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...

The Imperial Household Agency announced on March 10 that Her Imperial Highness Toshinomiya Aiko, eldest daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, will hold a press conference on the occasion of her coming of age on the afternoon of March 17 at the Imperial Palace, where she resides. According to her aides, Aiko is currently reviewing the events leading up to her coming of age and making preparations.   Aiko reached the age of majority last December and attended a series of events at the Imperial Palace and other locations. Regarding the timing of the press conference, which was held away from her birthday, IHA said that since Princess Aiko was busy with her academic work, taking classes online at Gakushuin University due to the new coronavirus disaster, she prioritized her studies and decided that "it would be most appropriate for her to calmly consider her answers while feeling that she has reached the age of majority.” 

    On the 1st, His Majesty the Emperor, together with Her Majesty the Empress Masako, attended the New Year's Celebration Ceremony at the Imperial Palace to receive New Year's wishes from the Imperial Family and the heads of the three-party system.  Her Imperial Highness Princess Toshinomiya Aiko, the only daughter of Their Majesties, who turned 20 last December, also attended the ceremony for the first time. She entered following Their Majesties, wearing a robe décolleté and medals, in the Matsunoma room of the palace. This was Aiko's first official duty after her coming-of-age ceremony. The ceremony began around 10 a.m. Their Majesties were congratulated by the heads of the three branches of government, following the members of the Imperial Family. In the Matsu-no-ma, His Majesty was greeted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Speaker of the House of Councillors, to which His Majesty responded, "At the beginning of the New Year, I pray for t...

  Princess Aiko visits the Emperor and Empress at an adult event on the afternoon of December 5 On December 25, the anniversary of the death of Emperor Taisho, Her Imperial Highness Princess Toshinomiya Aiko, the only daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, who reached the age of majority on December 1, attended a palace ritual at the Imperial Palace for the first time.   As the palace ritual is a private religious event and not an official duty, no cameras were allowed to cover the event, but Princess Aiko wore a long off-white coat and a hat of the same color, and was the first of the female members of the Imperial Family to pay her respects in a calm manner.   Since her birthday on December 1 and her coming-of-age event on December 5, the news coverage of the Imperial Family has been all about Princess Aiko. The scandalous marriage of Mako, the eldest daughter of Prince Akishino, to Komuro had cast a dark shadow over the image of the Imperial Fam...

    It was announced that Aiko, the only daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, will attend the New Year's Celebration Ceremony on January 1 next year as her first official duty after coming of age.   On December 23, the Imperial Household Agency announced the events for the year-end and New Year holidays. Next year's New Year's events will begin at 5:30 a.m. on January 1 with the "Shiho-hai," the Emperor's pilgrimage towards the Ise Shrine and other shrines at the Imperial Palace.   From 10:00 a.m. on the 1st, the New Year's Celebration Ceremony will be held at the Imperial Palace, attended by Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress and other members of the Imperial Family.   Princess Aiko’s attendance at the New Year's Celebration will be the first official duty for her, who celebrated her 20th birthday this month.   It was also announced that Aiko will attend the "Ritual of Emperor Taisho's Rites" at t...

  Princess Aiko attends an adult event wearing a long dress with a tiara   (5th, West Parade of the Imperial Palace)   Her Imperial Highness Princess Toshinomiya Aiko, the only daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, who celebrated her 20th birthday on December 1, attended a coming-of-age event including the bestowal of orders at the Imperial Palace on December 5. She wore a long dress and a tiara as her formal attire, and responded to the congratulations with a smile.   Order of Merit worn by Princess Aiko (5th, West Parade of the Imperial Palace)   Since she had university classes on the day of her birthday, the major adult events were held on the morning of the 5th, a holiday. After visiting the three halls of the Imperial Palace, where the Imperial Ancestral Deities are worshipped, Aiko received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown from His Majesty the Emperor in the Phoenix Room of the Palace. According to her aides...

    Her Imperial Highness Princess Toshinomiya Aiko, the only daughter of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, celebrated her 20th birthday on December 1. Continuing from the previous article, I would like to introduce Princess Aiko's essay written five years ago at her graduation from junior high school.  This essay then gave birth to a wonderful episode  four years later.  

    Her Imperial Highness Princess Toshinomiya Aiko of the Imperial Household celebrated her 20th birthday on December 1. Her essays from her junior high school days are attracting renewed attention.   The following is the full text of "Aiko the Nurse," a short story written by Princess Aiko in her first year at Gakushuin Junior High School.  

  ( The main article is here ) As the only daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, Her Imperial Highness Princess Toshinomiya Aiko of Japan, celebrated her 20th birthday on the 1st, the Gakushuin, where she studied from elementary school to her current university, revealed   episodes of Aiko's life to the press. They said that Aiko had "high sensitivity and straightforward feelings" and was a friend-oriented student.   The Gakushuin Junior and Senior High School teachers responded in writing to questions from the Imperial Press Association on the occasion of Princess Aiko's birthday.   When Princess Aiko was in high school, she loved her P.E. classes and excelled at softball, a sport that both the Emperor and Empress were familiar with. At the field day, she participated in the "dribbling relay" event from the first year of junior high to the third year of high school, and won the event in the third year of high school after practicing...

  ( The main article is here ) On the 1 st of December, Her Imperial Highness Princess Toshinomiya Aiko, the only daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, celebrated her 20th birthday and became an adult member of the Imperial Family. Here is the full text of Aiko's impressions:   I am happy to have successfully reached the milestone of becoming an adult.   Looking back over the past years, I am deeply moved by the many events that have taken place, and I realize that I have been blessed with a lot of learning over the years.   At the same time, I feel deeply that I have been indebted to many people in my daily life, including my teachers and friends.   Through meeting and interacting with various people, I learned how wonderful it is when people reach out to each other and expand the circle of exchange, and all these experiences are now my assets.   I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all those who have been...

　 On December 1, Her Imperial Highness Princess Toshinomiya Aiko, the only daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, celebrated her 20th birthday and became an adult member of the Imperial Family. Through the Imperial Household Agency, she announced her impressions, saying, "I would like to face each of my duties with sincerity and help Their Majesties as much as I can.” This is the first time in 32 years that an emperor's daughter has come of age since Sayako Kuroda. The public's expectations for Princess Aiko as an adult member of the Imperial Family are increasing due to the decreasing and aging number of members of the IF and public support for a female emperor or emperors of female line. ( Full text of her impressions is here )   Her impressions of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress were, "They have raised me lovingly and carefully, and have supported me most closely at all times," and she also expressed her gratitude to the Emperor and...

Her Imperial Highness Princess  Toshinomiya Aiko , the only daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, will turn 20 years old on December 1. It has been decided that Aiko's press conference will be held at the beginning of January next year, contrary to customary practice, "Shukan Josei" reported.   Normally, the members of the Imperial Family hold their press conferences before their birthdays, but it is extremely unusual for it to be held a month after their birthdays. The reason behind this is believed to be that Mako Komuro's father, Prince Akishino, will celebrate his birthday on November 30, the day before Aiko's birthday.   There are circumstances that force them to consider what Prince Akishino said at the press conference he will hold on the occasion of his birthday, which will be announced publicly on November 30. This year, too, Akishino is expected to be asked questions by reporters about the Mako marriage scandal. Furthermore, the ...

    Princess Aiko At a cabinet meeting on November 16, the government decided to present the Order of the Precious Crown Princess to Aiko, the only daughter of the Emperor and Empress, who will turn 20 years old on December 1.   According to the Imperial Household Agency, in consideration of her university classes and other commitments, Aiko's adult events will be held on December 1, a weekday, and December 5, a Sunday. On December 1, she will be congratulated by the head of the Imperial Household Agency and others at the Imperial Palace in the evening, and in the evening she will join Their Majesties for a festive meal. She will then be congratulated by members of the Imperial Family and the heads of the three administrative organs on December 5, when Aiko will greet Their Majesties in a robe and décolleté, the most prestigious dress, wearing the medal she has just been awarded. At this time, Aiko will wear a tiara, a hair ornament with jewels, for the first time...