The turbulent but triumphant love story of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan

January 19 was the 30th anniversary of the engagement of theEmperor Naruhito of Japan with his wife, Empress Masako. Crown prince at the time, Naruhito – who will take the throne in 2019 – allegedly pursued Masako, a career diplomat, for several years before she accepted his proposal, in part because she feared the freedoms she would have to give up to join the country. part of the imperial family.

Today a power couple on the world stage, in the past the two emperors faced an obstacle course to get to the 30th wedding anniversary, which they will celebrate in June. A turbulent love story, with a triumphant ending.

Born in 1960, Naruhito he was the eldest son of Akihito, then Crown Prince of Japan, and his wife Michiko. After the accession to the throne of his father, known as Throne of the Chrysanthemumin 1989, Naruhito (formerly Prince Hiro) became Crown Prince.

Naruhito first met Masako in 1986, shortly before the beginning of his father’s reign. Graduated from Oxfordwas participating in a you arranged to welcome the Princess Elena of Spaineldest daughter at the time King Juan Carlos I and sister of the current one King Felipe VI.

There was also among the guests Masako, daughter of a high-ranking diplomat, who spent her early life between Moscow and Boston before graduating from Harvard in 1985 with a degree in economics. She enrolled in the Law School of the University of Tokyo and joined the Japanese Foreign Ministry in 1987. Part of her training included Masako spending time at Oxford.

With an international career at her feet (Masako worked as an international trade negotiator), the budding diplomat was reluctant to marry Naruhito. Not only would her marriage to Naruhito force her to give up her career, but her freedom would be compromised as soon as she became a member of the Japanese imperial family. Naruhito spent six years pursuing Masako and reportedly asked her to marry her twice before she accepted.

Eventually, after a third proposal, Masako accepted Naruhito’s (then Crown Prince) offer, and the couple announced their engagement on January 19. 1993. The marriage it took place on 9 June of the same year, with over 800 invited, although no foreign leaders were invited. In a post-wedding press conference, Crown Princess Masako said, “Her Highness has told me you may have many concerns And anxieties for entry into the imperial household, but I will do everything in my power to protect you as long as I live,” according to an account by the Tokyo Weekender .

However, Masako has reportedly struggled to adjust to the real life. In an article of the BBC of 2006 we read that she had been diagnosed with «adjustment disorderrelated to symptoms of depression or anxietywhich could be the result of his abrupt lifestyle transition».

And perhaps other factors contributed to the situation, such as the pressure to give birth to a male heir. The strict Japanese rule of male birthright causes daughters of reigning emperors not to be included in the line of succession.

The princess first conceived in 1999, but then suffered a miscarriage. After fertility treatments, the daughter was born Aiko, Princess Toshi, who however will never inherit the throne. The brother of NaruhitoFumihito, 57, was instead named crown prince of Japan.

Masako has spent periods of time out of the limelight, but has taken on a more public role after her husband’s accession. In 2019, Masako accompanied her husband to official events and accession ceremonies following her father’s abdication. When the couple met Donald Trump in 2019, both Masako and Naruhito spoke to him without interpreters.

Despite theirs happiness – the emperor has taken the stand to defend his wife and the criticisms she has faced over the years – a huge question mark remains over the Japanese line of succession. Fumihito’s son, the Prince Hisahito of Akishinois only 16 years old and second in line to the throne, and will need to have a male heir to ensure the future of the family lineage, unless the rules on male primogeniture, which some in Japan consider outdated, are changed.