| Hanako | |
|---|---|
| Princess Hitachi | |
 Hanako in 2012 | |
| Born | Hanako Tsugaru (津軽華子) (1940-07-19)19 July 1940 (age 84) Tokyo City, Empire of Japan |
| Spouse | |
| House | Imperial House of Japan |
| Father | Yoshitaka Tsugaru |
| Mother | Hisako Mōri |
 |
Hanako, Princess Hitachi (正仁親王妃華子,Masahito Shinnōhi Hanako) (bornHanako Tsugaru (津軽華子,Tsugaru Hanako); 19 July 1940), is a member of theJapanese Imperial Family as the wife ofMasahito, Prince Hitachi, who is the younger son ofEmperor Shōwa and the only brother of Emperor EmeritusAkihito. By marriage, she is the aunt ofEmperor Naruhito.
She was born at Tsugaru's family home inTokyo, she is the fourth daughter of Count Yoshitaka Tsugaru (1907–1994), the last representative of theTsugaru clan and adopted son of thedaimyō of theTsugaru Domain (present-dayHirosaki,Aomori). Yoshitaka Tsugaru was originally from theOwari branch of theTokugawa clan. He was also a member of the aristocracy created by theMeiji Restoration (kazoku).
Her mother, Hisako Mōri (1911–2004), was a descendant of theMōri clan and also of the former daimyō ofChōshū Domain in the former province ofNagato (present-dayYamaguchi).
Hanako Tsugaru attended the prestigiousGakushūin School for her primary, junior high, and high school education, a school for Peers founded to educate the children of the imperial family and the imperial aristocracy (kuge). She graduated from theGakushūin Women's Junior College in 1961.
Hanako met her future husband,Prince Masahito, during her studies at Gakushuin. TheImperial Household Council announced the engagement of Prince Masahito and Hanako Tsugaru on 28 February 1964 and the engagement ceremony was held on 14 April 1964. The wedding ceremony took place on 30 September 1964. Upon marriage, Prince Masahito received the title Prince Hitachi (Hitachi-no-miya – strictly "Prince Hitachi") and authorization from the Imperial Household Economy Council to form a new branch of the Imperial Family. As tradition dictates, upon her entry into the imperial family and like other members, she received a personalemblem (o-shirushi (お印)):Rhododendron subg.Hymenanthes (Shakunage (シャクナゲ)). They have no children.
Since December 1976, Prince Hitachi and Princess Hitachi have their official residence in a palace in large grounds off Komazawadori inHigashi in the district ofShibuya in Tokyo.[1]
Princess Hitachi, like her husband, was elected on 5 September 2007 by the other members of the imperial family to be one of their main representatives (there are two in total) to theImperial Household Council as a member.[2] Both the members and reserve members, including Princess Hitachi, were re-elected on 7 September 2011.[3] In 2017, the Princess was diagnosed withlumbar spondylosis and was hospitalized in September for further treatments. She made her first public appearance in April 2018. It was her first public engagement in 11 months.[4]
Princess Hitachi is president of various organizations that concern themselves with welfare and the arts. She has also translated various children's books from English into Japanese.
Princess Hitachi has translated various children books fromEnglish intoJapanese.
Hanako is styled asHer Imperial Highness Princess Hitachi.
Japan:
Grand Cordon (Paulownia) of theOrder of the Precious Crown.svg)
Dame of the Decoration of the Red Cross[5] Recipient of the Red Cross Medal[5]
Nepal: Member of theOrder of the Benevolent Ruler (19 April 1960)[6]On both sides of her family, Princess Hitachi is descended from the old feudal aristocracy. She is a second cousin once removed of the lateKikuko, Princess Takamatsu who was, as were both Princess Hitachi's parents, a descendant of the Tokugawa clan of Mito. She is also a second cousin to Takamasa Ikeda, former head of theIkeda clan and husband of her sister-in-law (and fifth cousin),Atsuko Ikeda. The lateSetsuko, Princess Chichibu was also a descendant of the Mito-Tokugawa line, and was her fourth cousin once removed.
Prince and Princess Hitachi are also cousins several times over, but are most directly fifth cousins through their descent from theŌgimachisanjō clan; their most recent common ancestor is their four-times great-grandfatherŌgimachisanjō Kinnori (1774–1800), a senior courtier. As a result, Princess Hitachi is also a fifth cousin of the present Emperor and his siblings. and both a fourth cousin (once removed) and a fifth cousin ofYuriko, Princess Mikasa.[9]
Japanese princesses by marriage | ||
|---|---|---|
Generations are numbered from the daughter-in-law ofEmperor Meiji | ||
| 1st generation |  | |
| 2nd generation | ||
| 3rd generation | ||
| 4th generation | ||
* also a princess ofJapan in her own right. | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
