Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum ThroneThe tragic true story of Japan's Crown Princess-with a new afterword by the author. It's the fantasy of many young women: marry a handsome prince, move into a luxurious palace, and live happily ever after. But that's not how it turned out for Masako Owada. Ben Hills's fascinating portrait of Princess Masako and the Chrysanthemum Throne draws on research in Tokyo and rural Japan, at Oxford and Harvard, and from more than sixty interviews with Japanese, American, British, and Australian sources-many of whom have never spoken publicly before-shedding light on the royal family's darkest secrets, secrets that can never be openly discussed in Japan because of the reverence in which the emperor and his family are held. But most of all, this is a story about a love affair that went tragically wrong. The paperback edition will contain a new afterword by the author, discussing the impact this book had in Japan, where it was banned. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - briandrewz - LibraryThingThis book must be taken with a grain of salt. While I'm sure Ben Hills gave it his best, it is impossible to know the "whole story" without having talked with the subject of the book herself. I found ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - belinda_h_ - LibraryThingOut of all the books I have read, there have been few that have been so boring I couldn't even manage to finish them. In fact I can only think of one such book, this one. Read full review
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Common terms and phrases
Aiko allowed ambassador Arkley attend Australian baby bride Britain’s brother Akishino bureaucrats called century ceremony chamberlain child Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum Throne club country’s court crown prince Crown Princess daughter depression diplomat East Palace Emperor Akihito Empress Michiko Empress Nagako father Foreign Ministry friends Gakushuin Gakushuin University girls Harper Harvard heir Hirohito Hisashi Hisashi Owada holiday imperial family Imperial Household Agency Japan Japan’s royals Japanese media journalists Kumi Hara Kunaicho later living magazine marriage married Masako and Naruhito Masako Owada Meiji Emperor mental illness monarchy mother Naruhito and Masako Oldman organisation overseas Owada family Oxford parents play Point Lonsdale pregnancy press conference prime minister Prince Akishino prince’s professor reporters role royal couple royal family samurai says Shinto shoguns shrines Taisho Emperor thesis throne Tokyo traditional trip University wedding wife woman women young Yumiko
Bibliographic information
| Title | Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne |
| Author | Ben Hills |
| Publisher | Penguin, 2006 |
| ISBN | 1101216107, 9781101216101 |
| Length | 336 pages |
| Subjects | › › Biography & Autobiography / Royalty History / Asia / Japan History / Women |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |