The princess had lived a healthy life as a centenarian, regularly exercising and reading multiple newspapers and magazines, the Imperial Household Agency said.
Japanese Princess Yuriko, the wife of wartime Emperor Hirohito’s brother and the oldest member of the imperial family, passed away at the age of 101, palace officials confirmed on Nov. 15.
Yuriko died at a Tokyo hospital at 6:32 a.m. local time, Japan’s Imperial Household Agency said.
Her death came roughly one week after her health began deteriorating.
Officials did not reveal the exact cause of her death, although Japanese media reported Yuriko had been hospitalized since March due to a stroke and pneumonia and had been in and out of intensive care since then.
According to multiple Japanese media reports, the princess had, in recent weeks, seen a deterioration in the functions of her heart, kidneys, and other organs.
Yuriko had lived a healthy life as a centenarian prior to her stroke, and the princess regularly exercised and read multiple newspapers and magazines, the Imperial Household Agency said.
Born in 1923 to an aristocratic family, Yuriko joined the imperial family at the age of 18 when she married Prince Mikasa, the younger brother of the late former Emperor Hirohito and the uncle of current Emperor Naruhito, shortly before World War II began.
The couple welcomed five children—three sons and two daughters—while Yuriko also served her official duties and remained heavily involved in philanthropic activities.
The princess served as the president of multiple foundations, including the Imperial Gift Foundation Boshi-Aiiku-Ka and the Cultural Foundation for Promoting the National Costume of Japan. She was also an honorary vice president of the Japanese Red Cross Society.
Yuriko outlived her husband—who died in 2016 at the age of 100—and all three sons.
“Since her marriage, [Princess Yuriko] had supported Prince Mikasa, and, as a member of the imperial family, had contributed to a wide range of fields such as medical care, welfare, culture, sports, and international friendships,” Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said in a statement following her death.
“In particular, she had been involved in the maternal and child care program for many years and had devoted herself to it.”
Elsewhere, Rahm Israel Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, said he was “deeply saddened” by Yuriko’s passing, describing her as a “beloved figure in Japan’s Imperial family.”
“Her legacy of grace and service will be remembered by all who knew her,” Emanuel wrote on social media platform X. “My heartfelt condolences to Emperor Naruhito and the entire Imperial family during this time of loss.”
Yuriko’s death means there are now just 16 people in Japan’s imperial family, which has been rapidly declining under the 1947 Imperial House Law that allows only males to take the throne and results in female members losing their royal status if they marry commoners.
The youngest male member of the imperial family, Prince Hisahito—the nephew of Emperor Naruhito—is currently the last heir apparent.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.