View source for Empress Nagako

{{Short description|Empress of Japan from 1926 to 1989}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{expand Japanese|topic=bio|date=June 2021}}
{{expand Thai|topic=bio|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox royalty
| consort        = yes
| name           = {{plainlist|
* Empress Kōjun
* {{nobold|{{lang|ja|香淳皇后}}}}
}}
| image          = Empress Kōjun official portrait 1.jpg
| caption        = Formal portrait, {{circa|1928}}
| succession     = [[Empress consort of Japan]]
| reign          = 25 December 1926 – 7 January 1989
| coronation     = 10 November 1928
| cor-type       = Japan
| succession1    = [[Empress dowager of Japan]]
| reign1         = 7 January 1989 – 16 June 2000
| birth_name     = {{nihongo|Princess Nagako|良子女王}}
| birth_date     = {{Birth date|1903|3|6|df=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Azabu]], Tokyo, Japan
| death_date     = {{Death date and age|2000|6|16|1903|3|6|df=y}}
| death_place    = [[Fukiage Palace]], Tokyo, Japan
| burial_date    = 25 July 2000
| burial_place   = [[Musashi Imperial Graveyard]]
| spouse         = {{marriage|[[Hirohito|Hirohito, Emperor Shōwa]]|26 January 1924|7 January 1989|reason=died}}
| issue          = {{plain list|
* [[Shigeko Higashikuni]]
* [[Sachiko, Princess Hisa]]
* [[Kazuko Takatsukasa]]
* [[Atsuko Ikeda]]
* [[Akihito|Akihito, Emperor of Japan]]
* [[Masahito, Prince Hitachi]]
* [[Takako Shimazu]]
}}
| posthumous name= {{awrap|Empress Kōjun ({{lang|ja|香淳皇后}})}}
| house    = [[Imperial House of Japan]]
| father         = [[Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi|Kuniyoshi, Prince Kuni]]
| mother         = Chikako Shimazu
| signature      = [[File:Empress Nagako's signature.svg|30px]]
}}
{{nihongo|'''Nagako'''|良子||6 March 1903 – 16 June 2000}},<ref name="kunaicho1">{{cite web |url=http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-about/history/history11.html#H2-02 |title=Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun – The Imperial Household Agency |website=Kunaicho.go.jp |access-date=11 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018195813/http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-about/history/history11.html#H2-02 |archive-date=18 October 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> posthumously honoured as {{nihongo|'''Empress Kōjun'''|香淳皇后|Kōjun Kōgō}},<ref name="kunaicho1"/> was a member of the [[Imperial House of Japan]], the wife of Emperor [[Hirohito]] and the mother of [[Daijō Tennō|Emperor Emeritus]] [[Akihito]]. She served as [[Empress of Japan]] from 1926 until [[Death and state funeral of Hirohito|her husband's death]] in 1989, making her the longest-serving empress consort in [[History of Japan|Japanese history]].<ref name="guardian2000">Downer, Lesely. [https://www.theguardian.com/news/2000/jun/17/guardianobituaries Obituary: "Nagako, Dowager Empress of Japan,"] ''The Guardian'' (London). 17 June 2000.</ref>

==Early life==
[[File:Princess Nagako 1.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Princess Nagako in 1910 as a child]]
Princess Nagako ({{nihongo2|良子女王}}, {{Transliteration|ja|Nagako Joō}}) was born on 6 March 1903 in the family residence of the [[Kuni-no-miya]] in [[Tokyo]], Japan. She belonged to one of the ''[[Ōke]]'' cadet branches of the [[Imperial House of Japan]], which were eligible to provide an heir to the Japanese throne by adoption. By birth she held the title of princess, as the daughter of [[Prince Kuniyoshi Kuni|Kuniyoshi, Prince Kuni]] (1873–1929) and his consort, Chikako (1879–1956). While her father was a scion of the imperial family, her mother descended from ''[[daimyō]]'', the feudal military aristocracy.<ref>Large, Stephen S. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=2IkOAAAAQAAJ&dq=nagako&pg=PA25 Emperor Hirohito and Shōwa Japan: A Political Biography]'', pp. 25–26</ref> Nagako would later be remembered as one of the last Japanese to have experienced life within the aristocracy prior to the [[Second World War]].<ref name="nyt2000">{{cite web|last=Kristof|first=Nicholas D.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/17/world/dowager-empress-nagako-hirohito-s-widow-dies-at-97.html|title=Dowager Empress Nagako, Hirohito's Widow, Dies at 97|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=17 June 2000|access-date=3 March 2023}}</ref>

As a child, Nagako attended the Girls' Department of the Peers' School in Tokyo (now [[Gakushūin]]), an institution established specifically for the daughters of the aristocracy and imperial family. Among her contemporaries was [[Yi Bangja]], Crown Princess of Korea (then Princess Masako Nashimoto). At the age of fourteen, following her betrothal to the Crown Prince, Nagako was withdrawn from school and entered a six-year training program designed to cultivate the accomplishments considered essential for a future empress.<ref name="guardian2000"/>

==Marriage and children==
[[File:Nagako_leaving_Kuni-no-miya.jpg|left|thumb|Nagako leaves her family home to marry Crown Prince Hirohito, 1924]]
Nagako was betrothed at a young age to her distant cousin, Crown Prince [[Hirohito]], in a marriage arranged by their parents, which was common in [[Japanese society]] at the time.{{efn|Nagako and Hirohito were distant cousins twice over: fourteenth cousins thrice removed through Prince Fushimi Sadafusa of the [[Fushimi-no-miya]] cadet branch of the imperial house, and tenth cousins once removed through [[:ja:坊城俊昌|Bōjirō Toshimasa]] (1582–1609), a courtier and noble (''[[kuge]]'').}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://reichsarchiv.jp/%e5%ae%b6%e7%b3%bb%e3%83%aa%e3%82%b9%e3%83%88/%e5%9d%8a%e5%9f%8e%e5%ae%b6%ef%bc%88%e5%90%8d%e5%ae%b6%ef%bc%89#tosimasa609|title=Genealogy|website=Reichsarchiv|access-date=27 October 2017|language=ja}})</ref> Her lineage and her father's distinguished military career were the main factors considered. Breaking with tradition, Hirohito was allowed to choose his own bride, although Nagako herself had no say in the matter. In 1917, at the age of 14, she and several other candidates for betrothal took part in a tea ceremony at the [[Tokyo Imperial Palace]], while the Crown Prince observed from behind a screen.<ref name="guardian2000"/> He ultimately chose Nagako.<ref>Connors, Leslie. (1987). [https://books.google.com/books?id=rgwOAAAAQAAJ&dq=nagako&pg=PA79 ''The Emperor's Adviser: Saionji Kinmochi and Pre-war Japanese Politics''], Books.google.com, pp. 79–80</ref>

Prime Minister [[Yamagata Aritomo]], a prince from a rival clan, was reportedly opposed to Hirohito's choice. He and other royal clans tried to dissuade him, claiming that Nagako's maternal relatives included individuals with [[colour-blindness]].<ref name="guardian2000"/><ref name="nippon">{{cite web|url=https://www.nippon.com/en/news/fnn2020062555126/|title=Empress Kōjun: Remembering the Life and Final Days of Japan's Last Shōwa Royal|website=nippon.com|date=15 July 2020|access-date=13 June 2022}}</ref> In January 1919, the engagement of Princess Nagako to Crown Prince Hirohito was officially announced. During their six-year engagement, they met only nine times, each under the supervision of a chaperone.<ref name="LA-times">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jun-17-me-41849-story.html|title=Empress Dowager Nagako; Widow of Japan's Hirohito|work=Los Angeles Times|first=Valerie|last=Reitman|date=17 June 2000|access-date=3 March 2023}}</ref>

[[File:Flameprince peaches.jpg|thumb|right|Peach, designated imperial personal emblem of Nagako]]
Princess Nagako married Crown Prince Hirohito on 26 January 1924, becoming Crown Princess of Japan.<ref name="kunaicho1"/> The wedding was delayed due to the aftermath of the [[1923 Great Kantō earthquake]] and an assassination attempt on Hirohito's life.<ref name="nyt2000"/><ref name="nippon"/> Their union marked the last occasion on which a future empress was chosen from the minor princely families traditionally providing brides for the main imperial line.<ref name="guardian2000"/> She became [[Empress of Japan]] upon Hirohito's accession to the throne on 25 December 1926. Unlike his predecessors, Emperor Hirohito decided to abandon the long-standing practice of maintaining concubines, despite previously having 39 court concubines.<ref name="guardian2000"/>

Over the first decade of their marriage, Empress Nagako gave birth to four daughters (see [[#Issue|Issue]]).<ref name="guardian2000"/> Since she had not produced a son, courtiers urged the Emperor to take concubines, but he remained monogamous.<ref name="nyt2000"/><ref name="guardian2000"/> Critics derisively nicknamed her ''onna bara'', meaning “girl womb” or “girl tummy.”<ref name="LA-times"/> Nearly ten years after their wedding, on 23 December 1933, the couple finally had a son, [[Akihito]], providing Japan with an heir.<ref name="guardian2000"/> The birth sparked nationwide celebrations, which Nagako later described as "the happiest moment in my life."<ref name="nippon"/><ref name="CBS-bio">{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/japans-dowager-empress-dead-at-97/ |title=Japan's Dowager Empress Dead at 97 |newspaper=CBS News |date=June 16, 2000 }}</ref> Hirohito and Nagako had seven children—two sons and five daughters—three of whom predeceased Nagako (see [[#Issue|Issue]]).

==Empress consort==
[[File:Hirohito and Nagako (1946).jpg|thumb|upright|left|Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako in 1946]]
Empress Nagako performed her ceremonial duties in a traditional manner. She initially came to live in the palace during the time when people there spoke an archaic imperial form of Japanese that has largely disappeared.<ref name="nyt2000"/> Her role required her to attend special ceremonies such as those for the [[2600th Anniversary Celebrations of the Japanese Empire|2600th anniversary of the legendary foundation of the Empire of Japan]] in 1940 or the [[Battle of Singapore|conquest of Singapore]] in 1942.<ref>David C. Earhart, ''Certain Victory'', 2008, pp.22, 23, 65</ref>

[[File:Empress Kojun 1956-11-face.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Empress Nagako in 1956]]
During the [[Second World War]], Nagako was largely confined to palace grounds and her duties involved tending to wounded generals and writing to families who had lost loved ones during the war.<ref name="guardian2000"/> Their children were sent to the countryside,<ref name="LA-times"/> while she and Hirohito resided at the Obunko imperial air-raid shelter, which was built in the Fukiage Gardens on palace grounds.<ref name="nippon"/> Nagako also assisted with growing vegetables and raising poultry.<ref name="nippon"/> 

Her personal views on the war are not well known, though she is reported to have described the war years as "the hardest time of my life".<ref name="nyt2000"/> [[NHK]] reported that "her heart was in pain when she saw the emperor deeply agitated every day during and immediately after World War II."<ref name="LA-times"/> After the [[occupation of Japan]], the court became more accepting of Western and foreign traditions and Nagako took English lessons from two American tutors.<ref name="guardian2000"/><ref name="nyt2000"/><ref name="LA-times"/> She also toured different parts of Japan to meet orphans and families who had suffered loss.<ref name="LA-times"/>

It is not clear whether Nagako openly disapproved of her son Akihito's choice of a wife when he decided to marry commoner [[Michiko Shōda]], but it was widely reported in the press that she and her daughter-in-law had a strained relationship.<ref name="nyt2000"/><ref name="guardian2000"/><ref name="AP-bio">{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/eca206ac72ee4e4d10148211a7d808c8|title=Japan's Empress Dowager Dies|work=AP News|first=Mari|last=Yamaguchi|date=16 June 2000|access-date=3 March 2023}}</ref> Nagako, who was tradition-conscious, sided with those who criticized Michiko for breastfeeding her children, carrying them in public, and raising them herself.<ref name="nyt2000"/> A senior chamberlain claimed in his memoir that Michiko once directly asked her mother-in-law why she disliked her.<ref name="nyt2000"/> Michiko also held suspicions about her chief [[lady-in-waiting]], whom she believed to be spying on her on the orders of Nagako.<ref name="nyt2000"/> Her and Akihito's attempts at dismissing the servant were unsuccessful.<ref name="nyt2000"/> The rift between the two women caused Michiko to suffer a [[nervous breakdown]] in 1963.<ref name="nyt2000"/>

[[Image:Photograph of President Gerald R. Ford and First Lady Betty Ford Having a Private Visit with Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako of Japan in the Red Room - NARA - 7839953.jpg|thumb|right|Empress Nagako, Emperor Hirohito, the U.S. President [[Gerald Ford]], and the U.S. First Lady [[Betty Ford]] at the [[Red Room (White House)|Red Room]] in 1975]]
Nagako was the first Japanese empress consort to travel overseas.<ref name="UPI">{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/2000/06/16/Japan-mourns-Empress-Dowager/3153961128000/|title=Japan mourns Empress Dowager|work=UPI|first=Motoko|last=Naito|date=16 June 2000|access-date=3 March 2023}}</ref> She accompanied Hirohito on his European tour in 1971 and later on his state visit to the United States in 1975.<ref name="UPI"/> She also took care of him in later years and chose his attire for him.<ref name="LA-times"/> Hirohito was said to have described their union as a source of solace and contentment and Nagako reportedly "showed a subject's deference" to him.<ref name="UPI"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/793352.stm|title=Japan's Dowager Empress dies|work=BBC News|date=16 June 2000|access-date=28 December 2023}}</ref> Their marriage lasted nearly 65 years, the longest of any Japanese imperial couple.<ref name="AP-bio"/> 

A talented artist, two collections of Nagako's paintings, which she signed as ''Toen'' or Peach Garden, were published and she gifted the UK's [[Queen Elizabeth II]] with one of her pieces in 1971.<ref name="LA-times"/> She also wrote ''[[Waka (poetry)|waka]]'', a collection of which was published in 1974.<ref name="LA-times"/> She was reported to have enjoyed singing, and played the piano, violin and Japanese harp.<ref name="nyt2000"/> Nagako suffered a fall in July 1977, injuring her spine, and following another serious fall was confined to a wheelchair from 1980 for the remainder of her life.<ref name="CBS-bio"/> The last public ceremony she took part in was her husband's 86th birthday celebrations in April 1987.<ref name="LA-times"/><ref name="AP-bio"/>

==Empress dowager==
After the Emperor's death on 7 January 1989, she became [[Empress dowager of Japan|empress dowager]].<ref name="kunaicho1"/> At that time, she was in failing health herself and could not attend [[Death and state funeral of Hirohito|her husband's funeral]].<ref name="nippon"/> She was confined to a wheelchair and remained in seclusion for the rest of her life. A video of her sitting in a wheelchair beside a window was published in 1993.<ref name="nyt2000"/> There were also persistent rumours that she was suffering from [[dementia]] or [[Alzheimer's disease]].<ref name="guardian2000"/><ref name="nippon"/> In 1995, she became the longest-living empress dowager of Japan, breaking the record of [[Fujiwara no Hiroko|Empress Kanshi]], who had died 868 years earlier.<ref name="guardian2000"/>

[[File:Musashino-no-higashi-nomisasagi.jpg|thumb|right|Empress Kōjun's mausoleum in the [[Musashi Imperial Graveyard]]]]
At the time of her death at the age of 97 in 2000, Nagako had been an empress for 74 years. In her final days, the [[Imperial Household Agency]] (IHA) announced that she was suffering from breathing problems but that the illness was not serious and she was on a respirator.<ref name="nippon"/> On 15 June, the IHA director-general told certain segments of the press that her condition had taken a turn and it was reported that she had slipped into a coma on the next day after her blood pressure dropped.<ref name="nippon"/><ref name="LA-times"/><ref name="AP-bio"/> 

Nagako died at 4:46&nbsp;pm on 16 June 2000, with her family at her side.<ref name="nyt2000"/> Her son Akihito, who had been carrying out public engagements earlier in the day, immediately went to Fukiage Palace and reportedly held his mother's hand as she died.<ref name="nippon"/> At his request, no injections or intravenous fluids were administered to prevent any suffering.<ref name="nippon"/> The IHA announced her death at 6:30&nbsp;pm and gave "old age" as the cause of death.<ref name="nyt2000"/><ref name="nippon"/> 

Following the announcement, neon signs in [[Ginza]] and the lights in [[Tokyo Tower]] were turned off.<ref name="LA-times"/> The flags flew at [[half-mast]] on government buildings, and music and dance were excluded from public events for a day.<ref name="CBS-bio"/><ref name="UPI"/> People also gathered outside palace gates to pay their respects.<ref name="CBS-bio"/>

A mourning period of 150 days was declared by the imperial court.<ref name="LA-times"/><ref name="UPI"/> A team was set up by the IHA to organize her funeral, which largely followed the customs implemented at her mother-in-law [[Empress Teimei]]'s funeral in 1951.<ref name="UPI"/> Her funeral was held at the Toshimagaoka Imperial Cemetery on 25 July 2000 and was attended by one thousand mourners, including members of the imperial family, government leaders and foreign diplomats.<ref name="BBC-report">{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/849919.stm|title=Japan mourns Empress Nagako|work=BBC News|first=Charles|last=Scanlon|date=25 July 2000|access-date=24 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/850276.stm|title=In pictures: Japan's imperial funeral|work=BBC News|date=25 July 2000|access-date=24 February 2023}}</ref> Her son Akihito was the chief mourner during the service, which featured elements of the [[Shinto]] religion.<ref name="BBC-report"/> Hundreds of mourners also gathered outside cemetery gates.<ref name="BBC-report"/>

Emperor Akihito granted his mother the posthumous title of ''Empress Kōjun'', which means "fragrant purity", drawing inspiration from the ''[[Kaifūsō]]''.<ref name="kunaicho1"/><ref name="nippon"/> Her final resting place is in a mausoleum named ''Musashino no Higashi no Misasagi'', near that of her husband within the [[Musashi Imperial Graveyard]].<ref name="kunaicho1"/>

==Honours==
===National===
* [[File:JPN Zuiho-sho (WW2) 1Class BAR.svg|55px]] Knight Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Sacred Treasure|Order of Meiji]]
* [[File:JPN Hokan-sho 1Class BAR.svg|55px]] Grand Mistress Paulownia Dame Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Precious Crown]]

===Foreign===
* [[File:BEL - Order of Leopold - Grand Cordon bar.svg|55px]] Dame Grand Cross of the [[Order of Leopold (Belgium)|Order of Leopold I]] ([[Belgium]])
* [[File:Order of the Elephant Ribbon bar.svg|55px]] Knight of the [[Order of the Elephant]] ([[Denmark]])
* [[File:GER Bundesverdienstkreuz 9 Sond des Grosskreuzes.svg|55px]] Grand Cross of the [[Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany|Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Special Class]] ([[Germany]])
* [[File:GRE Order Redeemer 1Class.svg|55px]] Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Redeemer]] ([[Greece]])
* [[File:Order of Ojaswi Rajanya (Nepal) - ribbon.svg|55px]] Member of the [[Order of Ojaswi Rajanya|Order of the Benevolent Ruler]] ([[Kingdom of Nepal]])
* [[File:PER Order of the Sun of Peru - Grand Cross BAR.png|55px]] Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Sun of Peru]] ([[Peru]]) (1961)<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |url=https://cde.gestion2.e3.pe/doc/0/0/1/5/2/152563.pdf |title=Condecorados: Orden El Sol del Peru |work=Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores |access-date=2022-07-11}}</ref>
* [[File:ESP Isabella Catholic Order GC.svg|55px]] Dame Grand Cross of the [[Order of Isabella the Catholic]] ([[Spain]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/1972/01/20/pdfs/A01047-01047.pdf |title=Archived copy |website=www.boe.es |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610180722/http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/1972/01/20/pdfs/A01047-01047.pdf |archive-date=10 June 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[File:Order of the Seraphim - Ribbon bar.svg|55px]] Member Grand Cross of the [[Royal Order of the Seraphim]] ([[Sweden]])
* [[File:Order of the Royal House of Chakri (Thailand) ribbon.svg|55px]] Dame of the [[Order of the Royal House of Chakri]] ([[Thailand]])
* [[File:TON Order of the Crown of Tonga ribbon.svg|55px]] Dame Grand Cross with Collar of the [[Order of the Crown of Tonga]] ([[Tonga]])

==Issue==
Empress Kōjun and Emperor Shōwa had seven children (two sons and five daughters).
{{Clear}}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Name
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Birth
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Death
! colspan="2" scope="col" | Marriage
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Children
|-
! scope="col" | Date
! scope="col" | Spouse
|-
! scope="row" | [[Shigeko Higashikuni]]<br>(Shigeko, Princess Teru) 
| 9 December 1925 || 23 July 1961 || 10 October 1943 || [[Morihiro Higashikuni|Prince Morihiro Higashikuni]] || {{Ubli|Prince Nobuhiko Higashikuni|Princess Fumiko Higashikuni|Naohiko Higashikuni|Hidehiko Higashikuni|Yūko Higashikuni}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[Sachiko, Princess Hisa]]
| 10 September 1927 || 8 March 1928 || colspan="3" {{n/a|None}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[Kazuko Takatsukasa]]<br>(Kazuko, Princess Taka)
| 30 September 1929 || 26 May 1989 || 20 May 1950 || [[Toshimichi Takatsukasa]] || Naotake Takatsukasa (adopted)
|-
! scope="row" | [[Atsuko Ikeda]]<br>(Atsuko, Princess Yori)
| {{Birth date and age|1931|3|7|df=yes}} ||  || 10 October 1952 || Takamasa Ikeda || Motohiro Ikeda (adopted)
|-
! scope="row" | [[Akihito|Akihito, Emperor Emeritus of Japan]]<br />(Akihito, Prince Tsugu)
| {{Birth date and age|1933|12|23|df=yes}} ||  || 10 April 1959 || [[Empress Michiko|Michiko Shōda]] || {{Ubli|[[Naruhito|Naruhito, Emperor of Japan]]|[[Fumihito, Crown Prince of Japan]]|[[Sayako Kuroda]]}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[Masahito, Prince Hitachi]]<br />(Masahito, Prince Yoshi)
| {{Birth date and age|1935|11|28|df=yes}} ||  || 30 September 1964 || [[Hanako, Princess Hitachi|Hanako Tsugaru]] || {{n/a|None}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[Takako Shimazu]]<br />(Takako, Princess Suga)
| {{Birth date and age|1939|3|2|df=yes}} ||  || 10 March 1960 || Hisanaga Shimazu || Yoshihisa Shimazu
|}

==See also==
* [[Empress of Japan]]
* [[Ōmiya Palace]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==Citations==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* Connors, Leslie. (1987). [https://books.google.com/books?id=rgwOAAAAQAAJ&q=nagako  ''The Emperor's Adviser: Saionji Kinmochi and Pre-war Japanese Politics.''] London: Routledge. {{ISBN|978-0-7099-3449-3}}
* [[Itoko Koyama|Koyama, Itoko]]. (1958). [https://books.google.com/books?id=IHo_AAAAMAAJ&q=nagako  ''Nagako, Empress of Japan''] (translation of ''Kogo sama''). New York: J. Day Co. {{OCLC|1251689}}
* Large, Stephen S. (1992). [https://books.google.com/books?id=2IkOAAAAQAAJ&q=nagako  ''Emperor Hirohito and Shōwa Japan:  Political Biography.''] London: Routledge. {{ISBN|978-0-415-03203-2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20161018195813/http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-about/history/history11.html Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun] at the Imperial Household Agency website

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[Imperial House of Japan]]|6 March|1903|16 June|2000}}
{{S-roy|jp}}
{{Succession box
| before = [[Empress Teimei|Kujō Sadako]]
| title = [[Empress consort of Japan]]
| after = [[Empress Michiko|Shōda Michiko]]
| years = 1926–1989
}}
{{Succession box
| before = [[Empress Teimei|Kujō Sadako]]
| title = [[Empress dowager of Japan]]
| after = Vacant
| years = 1989–2000
}}
{{S-end}}

{{Consorts of Japan}}
{{Empress dowagers of Japan}}
{{Japanese princesses by marriage}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nagako}}
[[Category:1903 births]]
[[Category:2000 deaths]]
[[Category:Nobility from Tokyo]]
[[Category:People from Minato, Tokyo]]
[[Category:Japanese empresses consort]]
[[Category:Kuni-no-miya]]
[[Category:Hirohito]]
[[Category:Mothers of Japanese emperors]]
<!-- Honours : Japan -->
[[Category:Grand Cordons (Imperial Family) of the Order of the Precious Crown]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st class]]
<!-- Honours -->
[[Category:Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]]
[[Category:Dames Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic]]