A good intro to Emperor Akihito and his wife, Empress Michiko. Their's was an unlikely romance, the prince and the commoner. Their's was the first of its kind in modern day Japan. The obstacles they had to overcome is a testament to the love which truly conquered all.

I do take issue with the fact that there are no source notes nor bibliography. With a country like Japan that is so close-lipped about their Imperial Family, which information came from sources and which from friends? The language of the book is very flowery, almost poetic. So, it's difficult to understand if the author was giving an unbiased portrait of the couple or was simply enamored of his subjects. ( )