<p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr">Princess Mikasa, the great-aunt of Japan's current Emperor Naruhito and the oldest member of the imperial family, died on Friday in Tokyo at the age of 101.</p><h2 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> <span style="color:hsl(187, 48%, 51%);">Princess Mikasa dies: Farewell to oldest member of Japan's imperial family</span> </h2><figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:800/533;" src="https://cdn.sbisiali.com/news/images/08e3f1bb-5d27-42dc-94ec-726cf822e38d.webp" ></figure><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> The princess was admitted to hospital last March after suffering a stroke and pneumonia, and remained in intensive care until her death.<br><br> Born on June 4, 1923, to an aristocratic family, her real name is Yuriko Takagi, and at the age of 18 she married Prince Mikasa, the younger brother of Emperor Hirohito.</p><h3 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> <span style="color:hsl(187, 48%, 51%);">Memories of war and suffering</span> </h3><figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:650/361;" src="https://cdn.sbisiali.com/news/images/4b07b9f4-3098-4a63-983a-6e506d78b037.jpeg" ></figure><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> Princess Mikasa had an eventful life, giving birth to her first child during World War II in 1944, while Japan was at war. Her house was burned down in an air raid, forcing her to take shelter with her infant son.<br><br> Her husband, Prince Mikasa, was a supporter of ending the war, and faced great pressure from opponents of the surrender decision. The princess recalled those moments as “very frightening.”<br><br> The imperial family also experienced financial difficulties after the war, forcing the princess to do the housework herself, a rarity among members of the imperial family.</p><h3 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> <span style="color:hsl(187, 48%, 51%);">The future of the Japanese throne is under threat.</span> </h3><figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:800/449;" src="https://cdn.sbisiali.com/news/images/877771ab-c247-476b-a44d-7f5bbe1a3cd0.jpeg" ></figure><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> With the princess's three sons having died before her, and only one young heir, 18-year-old Prince Hisahito, the Japanese throne faces threats to the continuity of the line.</p><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> Women, including Princess Aiko, the current emperor's daughter, have been excluded from ascending the throne under the Imperial Household Law in force since 1947.</p><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> Princess Mikasa's passing marks the end of an era, and brings to light the challenges facing the imperial family in the future.<br></p>