Princess Mikasa was born on 4 June 1923 at Takagi's family house in Tokyo. She is the second daughter of Viscount Masanari Takagi and Kuniko Irie. Her father was a member of the Takagi clan, formerly lords of the small feudal domain of Tan'an; through her father, she is a great-great-granddaughter of Hotta Masayoshi, a prominent rōjū, or shōgunal minister, during the Bakumatsu period. Her mother was descended from the noble Yanagihara clan, and was a second cousin of Emperor Shōwa; the Emperor's grandmother, Lady Yanagihara Naruko, was Kuniko's great-aunt. Yuriko graduated from Gakushuin Women's Academy in 1941.
Marriage
On 29 March 1941, Yuriko's engagement to her second cousin once removed, Takahito, Prince Mikasa, was announced. The engagement ceremony was held on 3 October 1941, and the wedding ceremony took place on 22 October 1941. After her marriage, Yuriko was styled Her Imperial Highness The Princess Mikasa. Prince and Princess Mikasa were married for 75 years, until Prince Mikasa's death in October 2016. Princess Mikasa frequently visited her husband who was hospitalized during his final months. On 22 October 2016, they celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary in his hospital room. Prince Mikasa died on 27 October 2016, with Princess Yuriko at his side. The Princess led her husband's funeral ceremony as the chief mourner. The Prince and Princess had five children, of whom only two are still living. In addition to their five children, they had nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren as of 2015. The couple's two daughters left the imperial family upon marriage. All three sons predeceased them.
Norihito, Prince Takamado; created Takamado-no-miya on 1 December 1984; married on 6 December 1984 to Hisako Tottori, eldest daughter of Shigejiro Tottori, former President, Mitsui & Co. in France; and had three daughters.
Public service
Princess Mikasa is honorary president of various charitable organizations, especially those concerned with the preservation of traditional Japanese culture. She also plays an active role in the Japanese Red Cross Society. In 1948, the Princess became President of the Imperial Gift Foundation Boshi-Aiiku-kai, a position that she resigned from in September 2010. She has attended several formal occasions in Tokyo as well as other parts of Japan associated with charities concerned with mother and child health issues.
