Sachiko Sono


Sachiko Sono was the fifth concubine of Emperor Meiji 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 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 ; she was known as Kogiku Tenji. 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:
Following the death of Emperor Meiji in 1912, Sachiko became a member of the household of Empress Teimei, the consort of Emperor Taishō. She attended the birth of Takahito, Prince Mikasa in 1915.
Her tomb is at Saikōan Temple in Shinjuku, Tokyo.