His Highness Takahito, Prince of Mikasa, Passed Away at Age 100

His Highness Prince Takahito of Mikasa deceased at 8:34 a.m.,October 27th, due to a cardiac failure, closing a dramatic life at age 100 as the younger brother of the late Majesty Emperor Hirohito.

In late June, a pacemaker was installed to balance his heart beats and he spent most of his time in the CTU at the St. Luke's Hospital. Late August, as his conditions aggravated, Prince Mikasa was visited by the members of the royal families. On October 27, his pulses weakened, the blood pressures downed and at 8:34 his heart failed to function to terminated his long, trying life.

Prince Mikasa had a major operation at age 96 four years ago to restore his heart function and managed to survive the ordeal to reach 100 years of age in December last year for the first time among the members of the royal families.

In January this year, Prince Mikasa was accompanied by Princess Mikasa to greet the well-wishing crowds by the Imperial Palace. In April, he was well enough to receive the Japanese ambassador to Turkey at his residence in the eve of his departure to Turkey.

Prince Mikasa had lost all of the three sons and the whole nation watched his delicate livelihood with the deepest of sympathies. Prince Mikasa was the fifth heir to the Imperial throne and his passing leaves four males to succeed to the throne.

The passing of Prince Mikasa was widely reported nationwide with extras issued and circulated an hour before noon by Shimbashi Station, Tokyo.

A 64-year-old male who attended the New Year's celebration tour of the palace commented he was saddened by the passing of Prince Mikasa he had worried over his age and health; a 68-year-old man said he felt an age had just closed with the passing of Prince Mikasa who had lived through the eventful years of Showa. (Nathan Shiga)