Japanese Empress Michiko (b. October 20, 1934) is the wife of the current Emperor Akihito. She is the only girl of humble origin who was able to break the dynastic stereotypes of the Land of the Rising Sun and enter the ruling family through marriage to the crown prince.
Shoda Family
The Michiko family is still famous in Japan and revered in both industrial and scientific circles. The girl's father, Hidesaburo Shoda, was the president of a large flour-grinding company in Tokyo. There is very little information about Fumiko, the mother of the future empress, in Runet, but it can be assumed that she was a housewife and was engaged in raising children, of whom there were four in the family.
The Shoda family is quite rich, so Michiko's early childhood was cloudless, the girl did not need anything.
World War II
War caught Michiko at a young age, when she was still a student at Funaba Elementary School in Tokyo. The family decided to send Fumiko and the children away from the city in order tosecurity. So, the future Empress of Japan Michiko moved to the mountains with her younger brother and sister, while her father and older brother stayed in Tokyo.
Here the girl had to learn what hard work and duties are, the fulfillment of which cannot be avoided. Michiko had to work hard: raising silkworms, cutting grass for fertilizer, and carrying 4kg of leaves to school every day to dry them.
The girl also took care of her younger brother, who at that time still needed milk, but Fumiko could no longer feed him. Because of this, the schoolgirl had to buy goat's milk, but times were hard, and it was not always possible to do this. However, Fumiko herself solved this problem by buying a goat, removing at least a tiny part of her duties from her daughter's shoulders.
Perhaps it is precisely because of the difficult period experienced that Empress Michiko sympathizes so much with the people of Japan, who consider her very empathetic and open, devoid of that pathos that is inherent in all members of the nobility.
Post-war years
As soon as the war ended, Michiko was able to return to her hometown and continue her studies, first at school, then at the University of Tokyo, becoming the leader of the student movement. In the issue, the girl was recognized as the best, which cost her a lot of work. After all, the University of Tokyo is still one of the most prestigious educational institutions, gathering under its roof not only the rich, but also the most stubborn, ambitious and talented young men and women from all over the country.
Manifested inthis time, stubbornness, willpower and outstanding abilities later helped the graduate. Thanks to them, Empress Michiko, whose photo is shown below, was able to survive other hardships and successfully enter the palace without disgracing her family.
Meeting Akihito and getting married
The first time a graduate of the University of Tokyo and the crown prince of the ruling dynasty met in 1957 on the tennis court of one of the Japanese resorts. Since then, Akihito and Michiko began an affair that lasted about a year and excited all the inhabitants of the imperial court.
However, it is not surprising that the young prince liked his future wife, because Empress Michiko was a very beautiful girl in her youth, and her persistent character of a true Japanese woman could not be ignored.
Akihito's family did not approve of his choice, because even before the war, the emperor of Japan was considered the living embodiment of God, and the high-born origin of the wife was not even discussed, being an obligatory and indisputable condition for marriage.
In favor of Michiko played and new orders established after 1945, abolishing the polygamy of the ruler and the institution of concubines. Therefore, after the ultimatum delivered by Akihito, who did not want to marry anyone else but the current chosen one, everything was resolved by itself, because the imperial family was supposed to continue. Thus, the marriage was approved and the wedding took place on April 10, 1959.
General recognition
Oddly enough, but ordinary peoplecountries supported marriage for love. Moreover, the future Empress Michiko became the idol of all of Japan, although a few critics called not only to break this union, but also to ban such unions by law.
The marriage of the favorites of the Land of the Rising Sun caused a kind of "technological boom", which consists in the mass production of televisions. All this was so that the people of Japan could see this joyful event without leaving their homes.
But life was so cloudless only outside the imperial palace. The choice of Akihito was extremely upsetting for his mother, because for a very long time Michiko did not hear anything from her except reproaches. This led to severe depression, from which the girl escaped at the imperial dacha in Hayama. However, she managed to overcome herself and, together with her husband, began to regularly visit his parents, who ruled the country at that time.
Then, the ex-leader of the student movement began to appear at receptions and just in crowded places, communicating with the people and gaining their trust with her simplicity and optimism.
Empress Michiko
Today, Michiko is the mother of three grown children. Her firstborn Naruhito was born back in 1960, five years later, Akashino, and three years later, Princess Sayako.
Despite their high position, Prince Akihito and his wife Michiko led a deliberately ordinary life. The woman herself fed and raised her children, refusing nannies, and her husband took an example fromspouses, personally taking care of their sons and daughter. The couple defiantly lived in front of everyone, not shunning the press, because the newspapers were full of photographs and articles about the future imperial couple. Readers knew everything about them: from the style of clothing to attitudes.
After the death of Emperor Hirohito in 1989, the Crown Prince took his place, taking over the reins of power. To date, Michiko and Akihito have been together for over 50 years. In his interviews, the emperor often mentions how grateful he is to his wife for understanding, support and creating harmony around.
Recently, the couple appears in public infrequently, since they perform only nominal functions, while the real power of Japan has long been in the hands of the cabinet of ministers. However, for the subjects of Akihito and Michiko are still an unshakable authority and a symbol of the country's unity.
