{{Short description|Former Japanese princess (born 1969)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Eastern name order|Kuroda Sayako}} {{Infobox person | name = Sayako Kuroda | honorific_suffix = Mrs. Yoshiki Kuroda | image = Sayako Princess Nori 001 detail.jpg | caption = Sayako at Expo 2005 | birth_name = Sayako, Princess Nori<br>(紀宮清子内親王) | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1969|4|18|df=y}} | birth_place = Imperial Household Agency Hospital,<br>Tokyo Imperial Palace, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan | occupation = Supreme Priestess of the Ise Grand Shrine<br>Researcher of Tamagawa University Education Museum | spouse = {{marriage|Yoshiki Kuroda|15 November 2005}} | father = Akihito | mother = Michiko Shōda<!--maiden name--> | relatives = Imperial House of Japan }}
{{nihongo|'''Sayako Kuroda'''|黒田 清子|Kuroda Sayako|born 18 April 1969}}, formerly {{nihongo|'''Sayako, Princess Nori'''|紀宮清子内親王|Nori-no-miya Sayako Naishinnō}}, is the youngest child and only daughter of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko, and the younger sister of the current Emperor of Japan, Naruhito. She is an imperial Shinto priestess of the Ise Grand Shrine, currently serving as the Supreme Priestess.
Kuroda held the appellation "''Nori-no-miya''" (Princess Nori),<ref name=jpp4>{{cite news|title=Princess Sayako turns 35, voices relief over hostage release|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/LEAD%3a+Princess+Sayako+turns+35%2c+voices+relief+over+hostage+release.-a0115506599|access-date=11 September 2013|work=Japan Policy & Politics|date=19 April 2004|archive-date=15 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915043436/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/LEAD:+Princess+Sayako+turns+35,+voices+relief+over+hostage+release.-a0115506599|url-status=live}}</ref> until her marriage to Yoshiki Kuroda on 15 November 2005. As a result of her marriage, she gave up her imperial title and left the Japanese imperial family, as required by the Article 12 of the Imperial Household Law, and received a payment of approximately US$1,000,000.
==Education and career== thumb|left|Princess Sayako with her parents and older brothers in 1969 Princess Sayako was born on 18 April 1969 at the Imperial Household Agency Hospital in Tokyo Imperial Palace, Tokyo. Her mother, Empress Emerita Michiko, is an alumna of the University of the Sacred Heart and a convert to Shinto from Roman Catholicism. She first attended Kakinokizaka Kindergarten in 1973, and then Gakushuin school for her primary, junior high, high school and university education, graduated in 1992. Later in the year, she was accepted as research associate at the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, where she specialized in the study of kingfishers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Times & The Sunday Times |url=https://www.thetimes.com/ |url-status=live |access-date=2022-07-21 |website=The Times |archive-date=13 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213114759/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/ }}</ref> In 1998, she was appointed researcher at the same institute.
Apart from her research, Sayako has traveled extensively abroad and within Japan, as a representative of the Imperial family.
==Marriage and change in status== [[File:Hitsujigusa.jpg|thumb|right|Pygmy waterlily, ''Nymphaea tetragona'', designated imperial personal emblem of Sayako]] On 30 December 2004, the Imperial Household Agency announced the engagement of the 35-year-old Princess Nori to the 39-year-old Yoshiki Kuroda (黒田慶樹 ''Kuroda Yoshiki''). Born in Tokyo on 17 April 1965, he is an urban designer with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and a longtime friend of Prince Akishino.<ref name="wedding_announce">{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-12/31/content_404940.htm|title=Japanese emperor's only daughter to wed|work=China Daily|date=31 December 2005|access-date=3 January 2011|archive-date=16 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110316053712/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-12/31/content_404940.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The announcement of the engagement was postponed twice following the 2004 Chūetsu earthquake and the death of Princess Takamatsu.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/12/19/2003215779|title=Tragedy again postpones Japan royal engagement|work=Taipei Times|date=19 December 2004|access-date=23 November 2024}}</ref> Upon her marriage, which took place at the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo on 15 November 2005, Princess Nori left the Imperial Family, taking the surname of her husband; he became the first non-aristocratic commoner to marry an Imperial princess. This change in her status is mandated by the Imperial Household Law that requires females of the imperial family who marry to relinquish their title, official membership in the imperial family, and allowance from the state. She became the sixth female member born into the Japanese imperial family to marry a commoner since the passage of the Imperial Household Law in 1947, and the first member of the family to lose royal status since the marriage of Princess Masako of Mikasa, one of Emperor Akihito's cousins, in 1983.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/1476692/Japanese-princess-to-marry-the-best-friend-of-her-brother.html|title=Japanese princess to marry the best friend of her brother|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=15 November 2004|access-date=14 May 2015}}</ref>
Sayako's parents, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko were in attendance at her wedding, as were other members of the imperial family. About 30 people attended the ceremony, and some 120 guests attended the reception including the Governor of Tokyo Shintaro Ishihara.<ref name="BBC2005">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4437386.stm|title=Japanese princess weds commoner|work=BBC News|date=15 November 2005|access-date=14 May 2015|archive-date=8 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108091803/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4437386.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Thousands of well-wishers lined the streets between the royal palace and the city hotel where the half-hour marriage rite took place.<ref name="BBC2005"/>
Kuroda resigned from her job as an ornithologist to focus on her family life. While she is no longer entitled to an imperial allowance, she received a wedding gift worth US$1,200,000 from the Japanese government.<ref name="princess">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/japan-loses-a-princess/|title=Japan Loses A Princess|first=Francie|last=Grace|work=CBS News|date=15 November 2005|access-date=3 January 2011|archive-date=21 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121222433/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/japan-loses-a-princess/|url-status=live}}</ref> To prepare for her change of lifestyle, Princess Sayako reportedly took driving lessons and practiced shopping at the supermarket.<ref name="BBC2005"/>
==After marriage== In April 2012, Kuroda was appointed as a high priestess of the Ise Grand Shrine to assist her aunt, Atsuko Ikeda, Chief Priestess of the shrine,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=soc_30&k=2012050700437|title=Mrs. Sayako Kuroda - chief priestess of the Ise Shrine|work=Jiji|date=7 May 2012|access-date=31 January 2013|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081135/http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=soc_30&k=2012050700437|url-status=dead}}</ref> who was also subjected to the conditions of the Imperial Household Law upon marriage. She was among the guests during a banquet held at the Tokyo Imperial Palace in honour of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium in October 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://imperialfamilyjapan.wordpress.com/2016/10/11/state-visit-of-king-and-queen-of-belgians-vol-1/|title=State Visit of King and Queen of Belgians Vol.1|publisher=Imperial Family of Japan|date=11 October 2016|access-date=21 October 2016|archive-date=22 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022102345/https://imperialfamilyjapan.wordpress.com/2016/10/11/state-visit-of-king-and-queen-of-belgians-vol-1/|url-status=live}}</ref> Since her marriage, Kuroda has continued to appear on some formal occasions with other members of the Imperial Family.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://imperialfamilyjapan.wordpress.com/2014/11/27/birthday-concert-3/|title=Birthday Concert|publisher=Imperial Family of Japan|date=27 November 2014|access-date=21 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://imperialfamilyjapan.wordpress.com/2015/06/06/remembering-prince-tomohito/|title=Remembering Prince Tomohito|publisher=Imperial Family of Japan|date=6 June 2015|access-date=21 October 2016|archive-date=22 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022102219/https://imperialfamilyjapan.wordpress.com/2015/06/06/remembering-prince-tomohito/|url-status=live}}</ref> She officially replaced Atsuko Ikeda as the supreme priestess of Ise Shrine on 19 June 2017.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Japan Times |title=Emperor's daughter becomes supreme priestess at Ise Shrine |date=21 June 2017 |access-date=22 June 2017 |quote=Sayako Kuroda, the daughter of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, assumed the post of supreme priestess at Ise Shrine this week, the ancient Shinto shrine said. |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/06/21/national/politics-diplomacy/emperors-daughter-becomes-supreme-priestess-ise-shrine/#.WUvxevqGMza |archive-date=8 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108002241/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/06/21/national/politics-diplomacy/emperors-daughter-becomes-supreme-priestess-ise-shrine/#.WUvxevqGMza |url-status=live }}</ref>
For the coming-of-age of her niece, Aiko, Princess Toshi, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, Kuroda lent Aiko the tiara that was presented to Kuroda for her own coming-of-age in 1989. Princess Aiko wore Kuroda’s tiara for the celebration of her coming-of-age on 5 December 2021.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/c06127/|title=Kuroda Sayako: The Emperor's Sister as a Private Citizen|website=nippon.com|date=2022-01-13|accessdate=2023-05-12|archive-date=12 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512124557/https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/c06127/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Titles and styles== {{Infobox Royal styles |royal name = Sayako, Princess Nori<br><small>(before her marriage)</small> |image = centre|Imperial Coat of Arms|60px |dipstyle = Her Imperial Highness |offstyle = Your Imperial Highness |}} * 18 April 1969 – 15 November 2005: ''Her Imperial Highness'' Princess Nori * 15 November 2005 – present: ''Mrs.'' Yoshiki Kuroda<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-about/history/history01.html|title=Their Majesties the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita|publisher=The Imperial Household Agency|access-date=5 January 2018|archive-date=19 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819194711/http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-about/history/history01.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Kuroda Sayako}} * [https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/20051115300570/princessayakowedding/ Sayako becomes Mrs Kuroda (14 November 2005)] — Hello! magazine's article on Sayako and Yoshiki Kuroda's wedding * [https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4437386.stm Japanese princess weds commoner (15 November 2005)] — BBC News
{{Japanese princesses}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuroda, Sayako}} Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:People from Chiyoda, Tokyo Category:Children of Akihito Category:Daughters of Japanese emperors Category:Japanese ornithologists Category:Gakushuin University alumni <!-- Honours : Japan --> Category:Grand Cordons (Imperial Family) of the Order of the Precious Crown Category:20th-century Japanese women scientists Category:21st-century Japanese scientists Category:21st-century Japanese women scientists Category:20th-century Japanese women Category:21st-century Japanese women Category:Japanese Shintoists Category:20th-century Shintoists Category:21st-century Shintoists Category:20th-century Japanese zoologists Category:Scientists from Tokyo