Masako, Crown Princess of Japan
Crown Princess Masako (Japanese皇太子 妃雅 子, Kōtaishihi Masako, born December 9, 1963 in Tokyo, Japan Masako Owada as (小 和田 雅子) ) is the wife of Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan.
Youth, education and career
Masako Owada is the eldest daughter of Hisashi Owada diplomats. From an early age to Masako traveled with her parents halfway across the world. She attended kindergarten in Moscow, later, from primary school until the penultimate year of high school, the private school Denenchōfu Futaba in Tokyo. The conclusion they made in Belmont near Boston with the maximum grade point average 1.0. She was also president of the National Honor Society.
In 1985, she completed the degree in Economics from Harvard University with a Bachelor's degree and with the distinction magna cum laude. Between 1988 and 1990 she completed postgraduate studies in International Relations at Balliol College at Oxford University.
Since they still spoke fluent English in addition to their expertise, offered her the Japanese Foreign Ministry to a site. During her work at the Ministry, she met many important people of world politics. Translated also in negotiations to superconductors between Japan and the United States.
Marriage and family
Masako Owada, which comes from a former samurai family, met the crown prince on 18 October 1986 on the occasion of a reception for the Spanish Princess Elena in Akasaka Palace. Naruhito said to have stated already that evening: " The or no! " In the following months, he arranged several meetings with Masako, the extremely conspiratorial took place all friends, or even in underground garages. This went on for almost a year so until Masakos parents an application rejected on the grounds that Masako would have just started to work only in the State Department, which is considered a polite euphemism for a "No" in Japan. The palace had its part, concerns, because it was thought that Masakos maternal grandfather, Yutaka Egashira, had been involved as chairman of the chemical company Chisso in the 1960s into one of the largest chemical - environmental scandals in Japan, but this proved to be wrong, because he only presided had taken over after the incident.
From the perspective of the traditionalists Masako violated even against a range of other criteria: With 1.61 meters, it was a few inches taller than the crown prince. She also appeared some men as too self-confident for a princess. On 1 July 1988, Masako went to Oxford to continue working on her career as a diplomat. 1990 Masako returned to Japan and began to work in the prestigious North American Department of the Foreign Ministry. Due to their high work ethic, she was referred to as " Hard worker Masako ". 1992, over five years after the first meeting with the bride appeared Naruhito viewfinder of the court back to her. Only four more months later voted Masakos parents to a new rendezvous. On October 3, Naruhito finally stopped her hand. Masako hesitated, but gave in when the Crown Prince asked her a diplomatic career prospect.
Since other attempts had failed to marry the Crown Prince, the young diplomat and Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito were finally in May 1992 by the Imperial Councilor the official marriage license. On January 19 Finally, in 1993 the imperial palace announced the engagement.
The marriage was preceded by a health test in which it was mainly studied whether the future princess was also spawn the necessary heir. You had to sign a declaration that restricts their right to the children and the assets of the imperial family in the event of a divorce.
On 9 June 1993, Masako and Naruhito exchanged vows. Then, the newlywed princess was privy to the details of the complicated life in the imperial palace, which is influenced mainly by the conservative Imperial Household Agency.
After eight years of marriage and miscarriage (1999) came on 1 December 2001, the long-awaited child Princess Aiko to the world. Despite this joyous fact weighed on Masako still a high expectation on the part of the Imperial Hofamts to bring forth a son who might one day be heir to the throne. Depression, so the assumption was the consequence, which were circumscribed by the court office with " adjustment disorder ". Her husband felt itself to the unusual step for the imperial family caused them to take public in protection. According to him, " she has tried with great force to adapt to the imperial family. " They 've completely exhausted his opinion. He also spoke of " that there have been efforts to negate Masakos career and personality. "
Your sister in law, Princess Kiko, wife of Prince Akishino, the younger brother of the heir, brought on 6 September 2006 to a son - after two daughters. This boy thus enters in third place in the succession. Through his birth also reduced expectation of Masako.
In November 2008 she appeared for the first time after five years at the reception for the King of Spain Juan Carlos I and Queen Sophia face in public again.
Controversy
Taking the age of Masako and the problematic pregnancies into consideration, it was long unlikely that after the daughter there are more children. A female successor is not provided for in the laws of the Imperial Hofamts. The demand for gender equality in the throne succession was provided by the public, the more traditional imperial house is this rather critical.
It is speculated that the imposed stress was the reason for her withdrawal from public life. After more than two years without any appearance in public Princess Masako announced on 9 December 2003 to try to fulfill their imperial duties again increased.
In international media reports Princess Masako is often seen as a symbol of oppression of women in Japanese- patriarchal society. In Japan itself, it is assumed that they are aware of their marriage with their own professional career had ended; the traditional attitude of the Imperial Palace and associated laws are generally well known in the population.
Awards
- Grand Gold Medal with Ribbon for Services to the Republic of Austria (1999)