Who was Empress of Japan prior to Empress Michiko, the current Empress?
Empress of Japan Empress of Japan or Japanese Empress means a female imperial ruler (女性天皇 , josei tennō ) . The term can also mean an empress consort (皇后 , kōgō ) . The current empress consort is Empress Michiko (7 January 1989 – ).
Shigeko Higashikuni Shigeko Higashikuni (東久邇成子 , Higashikuni Shigeko , 6 December 1925 – 23 July 1961) , born Shigeko, Princess Teru (照宮成子内親王 , Teru-no-miya Shigeko Naishinnō ) , was the wife of Prince Morihiro Higashikuni and eldest daughter of Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun. She was the eldest sister to the present Emperor of Japan, Emperor Akihito.