Japanese Princess Yuriko, wartime Emperor Hirohito’s sister-in-law, dies at 101
Associated PressNov 17
Princess Yuriko, Japan's Oldest Royal, Dies at 101
Above: Japanese Prince Mikasa (L) and Princess Yuriko at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Jan. 2, 2016. Image copyright: KAZUHIRO NOGI/Staff/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
Princess Yuriko, the oldest member of Japan's royal family and great-aunt of Emperor Naruhito, passed away at age 101 in a Tokyo hospital following complications from pneumonia and a stroke.
In March, she was treated for a mild stroke and aspiration pneumonitis, but the latest medical tests showed a decline in her cardiac and kidney functions. She died Friday at 6:32 am local time.
The Spin
Narrative A
The dwindling number of male heirs threatens the Japanese imperial family's very survival, and excluding capable female members from succession ignores modern democratic values. Allowing female succession would solve the crisis while aligning the monarchy with contemporary Japanese society.
Narrative B
The traditional male-only succession system preserves centuries of Japanese imperial tradition and cultural values that have sustained the world's oldest continuous monarchy. The current system maintains the purity and stability of the imperial line through clear, established rules that have worked for generations.