Exhibition Outlines

His Imperial Highness Prince Takahito of Mikasa was born on December 2nd, 1915, as the fourth son of Emperor Taisho and Empress Teimei, and received the title Suminomiya. He established the Prince Mikasa family on the occasion of his coming-of-age ceremony.

The various garments that HIH Prince Mikasa wore during his childhood have been cherished within the family, surviving the war. They include the robe that he wore on his first visit to worship the Imperial Palace Sanctuary, the dress-up clothes worn on his birthday, sailor suits, his school uniform when he entered Gakushuin Primary School in 1922, and his baseball uniform of the "AS" (Aoyama Suminomiya) team, showing how the Prince grew up actively.

Among these, the various dress-up clothes are aya twill or chirimen crepe cloth brightly dyed in red, pink, light green or light blue tailored in furisode form, with auspicious designs or designs of flowers on branches in embroidery. Traditional designs and techniques used since the Edo period are used, added with modern sense fit for the Taisho period, with contrivance in the decorative techniques. Since his birthday in 1919 when he first wore a hakama skirt, stylish designs can be seen on his black haori coats and hakama skirts that he wore occasionally. The lustrous velvet cloak with embroidered designs around the hem that he wore over his kimonos is also among them.

These charming and beautiful clothing of His Imperial Highness Prince Takahito of Mikasa that we are able to introduce on this occasion, show the motherly affection of Empress Teimei. We hope our visitors can appreciate the fashionable superior textile techniques and beautiful designs of the Taisho period through these items showing Empress Teimei's heartful feelings, cherished by the Prince.