Kazuko Takatsukasa

Kazuko Takatsukasa (鷹司 和子, Takatsukasa Kazuko) was born on 30 September 1929 at Tokyo Imperial Palace. She was the third daughter of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) and Empress Kōjun. She held the childhood appellation Taka-no-miya (孝宮) and was an elder sister to Emperor Emeritus Akihito, thus making her a paternal aunt to Emperor Naruhito.

Her upbringing was conducted under the customs of the Japanese imperial family. She was not raised by her biological parents but by court ladies at a separate palace located in the Marunouchi district of Tokyo. She graduated from Gakushuin Peer's School in March 1948. Following her graduation, she spent a year living in the household of former Chamberlain Saburo Hyakutake, where she learned skills related to her future role as a bride.

On 20 May 1950, Kazuko married Toshimichi Takatsukasa, the eldest son of Nobusuke Takatsukasa, who was a former prince and guji of Meiji Shrine. This marriage was notable as it was the first union of a member of the Japanese imperial family with a commoner, though the Takatsukasa family belonged to the ancient court nobility (kuge) and held the peerage title of Prince in the pre-war kazoku system. Nobusuke Takatsukasa was also a first cousin of Empress Teimei, making Kazuko and Toshimichi second cousins once removed.

As a result of her marriage, Kazuko relinquished her imperial title and left the Imperial Family, in accordance with Japanese law. The marriage received significant publicity at the time.

Her life was marked by personal tragedies. On 28 January 1966, Toshimichi Takatsukasa was found dead from carbon monoxide poisoning in an apartment where he was visiting his mistress, Michiko Maeda. His death spurred widespread speculation about a possible double suicide. Seven months later, on 22 August 1966, Kazuko was assaulted in her home by an intruder wielding a knife, resulting in injuries to both hands and hospitalization for a week. This incident prompted Emperor Shōwa to order her to relocate to the Akasaka Estate in Tokyo, where she resided until her death.

Kazuko Takatsukasa died of heart failure on 26 May 1989 at the age of 59, four months after her father's death. Between 1974 and 1988, she served as the chief priestess (saishu) of Ise Grand Shrine, succeeding her great-aunt Fusako Kitashirakawa in this role.

The Takatsukasa family had no biological children due to a miscarriage in 1955 but adopted a son from the Ogyū-Matsudaira family, Naotake (born 1945). Naotake became president of NEC Communication Systems and head priest of Ise Shrine. His son, Naomichi (born 1974), is the current heir to the Takatsukasa family.