Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko
are one of the most famous royal couples in the world. Their love story is like a fairy tale, and
they have been together for over 60 years. For the sake of his beloved wife, the emperor
broke centuries-old traditions of the country. What traditions did he break? And what trials did their love go through? Don't forget to like and subscribe to the
channel. Let's get started! The Japanese monarchy is the oldest in the
world. For more than 2700 years, the country has
been ruled by a dynasty to which Emperor Akihito belongs. Japan is known for its adherence to ancient
traditions. And Akihito became the first ruler who changed
centuries-old customs for the sake of his beloved Michiko. Now you're about to find out how it happened. Michiko Shoda was born in 1934 in Tokyo to
a wealthy and rather famous family. Her father owned one of the largest flour
milling companies in Japan. The girl grew up without needing anything. But the war began, which completely turned
the life of the Shoda family. During the war, Mr. Shoda's business failed. His mills were destroyed and the family became
almost destitute. The mother and her children had to leave the
capital and settle in a mountain village. To feed their family, Michiko and her mother
had to work hard. They managed the household themselves, worked
on the land and looked after the livestock. The harsh years of the war remained in the
girl's memory forever, and she got used to accepting the trials and blows of fate with
humility. After the end of the war, the Shoda family's
quiet life was gradually restored. Michiko went back to school and graduated
with honors. Then she also graduated with honors from the
University of Tokyo. As the best student, she interned at Harvard
and Oxford. In the mid-1950s, the girl almost married
the outstanding Japanese writer Yukio Mishima. Subsequently, he was nominated three times
for the Nobel Prize, but never received it. He lacked quite a bit, perhaps the help of
a good wife? However, Michiko was destined for a very different
fate. And tennis and a happy accident helped her
to come true. In 1957, the girl went on vacation on the
coast near Tokyo. Near the hotel where she stayed, there was
a tennis court. She loved the sport so much that she preferred
to swing a racket for days on end, rather than lie on the beach. The opponents were the same vacationers from
the local hotel. One of them was a skinny guy. He played weakly, but he showed great persistence
on the court. Michiko managed to win with a lot of effort,
and she went to the locker room with a satisfied look. "Did you know that you defeated the Living
God?" her friend asked in horror. And then the girl realized why the guy seemed
vaguely familiar to her. The fact is that the monarchs of Japan officially
bear the titles of Living Gods. This is due to the fact that, according to
legend, the ancestor of the ruling dynasty was the Sun Goddess Amaterasu. Michiko went into a stupor, and a few minutes
later, the Living God himself appeared in the locker room and invited the girl to a
cafe. At that, he was very shy and, as he later
recalled, even stuttered a bit. The thing is that he fell madly in love with
Michiko and already on the tennis court he firmly decided to marry her. But it wasn't easy. The entire aristocratic elite of Japan opposed
the unequal marriage. The Crown Prince's marriage to a commoner
seemed a blatant violation of centuries-old traditions. Even in Akihito's presence, detractors defiantly
called Michiko a "miller's daughter" and humiliated her in every possible way. But the prince was adamant. For the sake of happiness with his beloved,
he was ready to go against family traditions. Akihito declared that he would either marry
Michiko or not marry at all. He insisted on his decision, and the Imperial
Court Council had to agree to the marriage. But another problem arose. Michiko had also fallen in love with Akihito,
but she didn't want to cause him political problems through an unequal marriage. For several years, she refused to marry so
as not to expose her beloved to a storm of criticism. The prince had to work hard to convince his
beloved to become his wife. Finally, in April 1959, the long-awaited wedding
took place. The groom was 25 years old and the bride was
24. At that time, the whole of Japan knew about
the young prince's love for a simple girl. Unlike the aristocrats, ordinary people welcomed
Akihito's wedding. The bride of the heir to the throne became
a true idol of the country and a "Japanese Cinderella". Although some critics considered the marriage
a "loss of imperial dignity" and called for such unions to be banned by law. When it was announced that the wedding would
be broadcast live, Japanese people began to buy TV sets in droves. Within a week, over 2 million TV sets were
sold. In those days they were extremely expensive,
but this did not stop the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun. A record number of Japanese watched the broadcast
of the ceremony. For several days after the ceremony, mass
festivities continued in the country. For the first time in almost three thousand
years of the history of the Japanese imperial dynasty, a girl from an ordinary family became
the wife of the heir. And it must be said that the Japanese citizens
liked these changes. People's love for Michiko became even stronger
when the couple had children. A year after the wedding was born a boy Naruhito. These days he replaced his father on the throne
and is the Emperor of Japan. Five years later, son Fumihito was born, followed
by a daughter, Princess Sayako. Their life seemed to be perfect. But things were not so simple for Michiko. The prince's father, then Emperor Hirohito,
was favorable to his son's choice. But the prince's mother, Empress Kojun, disliked
her daughter-in-law fiercely. She schemed against her, tormented her with
reproaches and tried her best to destroy her son's marriage. This led Michiko to prolonged depression. But at such times, she remembered what she
had gone through during the war. Compared to those years, all the difficulties
seemed surmountable. Relations had become so strained that Michiko
had to move from the palace to a country villa. The prince followed her without hesitation,
clearly choosing his side. The lovers continued to break centuries-old
traditions. In doing so, they aroused even more admiration
from the nation and resentment from critics. The future Emperor Akihito and his wife ostentatiously
led the lives of ordinary people. They addressed each other by name, without
titles. They raised their three children by themselves. They personally bathed their children and
took them for walks and cooked their meals. Although traditionally, as soon as royal children
reached the age of three, they were placed under the care of nannies and tutors. In the 1970s, the family became a true role
model. Many Japanese aspired to be like Akihito and
Michiko. They copied them in their clothes, lifestyle
and behavior. Unfortunately, there were those who were not
happy with other people's happiness. In 1975, Michiko was attacked. The scar over her eye remained for the rest
of her life. Since then, Michiko has been wearing neat
hats of a certain model, pulled up tightly over her forehead. In 1989, a very important event happened in
the couple's life. They became monarchs of Japan. The prince's father, Hirohito, died after
62 years of rule. Akihito became the world's only emperor and
Michiko became empress. The couple, bound by love, traveled around
the world, including on peacekeeping missions, and held dozens of charity events. The accident at the Fukushima nuclear power
plant was a huge test for the monarchs. Akihito and Michiko were personally involved
in relocating people from the earthquake zone contaminated with radiation. Thanks to them, hundreds of thousands of people
were saved. In the early 2010s, Japanese people did not
just love their monarchs, but considered them national heroes. The politicians' careers ended for the noble
couple in 2019. At the age of 86, Akihito voluntarily gave
up the throne, handing it over to his son Naruhito. This is the first time in the last 200 years
that an emperor has resigned of his own free will. Usually, an emperor rules until their last
breath. Today, their children are following their
parents' example. The eldest son, the current emperor of Japan,
married the daughter of a diplomat. The middle one also chose an ordinary girl
not from the royal family. And the youngest daughter married an ordinary
Japanese man. All of them chose love, just like their parents. The couple of former monarchs live in a modest
country residence. Every morning, the couple stroll through the
park where the sakura trees grow. As they did 60 years ago, the man and woman
touchingly hold hands. Despite the years, they look at each other
with adoration and admiration. What do you think of this touching love story? Share in the comments! Subscribe to the channel and don't forget
to give us a like. See you soon!
