Masako, Crown Princess of Japan
 | The Crown Princess with her daughter Aiko |
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Masako, Crown Princess of Japan (雅子皇太子妃殿下
Masako kōtaishihi denka, the Crown Princess Masako) (born
December 9 1963,
Tokyo,
Japan) is styled
Her Imperial Highness The Crown Princess of Japan. As the wife of the heir apparent to the throne, she will probably become the next
Empress of Japan. She is often incorrectly called "Crown Princess Masako" by the media and the public, this title is reserved only for those born to royal parents.
Masako was born as Masako Owada, the eldest daughter of
Hisashi Owada, a senior
diplomat. Masako traveled the world with her parents from early childhood. She attended kindergarten in
Moscow,
Russia, Denenchofu Futaba Elementary School in Tokyo, Japan and graduated
Belmont High School in
Belmont, Massachusetts, near
Boston, where she achieved a perfect 4.0
grade point average and was also President of the
National Honor Society.
In 1985, she graduated
magna cum laude from
Harvard University with a
degree in
economics. From 1988 to 1990, she read for a
postgraduate degree in International Relations at
Balliol College,
Oxford University.
Fluent in English, she was hired by the Japanese
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she met many world leaders such as
U.S. president Bill Clinton and
Russian president Boris Yeltsin. She also took part as a translator in negotiations with the United States concerning
superconductors.
Masako Owada famously refused Naruhito's royal marriage proposal twice before finally agreeing. The Imperial Palace announced the engagement on
January 19, 1993.
Prior to the wedding Princess Masako was required to undergo a fertility examination to ensure that she could safely deliver an heir to the throne. She also signed a prenuptial agreement, that limited her claims to the royal family assets as well as her own children in the event of a divorce.
The wedding took place on
June 9,
1993, and Masako was instructed on the rules and culture of the Imperial Court, which is maintained by the
Imperial Household Agency.
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess produced one child after 8 years of marriage. Her Imperial Highness The
Princess Aiko was born on
December 1,
2001.
Masako suffered three miscarriages, the last on
New Year's Eve 1999. Her daughter's birth stimulated intense and ongoing public debate on changing Japan's
Imperial Household Law so that females can ascend to the throne. Lack of a male heir is concerning for royal watchers and the Imperial household and Imperial Household Agency. It has been widely speculated that the immense pressure to produce a male heir has put great stress on the Crown Princess. This had led to ongoing discussion of the
Japanese Imperial succession controversy.
The Prince has made pointed and controversial comments about discourtesies and pressures placed upon his wife by the Imperial Household Agency. It was announced that the Crown Princess experienced a bout of
shingles, and she herself released a rare statement that she was suffering from "fatigue." Rumors linger that the Crown Princess suffered a
nervous breakdown.
After more than two years absent, she announced
December 9,
2004, that she hoped to return to her official duties. Doctors blamed her absence on "stress-induced illness."
International media coverage of Masako's difficulties has tended to frame her as a symbol of challenges faced by Japanese women in a patriarchial society. Within Japan, Masako's decision to marry the Crown Prince is seen as an informed one that also included a decision to forego her career, as the orthodoxy of life inside the Japanese Imperial household is widely known.
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Kunaicho | Their Imperial Highnesses Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako*
Hello! Magazine | Japan's Masako*
Who2 profile*
Profile at kjeld.com | Crown Princess Masako*
CBS News | Japan's Crown Princess Crumbles*
BBC News | Princess trapped by palace guard*
BBC News | News archive
