Masako Sen

The native form of this personal name is Sen Masako. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.

Masako Sen (千 容子, Sen Masako; born 23 October 1951), formerly Princess Masako of Mikasa (容子内親王, Masako Naishinnō), is a former member of the Imperial Family of Japan. She is the fourth child and second daughter of Takahito, Prince Mikasa and Yuriko, Princess Mikasa.^[1] She is the wife of the 16th-generation Soshitsu Sen.

Masako Sen
Born	Princess Masako of Mikasa (容子内親王) (1951-10-23) 23 October 1951 (age 73) Kamiōsaki, Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan
Spouse	Sōshitsu Sen XVI [ja] ​ ​ (m. 1983)​
Children	3
Parents	Takahito, Prince Mikasa (father) Yuriko Takagi (mother)
Relatives	Imperial House of Japan

Education

Maple (Acer) leaves, designated imperial personal emblem of Masako

For her early education as a child, Princess Masako attended Gakushuin Elementary School and then Gakushuin Women's Secondary School. She later enrolled in the Department of Japanese Language and Literature, Faculty of Letters, Gakushuin University. After completing three years, she was sent to a boarding school in Switzerland and moved to Paris for studying in the University of Sorbonne.

Marriage and family

Princess Masako married Masayuki Sen (b. 1956), the elder son of Sōshitsu Sen XV, on 14 October 1983.^[2] Upon her marriage, she gave up her imperial title and left the Japanese Imperial Family as required by Imperial Law,^[3] and took the surname of her husband. He succeeded his father and thus became Sōshitsu Sen XVI [ja], the sixteenth hereditary grand master (Iemoto) of the Urasenke Japanese Tea Ceremony School, in December 2002.^[4]

The couple have two sons and one daughter:

• Akifumi Kikuchi (10 November 1984 – 20 August 2024),^[5] had his surname officially changed from "Sen" to "Kikuchi" in 2014^[6]
• Makiko Sakata (born 11 July 1987), married in 2017 to Munehiro Sakata^[7]
• Takafumi Sen (born 6 July 1990)

Official activities

Masako Sen has been active in the Soroptimist International (SI) organization in Japan. She was President of the SI Kyoto Club in 2006, and again, in 2016. In 2012, she was elected as the 14th Governor of Japan's Soroptimist International of the Americas (SIA) Chuo Region.^[8] In March, 2018, she was elected as Chair of the Soroptimist Japan Foundation.^[9]

Titles and styles

Styles of Princess Masako of Mikasa (before her marriage)
Mikasa-no-miya mon
Reference style	Her Imperial Highness
Spoken style	Your Imperial Highness

• 23 October 1951 – 14 October 1983: Her Imperial Highness Princess Masako
• 14 October 1983 – present: Mrs. Soshitsu Sen

Honours

See also: List of honours of the Japanese Imperial Family by country

National honours

• Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown

Ancestry

Ancestors of Masako Sen

16. Osahito, Emperor Kōmei 8. Mutsuhito, Emperor Meiji 17. Yoshiko Nakayama 4. Yoshihito, Emperor Taishō 18. Lord Mitsunaru Yanagiwara 9. Lady Naruko Yanagihara 19. Lady Utano Hasegawa 2. Takahito, Prince Mikasa 20. Hisatada Kujō 10. Prince Michitaka Kujō 21. Lady Tsuneko Karahashi 5. Lady Sadako Kujō 22. Yorioki Noma 11. Ikuko Noma 1. Princess Masako of Mikasa 24. Mamoru Takagi 12. Masayoshi Takagi 6. Masanari Takagi 26. Terutoshi Matsudaira 13. Saneko Matsudaira 27. Kazu Hotta 3. The Hon. Yuriko Takagi 28. Tametada Reizei 14. Tamemori Irie 29. Lady Ryōko Yanagihara 7. Kuniko Irie 30. Count Sakimitsu Yanagihara 15. Nobuko Yanagihara 31. Lady Hatsune Date