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Paige Turner

The empress of Japan has only held her title since May 2019, although she married into the royal family in 1993. And her involvement with the Japanese imperial household has not always been smooth. Read on to find out some things you might not know about the 55-year-old empress.
1. She’s well educated

Masako attended Harvard University, where she majored in international economics and graduated magna cum laude. She later received a law degree from The University of Tokyo. Following this, she studied at Oxford’s Balliol College for two years. By this time, she spoke five languages other than Japanese: English, French, German, Russian and Spanish. She had a promising career as a diplomat, which is why she was at first reluctant to join the royal family.
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2. She initially refused a marriage proposal from Naruhito, the now-Emperor of Japan

When Naruhito proposed to Masako in October 1992, she turned the then-crown prince down, not wanting to leave her career behind. However, Naruhito later admitted to her that he was unsure whether he could live up to the gravity of his earlier promise to “protect you with all my might for the rest of your life”. This show of honesty and vulnerability won her over, and she accepted his proposal in December 1992.
3. She faced pressure to produce a male heir

The Japanese rules of succession state that only a male can ascend the throne. Immediately after her marriage, Masako faced pressure to produce a male heir, and only nine months after her marriage, Japan was swirling with speculation about why she wasn’t pregnant yet. In 1999, she suffered a miscarriage. Finally, after eight years of marriage, she had a baby – a girl. Princess Aiko remains her only child.
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4. She suffered stress from the conservative royal lifestyle

In 2003, the then-princess developed a stress-related illness. The royal household stated that she was suffering from an “adjustment disorder”. Many people attributed it to the gilded cage of royal life and the pressure stemming from the strict rules and inability to travel. Her husband seemed to agree. Naruhito defended her, stating that she had “completely exhausted herself” trying to adjust to an environment that “stifled her career and her personality”.
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5. She was barely seen in public for more than a decade – but things have changed

After her husband ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne in May 2019, the empress appears to be blossoming and has resumed public appearances. Experts have said that the new position as empress better allows her to serve her country by letting her carry out the diplomatic duties she has always wanted to perform.
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How Japan’s Empress Masako overcame the pressures of the throne – 5 things to know about the once-shy wife of Emperor Naruhito

Japan's Empress Masako at the enthronement ceremony at Tokyo’s Imperial Palace in October 2019. Photo: Reuters

Japan's new Emperor Naruhito, accompanied by new Empress Masako, makes his first address during a ritual after succeeding his father Akihito at Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Wednesday, May 1, 2019. (Japan Pool via AP)

epa07985378 Japan's Emperor Naruhito (L) and Empress Masako wave to well-wishers during their parade in Tokyo, Japan, 10 November 2019. Tens of thousands of people greeted the Imperial couple along the 4.6-kilometer route. Naruhito ascended the Chrysanthemum throne on 01 May 2019 after his father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, abdicated on 30 April 2019. He was officially proclaimed Emperor of Japan on 22 October 2019. EPA-EFE/KIMIMASA MAYAMA

epa03970907 Japanese Crown Princess Masako smiles as she sends off Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, 30 November 2013. The Japanese Emperor and Empress will be in India for a state visit from 30 November to 06 December 2013. EPA/FRANCK ROBICHON

FILE PHOTO: Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako greet well-wishers during their first public appearance at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan May 4, 2019. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo

(FILES) This Imperial Household Agency file handout photo taken on June 2, 1993 shows Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito (L) and his bride, Masako Owada (R), in full traditional Japanese Imperial wedding costumes at the Imperial Palace. - Japan's Emperor Akihito will step down from the Chrysanthemum Throne on April 30, the first abdication in the world's oldest imperial family for two centuries, ending 30 years of his popular reign and ushering in a new era. (Photo by Handout / Imperial Household Agency / AFP) / ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO /IMPERIAL HOUSEHOLD AGENCY" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

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Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun walking with Queen Suthida to the ceremony of Assumption at the Royal Residence inside the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: EPA-EFE

epa07546873 A Royal Household Bureau handout photo shows members of the royal family (L-R), the king's daughters Princess Bajrakitiyabha and Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, Queen Suthida and the king's son Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti during the monarch's coronation ceremony at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, 04 May 2019. The three-day ancient elaborate traditional coronation ceremonies of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn is a formal ceremony to complete the monarch's accession to the throne. EPA-EFE/ROYAL HOUSEHOLD BUREAU / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his new wife, Queen Sutida Vajiralongkorn

(FILES) In this file photo taken on May 6, 2019, Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall of the Grand Palace as they grant a public audience on the final day of his royal coronation in Bangkok. - Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn has stripped his 34-year-old consort of all titles, the palace announced October 21, a shock move less than three months after she was bestowed with a position that had not been used for nearly a century. (Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP)

King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his consort, General Suthida Vajiralongkorn named Queen Suthida attend their wedding ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand May 1, 2019, in this screen grab taken from a video. Thai TV Pool THAILAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN THAILAND.

(FILES) In this file handout picture taken and released by Thai Royal Household Bureau on May 1, 2019, Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn (R) and Queen Suthida take part in their wedding ceremony in Bangkok. - Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn has stripped his 34-year-old consort of all titles, the palace announced October 21, a shock move less than three months after she was bestowed with a position that had not been used for nearly a century. (Photo by Handout / Thai Royal Household Bureau / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / THAI ROYAL HOUSEHOLD BUREAU" - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

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Japan’s formerly reclusive Empress Masako has come a long away since marrying Emperor Naruhito in 1993


Japan’s formerly reclusive Empress Masako has come along away since marrying Emperor Naruhito in 1993


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