Japanese magician Princess Tenko reveals she buried vast fortune around Japan

World-renowned Japanese illusionist Princess Tenko (a.k.a the second Hikida Tenko) recently appeared on the entertainment show 'NO MAKE' on ABEMA, a Japanese streaming platform. During the show, she made a shocking revelation — she has buried treasure in six locations across Japan.

According to the program, despite earning enormous sums of money from her performances, Princess Tenko rarely spends it on leisure. Instead, she dedicates herself entirely to her work. Inspired by the legendary Tokugawa buried treasure, a historical mystery surrounding hidden gold from Japan’s Edo period, she decided to create her own ‘Princess Tenko’s hidden treasure’ by burying vast amounts of money across the country. She hinted at the staggering value, saying, "If you find it, you’ll never have to work again."

Princess Tenko’s personal background remains largely undisclosed, but according to an article in Fujin Koron magazine, her mother’s cousin was the manager of the first Hikita Tenko’s agency. This connection led her to become a disciple of the famous escape artist, eventually performing on stage as his assistant. In 1978, she made her debut as a pop singer.

In 1979, the first Hikita Tenko suddenly passed away from a heart attack. According to Nikkan Gendai, when selecting a successor, the decision was influenced by the idea that a female performer would attract more public interest. Since Princess Tenko was the only female disciple, she was chosen as the second-generation Hikita Tenko.

With the condition that she would continue performing the escape acts pioneered by her predecessor, Princess Tenko officially took on the name of the second-generation Hikita Tenko in 1980. At the time, she was still a teenager, and Fujin Koron reported that she faced a great deal of backlash and bullying, with people questioning, "Why her?"

Despite these challenges, she continued performing on stages across Japan. Rather than simply following in the footsteps of the first Hikita Tenko, she incorporated elements of American-style shows, blending singing, dancing, and magic to develop a highly original performance style.

Princess Tenko’s dedication paid off in 1990 when she received the prestigious Magician of the Year award from the Academy of Magical Arts in the United States. She was the first woman in history to be honored with this award.

In 1995, Princess Tenko became the protagonist of the animated TV series 'Tenko and the Guardians of the Magic,' produced by Saban Entertainment (now part of Disney’s BVS Entertainment). The story follows Tenko and her Guardians as they battle an evil force attempting to destroy the world.

According to Sports Nippon, to maintain the consistency of her animated character’s image, Princess Tenko was bound by over 100 contractual obligations regarding her appearance. These included her hair color, bangs length, lipstick shade, body shape, and even the angle of her eyelashes.

The same report states that at one point, Tenko dyed her hair blonde for a TV appearance, nearly leading to an international lawsuit. The breach of contract could have resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties. However, she quickly dyed her hair back to black and claimed she had been wearing a wig, avoiding legal consequences.

Photo：Kyodo / Kyodo News Images

To coincide with the show's release, a Princess Tenko Barbie doll was produced. This marked the first time in Barbie history that a doll was modeled after a real person.

Image：Instagram/garrett_sander

Both the animated series and the Barbie doll became major hits, spreading the name "Princess Tenko" worldwide. She quickly became an illusionist who could command enormous performance fees for a single stage show.

In addition to her high earnings, Princess Tenko has also received lavish gifts. In an interview with CHANTO magazine, she recalled being invited to an Arab oil magnate’s birthday celebration alongside Madonna and Michael Jackson. As a token of appreciation, she was gifted an offshore oil field—completely separate from her performance fee.

Princess Tenko is also known for her love of animals. In addition to dogs and cats, she keeps exotic animals such as white tigers, pumas, and servals, allowing them to roam freely in her home.

During an appearance on TBS’s 'Arita Teppei and Takashima Chisako’s Jinsei Iroiro Chou Kaigi,' she revealed that because she cannot stay in hotels with her large animals, she buys homes in countries where she has month-long performances.

"There were times when I just wanted to drop everything and run," she admitted. One of her signature escape acts nearly cost her life. She was caught in an unexpected explosion, suffered severe carbon monoxide poisoning, and required a complete blood transfusion, as she revealed in an interview with Teinen Jidai.

Princess Tenko has endured multiple accidents, including one in which 16 of 26 swords pierced her body and another where a dynamite explosion ruptured her eardrum, as she shared on 'Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai.' However, despite the risks, she continues to captivate audiences worldwide with her high-energy, theatrical performances.

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