Japanese emperor’s daughter says it’s ‘rather tense’ being an adult royal, that marriage is far off and admits she’s shy
- Princess Aiko, the only child of Japanese Emperor Naruhito, said she had taken part in a number of palace rituals for the first time, and ‘it seemed strange’
- Japan’s imperial family became the focus of global attention last year when Aiko’s cousin Mako married a commoner who works in a law office in New York
Princess Aiko, the only child of Japanese Emperor Naruhito, said on Thursday that taking part in rituals as an adult member of the imperial family remained “rather tense” for her, and marriage is still far in the future.
Japan’s imperial family became the centre of global attention last year when Aiko’s 30-year-old cousin Mako defied widespread opposition to marry her college sweetheart after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to the stresses of her tumultuous engagement.
Mako’s marriage to Kei Komuro, a commoner who works in a law office in New York, meant giving up her title and leaving the royal family according to imperial family rules – a situation that Aiko, who just turned 20 and became a fully-fledged adult royal in December, will face if there is no change.
Women cannot inherit the Japanese throne and royal life is circumscribed. Aiko’s mother, Empress Masako, gave up a life as a diplomat and has struggled for years with what the palace terms an “adjustment disorder.”
In her debut news conference, Aiko, who spoke carefully and occasionally smiled shyly, said she was mainly focusing on her studies for now and that the reality of being an adult royal was just sinking in.
