Japan: Japanese Princess Yuriko, the oldest member of the imperial family and wife of wartime Emperor Hirohito’s brother, has passed away at the age of 101 following a decline in her health, according to palace officials. She died on Friday in a Tokyo hospital, with reports indicating pneumonia as the likely cause.
Yuriko was born in 1923 into an aristocratic family and married Prince Mikasa, Hirohito’s younger brother, at the age of 18, just months before World War II began. She shared her experiences of living in a shelter with her husband and their daughter after their home was destroyed during the US fire bombings of Tokyo in 1945.
Throughout her life, Yuriko raised five children, supported her husband’s research in ancient Near Eastern history, and fulfilled her official duties. She was also involved in various philanthropic efforts, particularly focused on maternal and child health. She outlived both her husband and all three of her sons.