Japanese Imperial Family Today

    Crown Prince and Princess Akishino visited Mie, Nara, and Kyoto prefectures from April 20 to pay a visit to Ise Jingu Shrine and several other sites, and returned to Tokyo by air from Itami Airport on the morning of April 23.   The couple visited Ise Jingu Shrine (Ise City, Mie Prefecture) on the 21st and the mausoleum of Emperor Jinmu (Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture) and the mausoleums of Emperor Takaaki and Emperor Meiji (Kyoto City) on the 22nd to report that Prince Akishino had completed the "Risshi no Rite of Imperial Succession" in 2020, which indicates both at home and abroad that he is ranked first in the line of succession to the throne.   The couple's request to travel approximately 800 km by car, excluding the return trip, out of the four-day, three-night itinerary was an unusual one. Although the reason for this is ostensibly to avoid infection by the coronavirus, it is rumored on the Japanese Internet, which is notoriously tight-lipped, ...

    At a regular press conference on April 14, Yasuhiko Nishimura, Director General of the Imperial Household Agency, expressed regret about an article in the May special issue of Bungei Shunju (released on April 8) related to the Emperor Emeritus and Her Majesty Empress Masako, saying that it "could never happen.”   The article states that while on the throne, the emperor emeritus did not introduce Empress Masako, Crown Princess of the time, to the Mexican president and his wife, who were state guests in 2003. Mr. Nishimura denied the contents of the article and said, "This is a truly regrettable lack of courtesy to His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus.”   The agency is seeking a correction from the Weekly Bunshun, which published similar content in November 2002. The editorial department of Bungei Shunju said, "The author obtained extremely reliable information from multiple sources and wrote the article. We are confident in the article".   The fact ...

Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress attended the award ceremony of the Japan International Prize (sponsored by the International Science and Technology Foundation) held in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, on April 13. It was the first time in eight months that Their Majesties attended an event outside the Imperial Palace under the new coronavirus since the National War Memorial Ceremony on August 15, 2021.   In his speech, His Majesty the Emperor referred to the Corona disaster and said, "I hope that by bringing together the wisdom of various fields and by the people of the world joining forces with one another, we can overcome this difficult situation and build a future filled with hope.”   The Japan Prize is awarded to researchers who have contributed to the advancement of science and technology. The awards were also combined. This year's winners are a new type of genetic material, "messenger RNA (mRNA)," which is used to Katalin Carrico and three others for their ...

  Regarding the New York State bar exam that Kei Komuro, married to ex-Japanese princess Mako, the eldest daughter of Prince and Princess Akishino, is challenging, it was learned on April 15 (Japan Standard Time) that the name believed to be that of Mr. Komuro is not on the list of successful applicants for the February exam.   Pass/fail for the exam, which was held in February of this year, was notified to examinees on the 13th (local time), and around 10:00 a.m. on the 14th (local time). The results were announced on the website of the state bar exam board at the local level. There was no mention of a name believed to be Ms. Komuro among the successful applicants listed on the website. See BAR exam results page: https://www.nybarexam.org/EXRF22/KL210.html   It is possible that Mr. Komuro was not accepted, although this is not yet confirmed, since some people do not wish their names to be made public at the acceptance announcement.   According to the...

  On March 25, Her Imperial Highness Princess Yoko of Mikasa Family, 38, attended a lecture on the decline of hearing function in Iruma City, Saitama Prefecture. In her speech, she explained that she herself has sensorineural hearing loss and said, "Indifference is the worst thing. I hope that many people will spend time in a day wondering if their hearing is okay.”   Last December, Princess Yoko became the honorary president of the Japan Universal Sound Design Association, a non-profit organization that supports dialogue and other activities for people with hearing loss. In her speech, she described her own symptoms: "Basically, I cannot hear low sounds very well. He also has difficulty with high tones, so there are parts I cannot hear in people’s speech.”  She said that because of her position, it is difficult for her to hear back what the other person says, and she sometimes has to imagine the conversation herself, and there are times when she cannot hear what th...

  The Imperial Household Agency announced that Her Imperial Highness Princess Akiko of Mikasa family, 40, will become a visiting professor at Ritsumeikan University (Kyoto City) as of April 1. She will give lectures on Japanese and Kyoto culture as a guest speaker for classes at the Faculty of Letters and the graduate school. The university has requested that Mr. Akira take up the position. The appointment will last for one year, until the end of March 2023.   Akiko worked at Ritsumeikan University's Kinugasa Research Institute from September 2009 to March 2011. Since then, she has continued to serve as an invited researcher and visiting cooperative researcher at the organization. This time,in addition to being a guest speaker, she is scheduled to speak at symposiums and lectures related to Kyoto's culture.   After graduating from Gakushuin University, Akiko conducted research on Japanese art collections abroad at Oxford University, and in 2010 she became the fi...

    Crown Prince and Princess Akishino will visit Ise Jingu Shrine in Mie Prefecture from April 20 to 23 as an event related to Rikkoshi no Rei, the ceremony to proclaim Akishino crown prince, which was postponed due to the Corona disaster.   However, there are reports that there is a gap between the couple.   According to a report in the Daily Shincho dated March 30, the couple currently has almost no daily conversation except for meetings on official business. The reason for this is that Kiko is said to resent Akishino's negative comments about the marriage of their daughter Mako and Kei Komuro at press conferences and other occasions, which has made it impossible to repair the relationship between Mako and her parents.   Furthermore, Kiko, exasperated, is said to come down hard on the Imperial Household Agency staff.   “When staff members ask Her Imperial Highness about work reports and other matters, no matter how we explain them, ...

  （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.” 

    Last October, Mako, the eldest daughter of the Akishino family, married Kei Komuro and moved to New York, despite public criticism. The Daily Shincho dated March 9 reported that a top-secret plan to invest diplomatic secret funds to support Mr.and Mrs. Komuro's life in New York has emerged within the government.   According to the article, the idea of outsourcing the security of the two to a private security firm in New York has been floated and is now being considered by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Police Agency. According to the proposal, the security costs would be funded by MOFA's reward fund, the so-called diplomatic secret fund. 　 Incidentally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' reward fund is money used for diplomatic activities whose use must be kept secret. Shukan Shincho asked a security firm familiar with the security situation in the U.S. to provide an estimate of the monthly cost of the cheapest plan, which is about 39 ...

  Kei Komuro, 30, the husband of ex-princess Mako, who retook the bar exam this month, has a serious "visa problem" and is consulting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.   Tightrope-walk-like Stay in NY   According to a Japanese government official.   "Mr. Komuro has approached Japan's MOFA for advice on his visa."   　 If he already has a work visa, there should be no need to consult with MOFA. However,   “If he already has a working visa, there is no need to consult with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but I think it is very likely that he is still on a student visa (F-1). He is probably still on a student visa and is using the OPT (Optional Practical Training) program.”   Said Mr. Ricky Tokunaga.   The OPT program is available to graduates of American universities and graduate schools. It's like a one-year work permit, and it's common to get a work visa after the OPT period is used up, and many international stud...

  The eldest daughter of the Akishino family, Mako Komuro (30), and her husband Kei Komuro (30), who began their newlywed life in New York last November, are believed to have re-taken the New York State bar exam on February 22 and 23. The Daily Mail caught up with Kei Komuro on February 22 as he left the exam venue.   With his long hair pulled into a ponytail,  Komuro holds a red smartphone in his right hand, waiting for an Uber cab. He walks with wrinkles between his eyes. Mr. Komuro got into the Uber taxi and headed for his home in Hell's Kitchen, where he and Mako live.   On the first day of the exam, there are six essays and other in-depth questions, and on the second day, there are 200 multiple-choice questions that require speed in answering. If you get 266 points out of 400 points, you will pass the exam.   Komuro graduated from Fordham University School of Law in New York City last May and took the local bar exam in July. He married Ms. Mak...

  On 50th Anniversary of Okinawa's Return to Mainland Japan, Princess Aiko and Prince Hisahito The parent article is here .   Press: This year marks the 50th anniversary of Okinawa's reversion to the mainland. Your Majesty have made a number of visits and have continued to interact with the "small reporters".Please tell us about your memories of Okinawa and your thoughts on the history and people of Okinawa, which suffered a great deal of damage in the last World War.   Emperor: Since I was a child, I have heard many things about Okinawa from Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, who have deep feelings for Okinawa. My relationship with Okinawa as a child was based on my interactions with the Okinawan bean journalists in Karuizawa, where I spent every summer. It was a great opportunity for me as a child to learn about Okinawa. In the middle of the meeting, a student of the bean-counters demonstrated Okinawan karate forms, and I fondly remembered those days w...

  On Mako Komuro and History of Imperial Family The parent article is here . Press: In October of last year, Mako Komuro, your niece, left the Imperial Family due to her marriage. What is His Majesty's perception of the unusual course of events, in which no lump-sum payment was made and no ceremony was held, and the impact on the Imperial Family? What are your thoughts on the weekly magazine reports and Internet postings that are said to have affected Mako's physical condition, as well as on the way the Imperial Family disseminates information?   Emperor: I have watched Princess Mako grow up as my niece and nephew since she was a small child, and after she reached adulthood, she was sincerely involved in various official activities until she left the Imperial Family through marriage last autumn.   Based on the circumstances leading up to the marriage, including the various opinions about the marriage, it was decided that the Noh-ai Ceremony and other ceremonies ...