Sono Sachiko (園祥子) (December 23, 1867 – July 7, 1947) was the fifth concubine of

Emperor Meiji , also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figur ...

of Japan. Although Meiji was the last Japanese emperor to have more than one consort, the official role at court was not abolished until 1924; surviving concubines remained as members of the imperial family in retirement. In 2005

Prince Tomohito of Mikasa was a member of the Imperial House of Japan and the eldest son of Takahito, Prince Mikasa and Yuriko, Princess Mikasa. He was a first cousin of Emperor Akihito, and was formerly sixth in the line of succession to the Japanese throne and the ...

urged the revival of concubinage to address problems related to male-only primogeniture in the current order of Japanese imperial succession. Sachiko's father was Count

Sono Motosachi Sono, SONO, or SoNo may refer to: Places * SoNo, Atlanta, a district in the city of Atlanta, Georgia * Sono Department, a department in Burkina Faso * South Norfolk, Virginia, a former independent city in the South Hampton Roads region of easte ...

(園基祥); she was known as Kogiku Tenji (小菊典侍). She gave birth to two sons and six daughters, several of whom died prematurely. Her children with Emperor Meiji include the following members of the Japanese imperial family: *Princess Hisanomiya Shizuko-naishinnō (久宮静子内親王, February 10, 1886 – April 4, 1887) *Prince Akinomiya Michihito-shinnō (昭宮猷仁親王, August 22, 1887 – November 12, 1888) *

Princess Masako Takeda , born , was the tenth child and sixth daughter of Emperor Meiji of Japan, and the third child and second daughter of Sono Sachiko, the Emperor's fifth concubine. Biography Masako was born in Tokyo Prefecture, the daughter of Emperor Meiji and ...

(常宮昌子内親王, September 30, 1888 – March 8, 1940) *Princess Fusako Kitashirakawa (周宮房子内親王, January 28, 1890 – August 11, 1974) * Princess Nobuko Asaka (富美宮允子内親王, August 7, 1891 – November 3, 1933) *Prince Mitsunomiya Teruhito-shinnō (満宮輝仁親王, November 30, 1893 – August 17, 1894) *Princess

Toshiko Higashikuni , born , was the fourteenth child and ninth daughter of Emperor Meiji of Japan, and the seventh child and fifth daughter of Sono Sachiko, the Emperor's fifth concubine. Biography Toshiko was born in Japan, the daughter of Emperor Meiji and Lad ...

(泰宮聡子内親王, May 11, 1896 – March 5, 1978) *Princess Sadanomiya Takiko-naishinnō (貞宮多喜子内親王, September 24, 1897 – January 11, 1899) Following the death of Emperor Meiji in 1912, Sachiko became a member of the household of

Empress Teimei , born , was the wife of Emperor Taishō and the mother of Emperor Shōwa of Japan. Her posthumous name, ''Teimei'', means "enlightened constancy". Biography Sadako Kujō was born on 25 June 1884 in Tokyo, as the fourth daughter of Duke Michita ...

, the consort of

Emperor Taishō was the 123rd Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, and the second ruler of the Empire of Japan from 30 July 1912 until his death in 1926. The Emperor's personal name was . According to Japanese custom, while reigni ...

. She attended the birth of

Takahito, Prince Mikasa was a Japanese prince, the youngest of the four sons of Emperor Taishō (Yoshihito) and Empress Teimei (Sadako). He was their last surviving child. His eldest brother was Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito). After serving as a junior cavalry officer in t ...

in 1915. Her tomb is at Saikōan Temple in

Shinjuku, Tokyo is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administratio ...

References

Imperial House of Japan 1867 births 1947 deaths Japanese concubines Emperor Meiji {{Japan-noble-stub

See also

References