Hisako, Princess of Takamado

Hisako, Princess of Takamado; Norihito Shinnohi Hisako) (born Hisako Tottori); (10 July 1953) is a member of the Japanese Imperial Family as the widow of Norihito, Prince Takamado.

Background and Education

Hisako was born in 10 July 1953 in Shirokane, Tokyo. She is the eldest daughter of Japanese industrialist Shigejiro Tottori. Hisako accompanied her father to England, where he was transferred for work, and while still a child became fluent in the English language. She subsequently graduated from Girton College, Cambridge University in the UK in 1975 with undergraduate degrees in anthropology and archaeology. On her return to return to Japan, she obtained a position working for a translation company, but soon returned to England to learn about legal terminology used in statutes. She returned to Japan again in 1982. After her return, she was hired to assist Prince Mikasa as an interpreter and assistant at the 31st International Asian-North African Cultural Symposium. Princess Takamado received a PhD in arts from the Osaka University of Arts in February 2012.

Marriage and Family

On 23 April 1984, she attended a reception hosted by the Embassy of Canada in Tokyo, where she first met Norihito, Prince Takamado. He proposed on 20 May and the Imperial Household Council announced the engagement on 1 August 1984. The formal engagement ceremony made on 17 September 1984, and the wedding held on 6 December 1984. The Prince and Princess had three daughters:

-Princess Tsuguko (born 8 March 1986 at Aiiku Hospital in Tokyo)

-Princess Noriko (born 22 July 1988 at Aiiku Hospital in Tokyo)

-Princes Ayako (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"

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 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 Korea-Japan. The goodwill visit by the Prince and Princess to Korea was the first Japanese royal visit since World War II, and was an important step in the promotion of friendly bilateral relations between Japan and Korea. 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 Masako Nashimoto had sponsored.

Prince Takamado died of ventricular fibrillation while playing squash with the Canadian ambassador, Robert G. Wright, at the Canadian Embassy, leaving a widow and three young daughters. Since the Prince's death, Princess Takamado has been extremely active in a very large number of charitable organization 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 Dublin, Ireland for the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games. In 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 Alberta and the other from the University of Prince Edward Island. In November 2004, she visited Bangkok, Thailand, to attend the 3rd IUCN World Conference as Honorary President of BirdLife International.

Title

6 December 1984: Her Imperial Highness The Princess Takamado

National Honours

-Japan: Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown

-Japan: Dame of the Decoration of the Red Cross

-Japan: Recipient of the Red Cross Medal

Foreign Honours

-Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry (2-12-1993)

-Spain: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (8-11-2008)

-Sweden: Recipient: of the 70th Birthday Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf (4-30-2016)

Honorary Degrees

-Honorary Degree in Law (University of Alberta, 2004)

-Honorary Degree in Law (University of Prince Edward Island, 2004)

-Honorary Degree in Education (Hannam University, 2014)

Honorary Positions

-Patron of the Japan Grass Ski Association

-Patron of the Federation of Japan Amateur Orchestras Corp

-Honorary President of the Ikebana International

-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

-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 National Japan Bowl

-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 President of The International Kyudo Federation

-Honorary President of the Prince Takamado Memorial Foundation for Japan-Korea Exchange

-Honorary Chairman of the International Education Center Support Association

-Honorary Vice-President of the Japanese Red Cross Society

-Honorary Patron for Asia, Bird Life International's Rare Bird Club

House: Imperial House of Japan (by marriage)

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