Prince Takamado
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His Imperial Highness Prince Takamado (Norihito) of Japan (高円宮憲仁親王jp: Takamado no miya Norihito shinnō), (b. 29 December 1954 - d. 21 November 2002), third son of HIH Prince Mikasa (Takahito). He was a cousin of HIH Emperor Akihito, and seventh in line to the Chrysanthemum throne.
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[edit] Education
He studied and graduated from the Faculty of Law of Gakushuin University in 1978. He also studied abroad for three years in Canada from 1978 - 1981 at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. From 1981 - 2002 he worked as an administrator at the Japan Foundation.
[edit] Marriage and family
He met and became engaged (Nosai no Gi) to Ms. Hisako Tottori, eldest daughter of Mr. Shigejiro Tottori, on 17 September 1984. They married on 6 December 1984. They have three daughters:
- HIH Princess Tsuguko (b. 8 March 1986 - )
- HIH Princess Noriko (b. 22 July 1988 - )
- HIH Princess Ayako (b. 15 September 1990 - )
HIH Princess Tsuguko is currently studying in Scotland at the University of Edinburgh. The two younger princesses are currently studying at the Gakushuin Girls' Junior High School.
Prince Takamado was president or honorary president of various organisations that concerned themselves especially with music, dance, international exchange, and sports. He traveled extensively abroad with HIH Princess Takamado to represent Japan on various functions.
[edit] Last functions
One of his last official visits was to South Korea, from May to June 2002. The invitation came from the Korean government for the Opening Ceremony of the Football World Cup 2002 Korea-Japan. Though normally the heads of state attend the opening ceremonies of the Football World Cup, the organisers feared that the presence of the Emperor himself would have caused a stir in Korea. The goodwill visit by the prince and princess to Korea was the first Japanese royal visit since World War II. The couple toured the country extensively, met with President Kim Dae-jung and ordinary Koreans, and laid a wreath at the monument for the victims of Japan's atrocities. The visit was therefore an important step for the betterment of ties between Korean and Japan.
On 21 November 2002, while playing squash with the Canadian ambassador Robert Wright at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, the prince suddenly collapsed and was rushed to the hospital, where he died of heart failure.
The Prince was a honorary member of A.V. Edo-Rhenania Tokyo, a catholic student fraternity that is affiliated with the Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen.
The prince's funeral was held at Toshimagaoka cemetery in northern Tokyo.
