- Original name:
- Owada Masako
- Born:
- December 9, 1963, Tokyo, Japan (age 62)
- Title / Office:
- empress (2019-), Japan
- Notable Family Members:
- spouse Naruhito
Masako
-
Who is Masako, the empress of Japan?
Masako (born December 9, 1963) is the Empress of Japan, married to Emperor Naruhito. She is the daughter of Owada Hisashi, a high-ranking official in Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Masako lived in the Soviet Union and the United States as a child due to her father's diplomatic missions. She graduated from Harvard University in 1985 with a degree in economics and later joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1987 after studying at the University of Tokyo and Oxford. She became empress of Japan in May 2019.
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What is the role of an empress in Japan?
The emperor or empress was traditionally the absolute monarch of Japan. However, their power to govern was not always guaranteed, and throughout history, leaders often ruled in the monarch's name. Following World War II, Japan's 1947 constitution, approved by the U.S., redefined the emperor's role to that of a symbol of the state and the unity of the people. Since then, the emperor's duties have largely consisted of formal and ceremonial functions.
Masako became empress of Japan in May 2019.
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When did Masako become the empress?
Masako became the empress of Japan in May 2019, after her husband, Crown Prince Naruhito, ascended to the throne following the abdication of his father, Emperor Akihito. Masako, a former diplomat, married Naruhito in 1993 and became the crown princess of Japan.
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What was Masako’s life like before she became empress?
Before becoming empress, Masako pursued a career as a diplomat. Masako, born on December 9, 1963, is the daughter of Owada Hisashi, a high-ranking official in Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She spent parts of her childhood in the Soviet Union and the United States due to her father's diplomatic assignments. Masako graduated from Harvard University in 1985 with a degree in economics and later enrolled at the University of Tokyo. She joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1987 after passing the diplomatic service test. The ministry sent her to study at Balliol College, Oxford, in 1988. She returned to her work as a junior diplomat in 1990, where she was respected for her knowledge and language skills.
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What challenges has Empress Masako faced in her royal duties?
Empress Masako, a former diplomat, faced significant challenges upon marrying Crown Prince Naruhito in 1993. Adjusting to life in the imperial household meant giving up her career and personal freedoms. There was immense pressure to produce a male heir, leading to stress and curtailment of travel. In 2004, Masako was reported to be suffering from a stress-related health disorder. According to Britannica, adjustment disorders are inappropriate reactions to external stress that occur within three months of the stressor. Symptoms may be disproportionate to the stress or maladaptive, hindering social or occupational functioning. The birth of a son to Prince Akishino, Naruhito’s younger brother, eased the succession issue, and Masako's health reportedly improved.
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How has Empress Masako influenced modern Japanese society and the imperial family?
Empress Masako, a former diplomat, has influenced the Japanese imperial family by bringing her unique background and experiences to the role. Her marriage to then-Crown Prince Naruhito was expected to modernize the imperial family, making them more accessible.
Masako's diplomatic skills and international exposure were anticipated to play a significant role in her duties. However, the pressure to produce a male heir and adapt to the rigid traditions of the Imperial Household Agency led to a stress-related health disorder, limiting her public appearances. Despite these challenges, her daughter, Princess Aiko, was born in 2001.
The birth of a son to Prince Akishino, Naruhito’s younger brother, eased the succession issue and seemingly improved Masako's health. In 2019, Naruhito ascended the throne, making Masako empress of Japan.
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Masako (born December 9, 1963, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese diplomat who became the crown princess of Japan when she married Crown Prince Naruhito in 1993. She became empress of Japan in May 2019.
Owada Masako was the daughter of Owada Hisashi, a high-ranking official of the Japanese government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As a child she lived in the Soviet Union and in the United States, where her father was on diplomatic missions. In 1985 she graduated from Harvard University with a major in economics, and the following year she enrolled at the University of Tokyo. Having passed the diplomatic service test, she left school and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1987. In 1988 the ministry sent her to study at Balliol College, Oxford. Owada returned in 1990, and, as a junior diplomat, she worked long hours, compiling briefing papers on trade issues and translating documents. By the time she became engaged, Owada had won wide respect for the depth of her knowledge on highly technical matters and for her skills as a diplomat who could speak several languages.
When Naruhito and Owada met for the first time—in 1986 at a tea party—the prince was favourably impressed. Owada, however, was reportedly not interested in courtship. By that time, women had achieved an unprecedented level of freedom in Japan, which Owada would lose by marrying. In addition, she would have to give up her successful diplomatic career for life in the imperial household, where the emperor’s family, by tradition, lacked both privacy and autonomy. It was not until December 1992 that Owada finally accepted Naruhito’s proposal.
Naruhito (who by then was crown prince) had persuaded his bride-to-be that her duties would be largely diplomatic in nature; he also had promised to protect her for her entire life. The idea of protecting was widely interpreted to mean that he was determined to guard her from the traditional and rigid ways of the Imperial Household Agency courtiers. The newlyweds were expected to accelerate the transition to an imperial family that was more relaxed and accessible. Moreover, they were well prepared to take advantage of the experience they had in the world beyond the palace walls.
Their much-anticipated wedding took place on June 9, 1993, in Tokyo, amid worldwide media attention. Naruhito had followed in the footsteps of his father, the emperor Akihito, by marrying a commoner. The couple made some trips abroad together in the first years of their marriage. However, expectations mounted through the 1990s for them to give birth to a son (as, by Japanese law, only a male could succeed Naruhito), and Masako largely stopped traveling. She had a miscarriage in 1999, and then a daughter, Princess Aiko, was born in 2001. This only increased the urgency for a son, especially as the crown princess entered her 40s. In addition to curtailing her travels, Masako was now seen less frequently in public, and by 2004 she was reported to be afflicted by a stress-related health disorder. She did not have another child, but the birth of a son to Prince Akishino (Naruhito’s younger brother) and his wife in 2006 resolved the succession issue. Subsequently, her health was reported to have improved.
In 2016 Akihito delivered a televised address in which he announced his desire to give up the throne, and in 2017 the Diet amended the Imperial Household Law to codify that process. Lawmakers added a supplementary resolution to consider the role of women in the imperial household, as current law stripped women of their imperial status if they married a commoner. This prevented the establishment of female-led branches in a royal house that had already faced public struggles on matters of succession. Conservative lawmakers strongly opposed such changes, which they argued paved the way for a woman to sit on the throne, while proponents noted that Japan had been ruled by numerous empresses and that patrilineality dated only to the Meiji period. On April 30, 2019, Akihito formally abdicated, and at midnight on May 1 Naruhito became the 126th emperor of Japan. According to the Imperial Household Law, neither Masako nor the other women of the imperial household were allowed to be present at the ceremony where Naruhito formally accepted the regalia of office.