Monday, February 21, 2011

Prince Akihito and his bride-to-be Michiko Shoda, play tennis together

12/6/58-Tokyo, Japan: Crown Prince Akihito (r) and his bride-to-be Michiko Shoda, play tennis at the Tokyo Lawn Tennis Club. This is the first photo taken of the couple together playing tennis since the announcement of their engagement 11/27.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Training for Imperial Homemaking - Real Michiko Shoda

Top left - Michiko Shoda and her family in April 1957
Top right - Crown Princess Michiko arrives at the DC airport in September 1960
Bottom (L) - Michiko Shoda with her school friend in January 1958

"Michiko has been taking a wide variety of enrichment classes and has completed most of them at a professional level. There is nothing amateurish about her achievement.

One of her favorite classes is a cooking class and her western-style cooking classes are taught by an English speaking instructor. However having an excellent command of English, she can communicate very well in those classes. "Michiko, what ingredients are missing here and how much amount of them can be added? " When her teacher asked, Michiko could answer promptly, "1/2 spoonful of sugar and a bit of Mirin."

She loves to cook exquisite dishes and her prince has similar tastes. There may be a big change in imperial dining table after long years of leaving everything to cooking staff in the Imperial Household.

She started taking piano lessons shortly after she entered the Futaba elementary school. Although the WWII interrupted her study, she resumed her lessons with a highly professional teacher while she was in the Seishin school. Now she can play completely any difficult pieces. She loves Romantic music by Chopin and Schubert and recently often practices music by Debussy and Ravel.

About visual arts, She draws nicely harmonized pictures influenced by her father who is a member of the renowned Churchill Club.

Her fashion's main theme is "less showy". She doesn't own too many dresses, but all of them are designed by prestigious designers. She loves modest colors such as navy, black and dark brown. She has never chosen flashy style. However she reads many fashion magazines like Vogue and does not totally rely on designers' taste. She owns less than 10 suites and which is relatively modest for a young woman from a wealthy family. Recently she ordered a navy colored silk suits.

At home, she wears a reversible satin house dress. Her night gown is made of cream colored Crepe De Chin tailored for her recent European tour. The gown is decorated with race around the neck and still worn by her nightly.

She only makes simple blouse or skirt by herself. She prefers to wear modest accessories and pearl is her favorite jewel. She seldom wears rings.

Her sizes are, 32 bust, 23.5 waist, 36.5 hip, 15 inches shoulder-width,
23 right arm length, and 22 left arm length. Being a tennis enthusiast, her right arm is a bit longer than left arm."

Crown Prince Akihito And Bride-To-Be

12/6/58-Tokyo, Japan: Crown Prince Akihito (r) and his bride-to-be Michiko Shoda, proceed to a tennis court at the Tokyo Lawn Tennis Club to play a few sets of tennis. This is the first photo taken of the couple together since the announcement of their engagement 11/27. A battery of 70 news cameramen greeted them as they left the clubhouse. They were shy but grinned and laughed as they played for over half an hour.

Michiko Shoda and Her Family

Prince Akihito's Fiancee and Family. Tokyo, Japan: Miss Michiko Shoda (second from left, front row), who was chosen to be the bride of Crown Prince Akihito of Japan, relaxes with members of her family at her home here November 27, after the official announcement of her engagement. In the picture are (left to right), front row, Mrs. Fumi Shoda, her mother; Michiko; Telichiro, her grandfather; Emiko, her younger ssiter; and Hidesaburo Shoda, her father, Standing in back are (left).Osamu, a younger brother; and Iwao, an elder brother. The engagement of the Crown Prince to a commoner breaks more tha 2,000 years of Japaense tradition. November 27, 1958.