Japanese Imperial Family Today

  （The  parent article is here .)  Her Imperial Highness Princess Aiko Toshinomiya, the eldest daughter of Her Majesty the Emperor and Empress, held her first press conference on the occasion of her coming of age on March 17, and has received praise from all quarters.   Shosuke Tanihara, host of the TV show "Mezamashi TV" and actor, who introduced the press conference, said, "He put his feelings into his own words, and I can already feel, how should I put it, the strength of his will. It was a very splendid press conference, wasn't it?" "It was soft and warm, but I also felt a strong core of strength, which I guess he inherited from his father and mother," he said, describing his own impression of the press conference. She also said, "She was not so rigid in her speech as to make no mistakes word for word, and although there were some restatements, I could sense that she was trying to convey her feelings directly to the audience.   Chi...

    The full text of the press conference by Her Imperial Highness Princess Toshinomiya Aiko, the eldest daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, is as follows:   （ See parent article here . ）   Thoughts and Aspirations as an Adult Member of the Imperial Family   Press: How do you feel about your coming of age? Please tell us how you feel about your official duties and events as an adult member of the Imperial Family, as well as your future activities and aspirations.   Princess Aiko: Before I begin, I am deeply saddened to hear that some of you lost your lives in last night's earthquake. I would like to express my deepest sympathies to the bereaved families and those who have been affected by the disaster.   Now, I will answer your questions. I am very happy to have reached the age of 20 on December 1 of last year. Looking back over the fulfilling days, which seem to have passed so quickly and yet feel so long, I re...

    Click here to read the full text of press conference.   Her Imperial Highnesses Princess Toshinomiya Aiko, the only daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, attended a press conference on the occasion of her coming of age on March 17. Princess Aiko expressed her aspirations as an adult member of the Imperial Family, saying, "I will do my best in my duties, cherishing each and every one of them.”   Princess Aiko became an adult member of the Imperial Family on her 20th birthday last December. On the afternoon of the 17th, she held her first press conference at her residence, the Imperial Palace, as she had settled down for the spring break from her university studies.   At the beginning of her speech, Princess Aiko mentioned the earthquake that occurred late in the evening of the 16th, and said that she was "heartbroken" for the victims of the earthquake and expressed her "heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved families and those wh...