IT TOOK a simple tennis match to bring about a seismic change to Japanese royalty. For 2 600 years the Imperial family had married within its ranks – but that all changed the day Crown Prince Akihito stepped onto the court for a doubles game. On the other side of the net were his opponents: a 12-year-old American boy and his partner, a graceful young woman. The prince was about to lose not only the match but his heart.
The year was 1958, a time when ancient traditions were maintained and royals rarely veered from the path that had been set for them. But Michiko Shōda had captured
