TOKYO: Japanese Princess Yuriko died of old age at a Tokyo hospital on Friday morning. She was 101.

The princess was the great-aunt of Emperor Naruhito and was the longest-living member of the Imperial Family born in or after the Meiji period (1868-1912).

She passed away at 6:32 a.m. on Friday at St. Luke’s International Hospital in Tokyo, where she had been staying since March 3 due to a mild case of cerebral infarction and aspiration pneumonia.

An examination on Oct. 7 found that the functions of her entire body, including her heart and kidneys, were deteriorating. Princess Akiko, Princess Yuriko’s granddaughter who returned to Japan on Saturday morning from her visit to Britain in light of her grandmother’s deteriorating health, and other members of the Imperial Family as well as other relatives had visited Princess Yuriko.

The princess was born as the second eldest daughter of Viscount Masanari Takagi on June 4, 1923. She married the late Prince Mikasa, youngest brother of Emperor Showa, in October 1941 at the age of 18. She had three sons and two daughters.

The princess experienced life in a bomb shelter after her residence at the Akasaka Estate in Tokyo’s Minato Ward burned down in an air raid in May 1945, during World War II.

After the war, Princess Yuriko supported her husband, a researcher of ancient Orient history, and served as president of the Imperial Gift Foundation Boshi-Aiiku-kai, which aims to promote the welfare of mothers and children, for 62 years, as well as honorary president of the Association for Promoting the National Costume Culture of Japan, which aims to promote kimono culture, for 31 years. She was also honorary vice president of the Japanese Red Cross Society.

Starting with their first trip to what is now Sri Lanka in 1956, she and Prince Mikasa traveled to Europe, the United States, South America and Turkey to contribute to international friendly relations.

Her third son, Prince Takamado, died at the age of 47 in 2002, while her first son Prince Tomohito and second son Prince Katsura both died aged 66 in 2012 and 2014, respectively.

Princess Yuriko had served as head of the Mikasa family after her husband died at the age of 100 in 2016.

She underwent surgery in 1999 to implant a cardiac pacemaker, and in 2007 for colon cancer. She was diagnosed with heart failure in 2020, and was hospitalized for about two weeks after being infected with the novel coronavirus in 2022.

Upon her 100th birthday in June 2023, the princess released a message via the Imperial Household Agency saying that she wants to continue spending her days while praying for people’s happiness.

She attended this year’s New Year’s celebration at the Imperial Palace on Jan. 1 and visited the Sento Imperial Residence to give New Year’s greetings to Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko.

Princess Yuriko celebrated her 101st birthday in June while in hospital, making her the oldest ever member of the Imperial Family since the Meiji period, surpassing her husband’s record.

It is the first death of an Imperial Family member since Prince Mikasa’s passing eight years ago. The death of Princess Yuriko leaves the Imperial Family with 16 members.

JIJI Press