‘Slander is Unacceptable’: No Mention of Suffering from Coronavirus Disaster at Akishino's Birthday Press Conference
His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino, the younger brother of His Majesty the Emperor and heir to the throne, celebrated his 56th birthday on the 30th. At a press conference held prior to the event, he explained the marriage of his eldest daughter, Mako, to her husband, Kei Komuro, saying, "I did not perform (the ceremony) at my own discretion.” He stated that slander on the Internet and other media "cannot be tolerated," and mentioned the need to establish standards for refuting such slander. In the recent announcement of Mako's marriage by the Imperial Household Agency and the wedding press conference by Mako herself, there were references to "slander" and "misinformation," but they were met with a public outcry, as if they were confusing legitimate criticism with slander. In this birthday press conference, Akishino also followed the "slander of slander" line, which immediately caused a backlash on the Internet. In