Princess Nobuko was diagnosed with stage one

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or ...

in November 2022. Doctors have expressed no concern about her case, as Princess Nobuko has no obvious symptoms of cancer. The Princess was admitted to Keio University Hospital of

on 16 November for further examinations, and her surgery to remove the tumor was held on 19 November. After undergoing the surgery, which lasted 2 hours, it was discovered that her breast cancer was at stage 0, and not at stage 1. The Princess was discharged from the hospital on 24 November morning, after doctors confirmed that her recovery is going well and that the chances of cancer recurrence are very low.

Titles and styles

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

Honours

National honours

* : Grand Cordon of the

Order of the Precious Crown The is a Japanese order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. Since the Order of the Rising Sun at that time was an Order for men, it was established as an Order for women. Originally the order had five classes, but on Apr ...

. * : Dame of th
Decoration of the Red Cross.
* : Recipient of th

Foreign honours

* : Grand Cross of the

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav ( no, Den Kongelige Norske Sankt Olavs Orden; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II ...

(26/03/2001).

Honorary Positions

* President of the Tokyo Jikeikai. * Honorary President of the Japan Rose Society. * 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 the Empress as Honorary President and other imperial family members as vice presidents. Its headquarters i ...

Society.

Ancestry

Princess Tomohito is a patrilineal descendant of the Asō clan and is maternally descended from

through his son Count

Makino Nobuaki Count was a Japanese politician and imperial court official. As Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan, Makino served as Emperor Hirohito’s chief counselor on the monarch’s position in Japanese society and policymaking. In this capacity, he ...

. Through her paternal grandmother the Hon. Kanō Natsuko, she is descended from the Tachibana clan of the Miike Domain and from a cadet branch of the

Ōkubo clan The were a ''samurai'' kin group which rose to prominence in the Sengoku period and the Edo periods.Meyer, Eva-Maria"Gouverneure von Kyôto in der Edo-Zeit."Universität Tübingen (in German) Under the Tokugawa shogunate, the Ōkubo, as heredita ...

, who ruled the

Odawara Domain 250px, Odawara Castle, Headquarters of the Odawara Domain was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located primarily in western Sagami Province (modern-day Kanagawa Prefecture). It was centered on Odawara Castle in what is now the city of Oda ...

. Through her link to the Ōkubo clan, she is an eighth cousin of her late husband and of the present Emperor; all three are seven-times-great-grandchildren of the sixth lord of

Hirado is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. The part historically named Hirado is located on Hirado Island. With recent mergers, the city's boundaries have expanded, and Hirado now occupies parts of the main island of Kyushu. The component ...

, Matsura Atsunobu (1684–1757). They are also tenth cousins by virtue of their descent from Seikanji Hirofusa (1633–1686), a senior palace courtier who held the rank of ''

dainagon was a counselor of the first rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century. This advisory position remained a part of the Imperial court from the 8th century until the Meiji period in the 19th century.Nussbaum, "Dainag ...

'' in the late-17th century.

Notes

External links

Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Mikasa and their family
at the Imperial Household Agency website {{DEFAULTSORT:Tomohito Of Mikasa, Princess Japanese princesses 1955 births Living people Japanese Roman Catholics Grand Cordons (Imperial Family) of the Order of the Precious Crown 20th-century Japanese women 21st-century Japanese women Princesses by marriage