Translation of Article:
Today, June 29th, Prince and Princess Akishino celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary. At the time of their wedding in 1990, Prince Akishino was 24 and Princess Kiko was 23. How did the two meet and decide on their future? What were the secret thoughts of Princess Kiko's parents?
They met at university and grew fond of each other as they interacted with each other's families
Prince and Princess Akishino celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary on June 29th. Before their marriage, the love between the two, who were called "Prince Aya" and "Kawashima Kiko", was nurtured on the campus of Gakushuin University in Mejiro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo. In May 1985, Prince Akishino, a second-year student at the Faculty of Law at Gakushuin University, first met Princess Kiko, who had just entered the Faculty of Letters, at a bookstore on campus. Princess Kiko's father was Professor Emeritus Kawashima Tatsuhiko (deceased), of Gakushuin University, and Prince Akishino had already met him. Tatsuhiko also served as an advisor for the equestrian club, of which the Emperor Emeritus was an alumnus. Through this relationship, Prince Akishino's parents, the Emperor Emeritus and Princess Emeritus, and Tatsuhiko had known each other for some time. The fact that their parents knew each other was a big plus for their subsequent relationship. Soon after meeting Princess Kiko, Prince Akishino invited her to the Togu Palace, where he was living with his family at the time, and introduced her to the Emperor Emeritus and Princess Emeritus. From then on, Princess Kiko frequently visited the Togu Palace, where she enjoyed playing tennis and talking with the Emperor and Empress, deepening their relationship. The Emperor and Empress seemed to feel a sense of familiarity with Princess Kiko, and called her "Kiko-chan" and loved her very much. Princess Kiko joined the university club "Nature and Culture Research Society," which was formed by Prince Akishino and his friends from elementary school. The two of them visited various places around the country with their friends, and their love steadily deepened. On the evening of June 26, 1986, Prince Akishino proposed to Princess Kiko at an intersection near Gakushuin University. It had been a little over a year since they first met. The following day, on the 27th, Prince Akishino reported his proposal to the Emperor and Empress, but the couple did not seem surprised. Prince Akishino explained the circumstances to those around him as follows:
My parents knew we were dating, and I think they probably knew we were going to get married. I think they also thought it would be great if she was the one I married." Thus, it seems that the former emperor and empress had always been watching over the couple warmly and encouraging them to get married since they started dating. Then, on June 29, 1990, the couple married and established the Akishino family, but at that time Prince Akishino was 24 and Princess Kiko was 23. This was about three years earlier than her brother, the Emperor, who was five years older than her, who married on June 9, 1993. So what did Princess Kiko's parents think about her marriage, and how did they respond? Princess Kiko, the daughter of an ordinary citizen, had a higher hurdle to overcome in marrying into the royal family, and naturally, opposition from her parents was expected.
"Children's marriage is not essentially a matter for the parents…"
Just before the wedding, in May 1990, when I was a reporter for the Mainichi Shimbun, I had the opportunity to interview Princess Kiko's parents, Tatsuhiko and Kazuyo Kawashima. I would like to introduce some of the exchange from the magazine "Congratulations to Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko on the Establishment of the Akishino Family" (Mainichi Graph Special Issue, July 14, 1990). When Princess Kiko asked about her marriage, were you in favor of it from the beginning? Tatsuhiko: I have always thought that a child's marriage is not essentially a parent's problem. So when I heard something from Kiko that had that kind of nuance, I told myself that it was not something I should give permission for or oppose. Kazuyo: As a mother, I tend to look at things in a realistic way, which is different from my husband's case (laughs). From the time I first met the prince, I was relatively open in front of my family. At some point, Kiko started talking about marrying Prince Akihito, but at first I thought that such a thing was impossible. So I told Kiko to think about it from various angles. Tatsuhiko: I have always thought that the younger generation, who will live in the future, should not be influenced by the previous generation. Regarding this matter, if my daughter makes a decision after careful consideration, I would like to respect that.
Furthermore, I asked, "Are you as parents worried about Princess Kiko getting married?" Tatsuhiko responded as follows: "It would be very irresponsible to say that I have no worries. I don't know if this is an appropriate answer, but I think that a child getting married means the beginning of a new program that involves some uncertainty. (Omitted) If you are always filled with anxiety in your life, you will not be able to visit an unknown country." After she got married and the people started calling her "Princess Kiko," the couple almost never spoke about their daughter in public. That is why I still vividly recall the couple's natural and honest way of speaking about their feelings even in the face of the big event of "their daughter joining the Imperial family." The father loved his daughter very much and acted strong, but deep down he was lonely and crying – that's how I felt during the interview.
Princess Kiko in a pink dress
For this reason, the morning of her wedding day, when they said goodbye to their daughter, was truly moving. On the morning of their wedding, Princess Kiko and her family came down the stairs from their home in the Gakushuin apartment complex to the outdoors. Princess Kiko was wearing a pink dress, a hat of the same color, and a pearl necklace shining around her chest. Princess Kiko was greeted by her family, who warmly saw her off as she got into a car sent to pick her up by the Imperial Household Agency. In an interview with the author, her father spoke with emotion, saying, "I will cherish the feelings of that moment, and if there are any words I can convey at that time," as he held her hand and gazed fixedly at his daughter for a while. I wonder what words he might have spoken to Princess Kiko as she got married. "I thought they were very similar," Prince Akishino's first impression of Princess Kiko and his "marriage proposal words" Continued in "35 years of marriage"
Article by Keiji Emori
Link to pictures:
https://bunshun.jp/articles/photo/80130?pn=12
Posted by cookie_queen2002
1 comment
Hard to believe they’ve been married for so long! She was such a beautiful bride.
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