Japan’s Princess Yuriko, great-aunt of Emperor Naruhito, has passed away aged 101.
Princess Yuriko died at 6:32 am on Nov 15 at St Luke’s International Hospital in Tokyo, the Imperial Household Agency said.
She had been hospitalized since March following a diagnosis of cerebral infarction and aspiration pneumonia.
Princess Yuriko was the widow of Prince Mikasa, the youngest brother of Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa.
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She was the longest-living member of the imperial family since the Meiji era (1868-1912).
The most recent passing within the imperial family occurred in October 2016 when Prince Mikasa died aged 100.
Born in June 1923, Princess Yuriko was the second daughter of Viscount Masanari Takagi, a member of the House of Peers. She later graduated from Gakushuin Women’s Academy.
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Princess Yuriko married Prince Mikasa in October 1941 when she was 18. The couple had three sons and two daughters.
