Princess Nori at Expo 2005

Sayako Kuroda (Japanese: 黒田清子, Kuroda Sayako) (born 18 April 1969), formerly Princess Nori (Sayako) of Japan (紀宮清子内親王殿下, Nori-no-miya Sayako naishinnō), is the third child and only daughter of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan. She married Yoshiki Kuroda on 15 November 2005. As a result, she gave up her royal title and left the Japanese Imperial Family, as required by law. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (960x1280, 1224 KB) en: Her Highness Princess Sayako also known as Princess Nori (Screen left). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (960x1280, 1224 KB) en: Her Highness Princess Sayako also known as Princess Nori (Screen left). ... A part of the Global Loop at Expo 2005 Expo 2005 is the Worlds Fair held in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, east of the city of Nagoya. ... April 18 is the 108th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (109th in leap years). ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ... Emperor Akihito reads the Speech from the Throne to the Japanese Diet His Imperial Majesty Akihito (明仁) (born December 23, 1933) is the current and 125th Emperor of Japan. ... Empress Michiko of Japan Her Imperial Majesty Empress Michiko of Japan (美智子), (born October 20, 1934) formerly Michiko Shoda (正田美智子 shoda michiko) and later the Crown Princess of Japan (April 10, 1959 to January 7, 1989), is the wife and consort of the reigning Emperor of Japan, Akihito. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Imperial Household of Japan (also referred to as the Imperial Family or kōshitsu (皇室)) refers to those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties, as well as their minor children. ...

Education

Princess Nori studied and graduated from the Department of Japanese Language and Literature in the Faculty of Letters of Gakushuin University in 1992. In the same year, she was accepted as research associate at the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology. In 1998, she was appointed researcher at the same institute. She contributed articles about birds to various academic works. Gakushuin University is a university in Japan. ... In the academic setting, the title of a Research Associate is used to denote a research position, normally at a post-doctoral level. ... Ornithology (from the Greek ornis = bird and logos = word/science) is the branch of zoology concerned with the scientific study of birds and it includes observations on the structure and classification of birds, and on their habits, song and flight. ... For the suburb of Melbourne, Australia, see Research, Victoria. ...

Apart from her research, she has traveled extensively abroad and within Japan, as a representative of the Imperial family.

Engagement and marriage

On 30 December 2004, the Imperial Household Agency announced the engagement of Princess Nori to Yoshiki Kuroda, a 40 year old urban designer with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and a longtime friend of Prince Akishino. Upon her marriage, which took place at a Tokyo hotel on 15 November 2005, Princess Nori left the Imperial Family, taking the surname of her husband, the first commoner of non-aristocratic background to marry an imperial princess. These changes in her status are demanded by a 1947 law that requires female members of the Imperial Family to relinquish their birth position, official membership in the royal family, and allowance upon their marriage. Her parents, the Emperor and Empress, were in attendance at the wedding, as were Crown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako and other members of the Imperial Family. December 30 is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 1 day remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Imperial Household Agency is a government agency of Japan in charge of the state matters concerning Japans royal family. ... An engagement is an agreement to marry, and also refers to the time between proposal and marriage. ... Yoshiki Kuroda (黒田慶樹; Kuroda Yoshiki b. ... Paris, France: Began unplanned, but was later re-engineered through the construction of an extensive system of wide boulevards overlaid on the medieval street grid, by the Baron Haussmann under the reign of Napoleon III in the 19th century. ... Long a symbol of Tokyo, the Nijubashi Bridge at the Kokyo Imperial Palace. ... His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino (jp: 秋篠宮文仁親王殿下 akishino no miya fumihito denka) also known as Prince Fumihito (文仁親王 fumihito shinnō) (born 30 November 1965) is a member of the Japanese imperial family. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Imperial Household of Japan (also referred to as the Imperial Family or kōshitsu (皇室)) refers to those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties, as well as their minor children. ... His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito (徳仁皇太子殿下 Naruhito Kōtaishi Denka) (born at Togu Palace, Tokyo February 23, 1960) is the eldest son of His Majesty Emperor Akihito and Her Majesty Empress Michiko. ... Masako (雅子皇太子妃殿下 Masako kōtaishihi denka, the Crown Princess Masako) (born December 9, 1963, Tokyo, Japan) is styled Her Imperial Highness The Crown Princess of Japan. ...

Kuroda resigned from her job as an ornithologist in order to focus on her family life and potential motherhood. While she will no longer be entitled to a royal allowance, she reportedly received a dowry of over 1 million dollars. Ornithology (from the Greek ornitha = chicken and logos = word/science) is the branch of biology concerned with the scientific study of birds. ... A dowry (also known as trousseau) is a gift of money or valuables given by the brides family to that of the groom to permit their marriage. ...

External links

• Kunaicho — Her Imperial Highness Princess Sayako
• Kunaicho — Responses to Questions on the Occasion of the Birthday of Her Imperial Highness Princess Sayako (2005)
• Hello! magazine — Article on Sayako and Yoshiki Kuroda's wedding
• BBC News — The wedding takes place