Princess Nobuko, widow of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, has been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and is scheduled to undergo surgery this weekend, the Imperial Household Agency said Tuesday.
The 67-year-old princess will be admitted to Keio University Hospital in Tokyo on Wednesday, with the operation to be performed on Saturday, according to the agency.
The princess underwent an MRI and biopsy when she was at the medical facility on Nov. 4 for a follow-up examination of a lumbar vertebrae fractured in 2019, the agency said.
She was diagnosed with cancer of the right breast last Friday, but has no noticeable symptoms, it added.
The princess is a granddaughter of the late Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida and is former Prime Minister Taro Aso's younger sister. Her late husband was a cousin of Emperor Emeritus Akihito.