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136th out of 395 books
—
141 voters
Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne
by
Ben Hills
Stealing a fascinating look into the world of the Japanese royal family, thisbiography details how Masako Owada struggled with the daily pressures of lifein Japan's royal court as the wife of Crown Prince Naruhito.
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
December 28th 2006
by Tarcher
(first published 2006)
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While the title and focus is Princess Masako, the book is really an introduction to and an analysis of the Japanese royal family. Author Ben Hills, describes its position in Japan and how it compares and contrasts with the remaining reigning monarchies in the world. The author has done a lot of homework and has produced a highly readable book.
Perhaps the closest comparison to Masako's situation would be Princess Diana, but as Hills points out, this is not even close. Diana was able to choose her...more
Perhaps the closest comparison to Masako's situation would be Princess Diana, but as Hills points out, this is not even close. Diana was able to choose her...more
Many parts of this book read like a tabloid. Yes, Masako doesn't have a very easy life. She had already rejected a marriage proposal from Haruhito, but later on she capitulated, and as such, had to give up the free life she led as a diplomat. It's hard to not feel bad for her when you think about her former lifestyle and the kind of life she leads now, especially with her breakdowns. I do wish that the Diet would change the rules of succession so that primogeniture would be equal, rather than ma...more
The life of this Janpanese princess makes that of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, sound like a picnic and not torture at all. Masako, a brilliantly educated and studious woman finally agreed to marry the Crown Prince, who loved her for years before she finally relented and accepted his proposal. The palace life of this person who should be the next Empress of Japan has been controlled by those who shape the Japanese royal family and has been so stifling that her falling into deep depression i...more
Interesting, especially if you don't know much about Japan's imperial family. Certainly, Masako has a sad story that is generally kept hush-hush. But I had a lot of problems with it. First, the author presents a lot of his own assumptions as fact, saying things like, "We can surely assume he was thinking xxx..."
I also noted many factual inaccuracies and misrepresentations. The author talks about the Harvard campus as if it is some sort of lawless crazy town (with ALCOHOL!), when really it's pret...more
I also noted many factual inaccuracies and misrepresentations. The author talks about the Harvard campus as if it is some sort of lawless crazy town (with ALCOHOL!), when really it's pret...more
I rate this book 2 stars for content, 3 stars for interest. The book is about Crown Princess Masako, married to Crown Prince Naruhito. Much of the information in this book was acquired second hand and at times has a somewhat loose tabloid feel to it. This is understandable since it’s virtually impossible to obtain info on the secretive life of the Japanese royalty. The thing that bothers me about this book is the author’s blatant prejudice against the life and culture of the Japanese royalty. I...more
An interesting look inside the Japanese Royal Palace & the Japanese Crown Princess Masako who married into the family 16 years ago. The Japanese Royals lives are lived very secretively not only from the media, but also from the people of Japan. They don't live lives anything like the ones lived by European royals nor does the media have access to them as they do in Europe. Prior to Masako's marriage she was a very career driven, hard-working diplomat with an under-grad degree from Harvard &...more
Buku ini saya baca karena penulisnya, Ben Hills, ialah jurnalis investigasi jempolan di Australia. Dia juga yang dianugerahi Perkim Award 2007. Dan kerja kerasnya untuk penulisan Masako betul-betul bikin saya mikir: Buset dah, siyal banget jadi Masako. Buat saya, enggak masuk akal ketika diplomat brilian lulusan tiga universitas canggih itu: Harvard, Oxford, Tokyo Univ akhirnya masuk istana dan kehilangan eksistensinya. -well, birokrasi dan protokeler Istana menempatkan istri putra mahkota sebag...more
Apr 10, 2013
Nandina
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
memoar-autobiography
If Cinderella happily ever after since married a prince, the opposite happened with Princess Masako, suffering for ever. Reading this book, I could feel the sadness and depression of being wife of Crown Prince, the burden as a wife of Japanese Imperial Palace in the modern era.
Masako is intelligent woman, skilled 6 languages, athletic, play some musical instruments, live in many countries since childhood, school at Harvard and then had a brilliant career. With her foreign insight and expertise...more
Fiuuh... Finally, I have finished reading this book.
Sebenarnya ini buku yang bagus. Tapi saya pusing dengan beberapa istilah asing dan seluk beluk silsilah keluarga kerajaan Jepang. Penulis menggambarkan begitu banyak tradisi dalam keluarga kerajaan dengan detail. Saya takjub dengan penelitian mendalam yang dilakukan si penulis. Semua, atau setidaknya hampir semua, dipaparkan berdasarkan fakta yang ada. Penulis tetap menyisipkan beberapa dugaan yang masih berkaitan dengan fakta.
Tidak ada akhir y...more
Sebenarnya ini buku yang bagus. Tapi saya pusing dengan beberapa istilah asing dan seluk beluk silsilah keluarga kerajaan Jepang. Penulis menggambarkan begitu banyak tradisi dalam keluarga kerajaan dengan detail. Saya takjub dengan penelitian mendalam yang dilakukan si penulis. Semua, atau setidaknya hampir semua, dipaparkan berdasarkan fakta yang ada. Penulis tetap menyisipkan beberapa dugaan yang masih berkaitan dengan fakta.
Tidak ada akhir y...more
Such a sad story. Every little girl wants to be a princess, and sometimes wishes come true and then you wish they hadn't. According to this biography, Masako Oweda gave up everything to marry the Crown Prince of Japan and now lives her life in a gilded cage. She can't go out shopping, or travel or do much of anything by herself, and the stress of that has caused her to sink into a deep depression. Unfortunately, depression is a taboo thing in Japan so acknowledging her disease and getting her th...more
Enlightening book – I wasn’t sure about the validity of this book until I discussed it with my Japanese neighbor. She felt that the information was well researched. The book explains why Princess Masako, an intelligent, well educated women, is suffering from clinical depression after marrying the Japanese Prince. It was surprising to hear how many young women would not want to marry a Son of the Emperor, because of the confines involved with being a part of the Royal Family. There are stringent...more
Jul 24, 2011
Kiersten
added it
I picked this up from the library for a school report (it looked to be the most interesting of my limited choices). I don't read biographies often. That said, i found it completely gripping. It was every bit as tragic as the cover claimed, and it's painful to know that this isn't a bygone fairytale-gone-awry, either - the people, namely Masako, inside are still living and the story continues in full swing. It's the real world. the reader can't simply feel sorry and then move on as if it were a f...more
Princess Masako has always been my own personal hero. She might never know me and I will never know her in person. But she is somehow influential to my life
Reading this book about her, i feel like I know her a little better. Although my main concern remains how this book is written. None of the stories in the book came from Masako herself. This book is no more than a story about how people "perceive" masako.
The book might tell how miserable Masako life could be behind the Palace. But who knows...more
Reading this book about her, i feel like I know her a little better. Although my main concern remains how this book is written. None of the stories in the book came from Masako herself. This book is no more than a story about how people "perceive" masako.
The book might tell how miserable Masako life could be behind the Palace. But who knows...more
Feb 25, 2013
Amanda
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
trivia-answered,
reviewed
I skim read most of this book after the first 100 pages.
There were several things that I had issues with:
> there are a lot of speculations and some of the sources for the facts are questionable - this is understandable due to the secretive nature of the royal family. But I would recommend that you only report what you know rather than speculate. it reads more like a gossip mag than a non fiction book.
> the chapters are not chronological - jumping back and forth in no logical order makes...more
There were several things that I had issues with:
> there are a lot of speculations and some of the sources for the facts are questionable - this is understandable due to the secretive nature of the royal family. But I would recommend that you only report what you know rather than speculate. it reads more like a gossip mag than a non fiction book.
> the chapters are not chronological - jumping back and forth in no logical order makes...more
Fascinating subject matter but rather boring in its execution. Part of the problem is that the author doesn't get a good handle of Masako's character. I never get the sense of her as a real person in Hill's writing. She is simply portrayed as a highly educated but aloof individual who may or may not have been in love when she married her prince. I say this because the author repeatedly points out how much he was in love with her and made her all of these promises (e.g. shielding her from the med...more
Princess Masako's story is an inherently interesting one. She speaks multiple languages fluently, has lived all around the world, was educated at Harvard, Oxford, and Tokyo Universities, and had an extremely prestigious career before she gave it all up and married Naruhito, the crown prince of Japan. Now she is rarely, if ever, seen, and anything we hear about her seems to suggest that she has become a little more than a prisoner of ancient, patriarchal customs within the palace walls.
So how the...more
So how the...more
This is a book that I've looked at countless times at airport bookstores, but have never actually bought. (Hurrah for libraries!) I'm glad I've read it, but also (I think) glad I didn't buy it. Some of the other reviews on Good Reads talk about the padding in this book, but I actually found the digressions and background information very interesting. Hills is decidedly not writing for a Japanese audience, and is most decidedly writing for an Australian audience (I don't know if this book has fou...more
the book is was written in a style suited for 'foreigners' who are interested in the last reigning imperial family of Japan. The society of Japan is extremely different: very rigid, conservative, encroaching even on one's personal freedom; so I chose to read this book with a very open mind.
the story is centered on Masako Owada, the Princess Di of Japan. She is fluent in 6 languages, lived abroad for almost half her life and studied in prestigious schools like Harvard and Oxford.
Out of her great...more
the story is centered on Masako Owada, the Princess Di of Japan. She is fluent in 6 languages, lived abroad for almost half her life and studied in prestigious schools like Harvard and Oxford.
Out of her great...more
I have been wanting to read this book off and on for many years....so perhaps my expectations had gotten too high. Overall, it didn't exceeded my expectations, it was good but few shockers. Also as its been almost 6 years since the last update, I was left wanting for more, what is happening? I felt a lot of the 'shockers' could have been more detailed. It felt there was a lack of references although he pulled a lot of info from news reports. Overall, just okay....now I think I will now go to loo...more
Not exactly high literature, more like an extended celebrity piece in a fairly reputable magazine. The parts about Masako's childhood and young adult life were painstakingly researched, but too much of the book was fluff (not surprising since there's little information and no access to the subject). Do I need to know about bazillions of pubs in Britain? Or an extended analysis of IVF in Australia? No. All in all an ok attempt at journalism in the absence of actual data.
Aug 01, 2011
Linh La
added it
Dec. 5, 2009
The book, although it was bogged down with facts and explanations, was an eye opener. We all know in the back of our minds how restricting it must be for any royal family much less in a country as "proper" as Japan. To actually hear about all the rituals and mannerisms that an average woman would have to adhere to in order to be a Japanese Princess is disturbing. Best of luck Masako!
The book, although it was bogged down with facts and explanations, was an eye opener. We all know in the back of our minds how restricting it must be for any royal family much less in a country as "proper" as Japan. To actually hear about all the rituals and mannerisms that an average woman would have to adhere to in order to be a Japanese Princess is disturbing. Best of luck Masako!
I must say that a prodigious amount of research went into the writing of this book. BenHills sto be congratulated for his efforts. It is curious though that while the subject of the book is scrutinized over many pages we never really get to know her.She remains a cold and enigmatic figure which I felt was not satisfying . Still knowing relatively little about Japan,her history and culture I found the book interesting.
It is also curious that for the most part Hills had a rather dry academic appro...more
It is also curious that for the most part Hills had a rather dry academic appro...more
When Princess Masako finally decided to accept Prince Hironomiya's proposal back in early 90's, we (I mean, all of my feminist friends and I) were in shock. She was a successful, beautiful, intelligent Japanese woman who was on her career track to make significant contributions to the Japanese society. I was devastated to think that this bright woman getting ruined and destroyed by the old-school-to-the-core Royal Family and the sorrounding system. While hoping that she would be the strong new f...more
very good read in how this is only of the only remainging monarchies beside Denmark and Uk.
Always wondered want happended inside place doors and how its always hard in terms of the pressure of trying to concieve an erye. She was a very talented women strong, until she married the prince and her life now limited.
I have an obession with Japan so i love reading these sorts of books
Always wondered want happended inside place doors and how its always hard in terms of the pressure of trying to concieve an erye. She was a very talented women strong, until she married the prince and her life now limited.
I have an obession with Japan so i love reading these sorts of books
This book is banned in Japan as it takes a not so nice view of the royal family. Crown Princess Masako was born a commoner, and the pressures of living a now secluded, controlled, and altogether unhappy life has led her to suffer depression (an illness that is not really acknowledged in Japan). This book goes to show that sometimes the royal life is not the best life.
it's interesting as a primer to the state of the modern japanese monarchy, but it isn't very penetrating when it comes to real issues of gender inequality or the declining birth rate or any of the other issues women in japan face today.
the prose is something out of US Weekly, peppered with catty-sounding nicknames for various players in the story.
the prose is something out of US Weekly, peppered with catty-sounding nicknames for various players in the story.
I know zilch about Japan or anything Japanese, so I learned loads from this book. It’s a pretty serious subject, but Hills is a brilliant author and drips his Aussie sense of humor through the book, which makes it personable, informal, and keeps you laughing. In addition, the overall style of the book is great. It is very well written, and even though Japan is not exactly my primary interest, I really enjoyed this read and would recommend it to anyone looking for a dose of culture. I would happi...more
Considering the Japanese Royal Family gives out ZERO information....this book was a little bit like reading a term paper. No real hard facts are written.....mostly it is information about how things were and are done...and what the royal family "might" be doing or feeling. I felt a bit ripped off, and certainly did a lot of skimming. Not really worth the time.
Story of a modern princess, who married into the Japanese royal family, and discovered that it's not quite a fairy tale. Controversy raged around this book, including it being banned in Japan.
For the complete review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_P...
For the complete review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_P...
Not knowing a lot of the royal family in Japan, this book introduced Pricess Masako and her sad daily life. The term sad is loosly used as she lives in a palace with financial stability! However, for a Harvard education international diplomat to become trapped in the confines of a secluded palace without personal choice, freedom, and pressure to produce a male heir it isn't surprising to learn she has suffered in severe depression without any support from her family and public. The book wasn't t...more
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