In 1982, the Prince returned to Australia as part of the Japanese delegation in honor of the tenth anniversary of the Australia-Japan Society.

Despite his disabilities following a series of strokes in 1988, he took an active role in public service, and appeared regularly at award ceremonies, diplomatic events, and as President of various charity organizations.

[1] He used a wheelchair, but remained active in public life and appeared regularly at award ceremonies, diplomatic events, and as president of various charity organizations.

In the early morning hours of 8 June 2014, he experienced a massive heart attack, and despite best efforts he was pronounced dead at 10:50 AM local time.

[2][3] On 17 June 2014, the main funeral service for Prince Katsura, called "Renso no Gi", was held at Toshimagaoka Imperial Cemetery in Tokyo.