Norihito, Prince Takamado

Norihito, Prince Takamado (高円宮憲仁親王, Takamado-no-miya Norihito Shinnō, 29 December 1954 – 21 November 2002) was a Japanese member of the Imperial House of Japan and the third son of Takahito, Prince Mikasa and Yuriko, Princess Mikasa. He was a first cousin of Emperor Akihito, and was seventh in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne at the time of his death.

Norihito
Prince Takamado
BornPrince Norihito of Mikasa
(1954-12-29)29 December 1954
Kamiōsaki, Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan
Died21 November 2002(2002-11-21) (aged 47)
Keio University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
Burial29 November 2002
Toshimagaoka Imperial Cemetery, Bunkyo, Tokyo
Spouse
​
(m. 1984)​
Issue
Names
Norihito (憲仁)
HouseImperial House of Japan
FatherTakahito, Prince Mikasa
MotherYuriko Takagi

Education

The Prince was born in Prince Mikasa's family home at Tokyo, He was graduated from the Department of Law of Gakushuin University in 1978. He studied abroad from 1978 to 1981 at Queen's University Faculty of Law in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. After his return to Japan, he served as administrator of the Japan Foundation from 1981 to 2002.

Marriage and family

On 17 September 1984, the Prince became engaged to Hisako Tottori, eldest daughter of Shigejirō Tottori, whom he had met at a reception held by the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo. They married on 6 December 1984. He was born as Prince Norihito of Mikasa, and received the title Prince Takamado (Takamado-no-miya) and authorization to start a new branch of the Imperial Family on 1 December 1984 in celebration of his wedding. The couple had three daughters:

  • Princess Tsuguko (承子女王, Tsuguko Joō, born 8 March 1986 at Aiiku Hospital in Tokyo)
  • Princess Noriko (典子女王, Noriko Joō, born 22 July 1988 at Aiiku Hospital in Tokyo); following her marriage to Kunimaro Senge, a commoner, on 5 October 2014, Princess Noriko gave up her imperial title and left the Imperial Family as required by 1947 Imperial Household Law, took the surname of her husband and became known as "Noriko Senge" (千家典子, Senge Noriko).[1]
  • Princess Ayako (絢子女王, Ayako Joō, born 15 September 1990 at Aiiku Hospital in Tokyo); following her marriage to Moriya Kei, a commoner, on 29 October 2018, Princess Ayako gave up her imperial title and left the Imperial Family as required by 1947 Imperial Household Law, took the surname of her husband and became known as "Ayako Moriya" (守谷絢子, Moriya Ayako).[2]

Public service

Prince Takamado was honorary president of various charitable organizations involved with sponsorship of international exchange especially involving music, dance, and sports. He was often dubbed "The Sports Prince" (スポーツの宮さま, Supōtsu-no-miya-sama) in Japan. He supported a number of foreign language speech contests. He was also very much involved in environmental issues and environmental education. The Prince was an honorary member of AV Edo-Rhenania zu Tokio, a Roman Catholic student fraternity that is affiliated with the Cartellverband.

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 Egypt and Morocco in May 2000, Hawaii in July 2001 (to promote the Japanese tea ceremony), 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 in South Korea and Japan. The goodwill visit by the Prince and Princess to Korea was the first Japanese imperial visit since World War II, and was an important step in the promotion of friendly bilateral relations between Japan and Korea.[3] 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 disabled in South Korea that the Princess Nashimoto Masako had sponsored.[4]

Death

On 21 November 2002, while having a squash lesson together with the Canadian ambassador Robert G. Wright at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, the Prince collapsed from ventricular fibrillation and was rushed to Keio University Hospital, where he went into cardiac arrest and died at the age of 47.[5]

The sudden death of one of the youngest and most active members of the Japanese Imperial Family shocked the nation. The Prince's funeral was held at Toshimagaoka Imperial Cemetery in northern Tokyo with around 900 people in attendance including members of the Imperial Family and politicians from Japan and other countries.[6]

The Prince Takamado Cup, Japan's national youth football cup tournament, is named after him. The Japanese artwork and artifacts collection of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto is named the Prince Takamado Gallery of Japan in honour of his close connection with Canada.[7]

Titles, styles and honours
Styles of
Prince Takamado
Takamado no miya mon
Takamado no miya mon
Reference styleHis Imperial Highness
Spoken styleYour Imperial Highness
  • 29 December 1954 – 1 December 1984: His Imperial Highness Prince Norihito of Mikasa
  • 1 December 1984 – 21 November 2002: His Imperial Highness Prince Takamado

National honours

Foreign honours

Honorary positions
  • Honorary President of the Japan Football Association
  • Honorary President of Japan Association of fencing
  • Honorary President of Japan Squash Association
  • Honorary President of Federation of All Japan Baseball
  • Honorary President of the Japan Student Association Foundation
  • Honorary President of Japan Society rescue poorly
  • President of Federation of Japan Amateur Orchestras

Issue
NameBirthMarriageIssue
Princess Tsuguko of Takamado8 March 1986
Princess Noriko of Takamado22 July 19885 October 2014Kunimaro Senge
Princess Ayako of Takamado15 September 199029 October 2018Kei Moriyatwo sons

Ancestry

Patrilineal descent
Patrilineal descent[9]
Imperial House of Japan
  1. Descent prior to Keitai is unclear to modern historians, but traditionally traced back patrilineally to Emperor Jimmu
  2. Emperor Keitai, ca. 450–534
  3. Emperor Kinmei, 509–571
  4. Emperor Bidatsu, 538–585
  5. Prince Oshisaka, ca. 556–???
  6. Emperor Jomei, 593–641
  7. Emperor Tenji, 626–671
  8. Prince Shiki, ???–716
  9. Emperor Kōnin, 709–786
  10. Emperor Kanmu, 737–806
  11. Emperor Saga, 786–842
  12. Emperor Ninmyō, 810–850
  13. Emperor Kōkō, 830–867
  14. Emperor Uda, 867–931
  15. Emperor Daigo, 885–930
  16. Emperor Murakami, 926–967
  17. Emperor En'yū, 959–991
  18. Emperor Ichijō, 980–1011
  19. Emperor Go-Suzaku, 1009–1045
  20. Emperor Go-Sanjō, 1034–1073
  21. Emperor Shirakawa, 1053–1129
  22. Emperor Horikawa, 1079–1107
  23. Emperor Toba, 1103–1156
  24. Emperor Go-Shirakawa, 1127–1192
  25. Emperor Takakura, 1161–1181
  26. Emperor Go-Toba, 1180–1239
  27. Emperor Tsuchimikado, 1196–1231
  28. Emperor Go-Saga, 1220–1272
  29. Emperor Go-Fukakusa, 1243–1304
  30. Emperor Fushimi, 1265–1317
  31. Emperor Go-Fushimi, 1288–1336
  32. Emperor Kōgon, 1313–1364
  33. Emperor Sukō, 1334–1398
  34. Prince Yoshihito Fushimi, 1351–1416
  35. Prince Sadafusa Fushimi, 1372–1456
  36. Emperor Go-Hanazono, 1419–1471
  37. Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado, 1442–1500
  38. Emperor Go-Kashiwabara, 1464–1526
  39. Emperor Go-Nara, 1495–1557
  40. Emperor Ōgimachi, 1517–1593
  41. Prince Masahito, 1552–1586
  42. Emperor Go-Yōzei, 1572–1617
  43. Emperor Go-Mizunoo, 1596–1680
  44. Emperor Reigen, 1654–1732
  45. Emperor Higashiyama, 1675–1710
  46. Prince Naohito Kanin, 1704–1753
  47. Prince Sukehito Kanin, 1733–1794
  48. Emperor Kōkaku, 1771–1840
  49. Emperor Ninkō, 1800–1846
  50. Emperor Kōmei, 1831–1867
  51. Emperor Meiji, 1852–1912
  52. Emperor Taishō, 1879–1926
  53. Takahito, Prince Mikasa
  54. Norihito, Prince Takamado

References
  1. "Princess Noriko marries son of Izumo Taisha priest, relinquishes royal status". 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  2. Regan, Helen; Wakatsuki, Yoko (29 October 2018). "Japan's Princess Ayako surrenders her royal status as she marries for love". CNN. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  3. "Japanese royals make symbolic trip to Seoul". BBC News. 30 May 2002. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  4. Yomiuri Shinbun (2002/05/31) 高円宮ご夫妻は３１日午前、ソウル近郊の障害者福祉施設「明暉園」を訪問された。同園は、旧皇族・梨本宮家から李王朝最後の皇太子に嫁いだ李方子（まさこ）さん（１９８９年死去）が１９６７年に設立した施設。皇族として初の訪問となったこの日、方子さんと手を携え設立に尽力した金寿姙（キムスーイン）さん（８１）も出迎え、サッカーボールをあしらったペナントをご夫妻に贈った。
  5. "Prince dies after collapse on embassy squash court". The Japan Times. 22 November 2002. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  6. "Funeral held for Japan's prince". BBC. 29 November 2002. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  7. "Prince Takamado Gallery of Japan". Royal Ontario Museum. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  8. Italian Presidency, S.A.I. Norihito di Mikasa Principe del Giappone
  9. "Genealogy of the Emperors of Japan" (PDF). Imperial Household Agency. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
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