Japan’s beloved former Empress Michiko received greetings from her relatives and palace officials to celebrate her 90th birthday as she steadily recovers from a broken leg. Michiko is the first commoner to become empress in modern Japanese history. Catholic-educated Michiko Shoda and then-Crown Prince Akihito married on April 10, 1959, after what is known as their tennis court romance. The couple retired after Akihito abdicated in 2019. Their son, Emperor Naruhito, ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne and his wife Masako became empress.
