Japan holds funeral for Princess Yuriko in Tokyo

ISTANBUL

Japan on Tuesday held a funeral for the imperial family’s oldest member Princess Yuriko, who died at the age of 101.

The funeral was held at the Toshimagaoka Cemetery in the capital Tokyo, according to Kyodo News.

Yuriko, 101, passed away of natural causes on Nov. 15 at a hospital in Tokyo.

She married Prince Mikasa when she was 18 in 1941. The couple had three sons and two daughters.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was among around 500 people who attended the final rites of the process.

Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, former emperor Akihito, and his wife Michiko skipped the funeral due to imperial customs.

Yuriko, the oldest member of the Japanese imperial family, was the great-aunt of Emperor Naruhito.

Her granddaughter Princess Akiko led the funeral as the chief mourner after holding the Shinto ritual, called Renso-no-Gi.

Following the cremation, the deceased princess’ ashes will be interred alongside those of her husband, Prince Mikasa, in a grave at the cemetery. Mikasa died in 2016 at the age of 100.