COMBINATION OF BEAUTY, BRAINS
The Japan Times
 "Miss Michiko Shoda (second from left in front row), who was chosen yesterday to be the bride of Crown Prince Akihito, relaxes with other members of the Shoda family at her home in Gotanda, Shinagawa Ward, last night after a hectic day. Left to right: Front row—Fumi, mother; Michiko; Teiichiro, grandfather; Emiko, younger sister; Hidesabaro, father. In the background—Osama, younger brother, and Iwao, elder brother." "If a girl like her were to be selected to become the bride of Crown Prince Akihito, it would be an ideal choice."
This had been the unanimous view of those who knew the 24-year-old honor student of the University of the Sacred Heart.
With the announcement yesterday of the Imperial Household Council's approval of Michiko Shoda as the bride-to-be of the future Emperor of Japan, the dream of her friends headed toward reality.
Her friends described the attractive "one-chance-in-a-million" girl as a combination of beauty and brains.
In all of her semester examinations during her, four years at the exclusive college located within the premises of the estate of former Prince Kuni, the Empress' brother, she made the honor roll with an average of above-90 in all subjects.
Majoring in English literature, Miss Shoda never received a grade of lower than 85.
She was student body president during her senior year and was graduated from the university in March last year.
But "Michi," as she was affectionately called by her classmates, was not the sallow-faced, bookworm type. Not only did she prove herself outstanding scholastically, but she also excelled in sports.
Her favorite sport is tennis, and she first met the Prince on a tennis court in Karuizawa, a summer resort in Nagano Prefecture, last year. She placed first in the Kanto Women's Newcomers Tennis Tournament in the fall of 1955.
During her Sacred Heart days, Michiko, who weighs 52 kgs. (114.5 lbs.) and stands 161.3 cms. (5 ft. 3.5 in.) in her bare feet, participated in volleyball, basketball and track.
Her vital statistics, according to informed sources, are bust 82 cms. (32.3 in.) waist 61 cms. (24 in.) and hips 92 cms. (38.5 in.).
Michiko, who would be the first commoner to become Empress in the Imperial lineage which goes back 26 centuries in Japan's mythical history, has a wide range of interest from reading "whodunits" to playing the piano.
She takes after her father in appreciation of paintings. Her interest in music runs from classics to French chanson and modern jazz.
Nor has she neglected her traditional lessons in tea ceremony and flower arrangements which are musts for daughters of well-to-do families in Japan.
Should an occasion arise for Prince Akihito to try some of her own cooking, he will find that the daughter of the president of a leading flour making firm can turn out palatable dishes of Chinese cuisine or western style food topped off with an appropriate dessert.
Her monthly spending money during her college days, it is said, was about ¥1,000. Her father is president of the Nisshin Flour Milling Co. capitalized at ¥1,000 million.
Michiko was described as a natural-born hostess by Mrs. Chiyoko Takeyama, who together with her husband have held "music appreciation courses" at their home once a month since 1950 for teen-agers.
Mrs. Takeyama said it was always Michiko who would quietly prepare tea in the kitchen without being told when refreshment time drew near. And she would always be seated next to a bashful new member, Mrs. Takeyama added.
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Reference
“Michiko’s Friends Say: Combination of Beauty, Brains.” Japan Times, Nov. 28, 1958.
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