Princesses Mako and Kako and Prince Hisahito

[Vanesa]

She looks much better now! And of course, smile changes totally her face in a positive way.

Vanesa.

[mandyy]

More photos of Princess Mako of her visit in Austria
#1: JIJI press
#2: TBS news
#3-4: newscom
#5-6: www.yuko2ch.net

[mandyy]

Princess Kiko's daughter Mako returns from homestay in Austria
......................She returned to her residence in Tokyo around 9 a.m. and met with her pregnant mother Princess Kiko, who was to be admitted to a hospital in Tokyo later in the day to prepare for a Caesarian-section delivery in early September.The third-year junior high school student stayed at the home of Norbert and Gabriele Orac in the suburbs of Vienna from Aug. 3 through Tuesday. Princess Kiko's father Tatsuhiko Kawashima has been friends with the couple since the Kawashimas lived in Vienna about 30 years ago. During her homestay, the princess visited museums and a palace and strolled around the woods near the capital. She also rode horses and cooked at the couple's residence.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060816/kyodo/d8jh9ct80.html

Princess Mako returned home to Tokyo on Aug. 16, 2006.
Photo of her arriving at Narita Airport
#1: JIJI press
#2: Sankei web
#3: NNN news
#4: www.yuko2ch.net

[janos614]

Seeing that expression today on her face came as a shock to me after all the smiling she did while on vacation. I guess it's back to business for her.

[Emily]

Wow -- does she look like her dad! I think her eyes are the same shape as Akishino's. And as for her expression -- they must be socialized in concealing emotion because she does have that neutral expression again.

[kawaiian]

Does anyone notice all the royal children of Japan has very strong and simiar facial features? It is simply because they have married their co-royal first and second cousins for generations and they have never really brought outside bloodline until Empress Michiko. Two generations of marrying commoner will not wipe out the royal features which was build up over 2600 years of history.

[mandyy]

My translation of news from Asahi news
Princess Mako was greeted by her family upon her arrival back home at the Akishino Residence within the Akasaka Palace grounds. The family took a photograph together to remember this special moment upon Mako's arrival from her 1st solo overseas trip.

[magnik]

Pity that it was so short

[Vanesa]

I'm amazed watching the pics of the Princess arriving to Austria, staying there for a while and turning back to Japan. In the first set of photos, she seemed to be extremely sad or sacerd. In Austria she was ahppy and relaxed...and now, arriving to her country, her face was the one of someone who must go to a funeral. What is going on here? :unhappy:

Princess masako seems no to be happy of going back to home and this is not natural. In all the trips I made, I was always happy to be able of seeing my old friends and family again. But maybe it is not of it, and simply is the "Imperial Way" in japan and I'm totally wrong, and the Princess is perfectly happy.

I read in the book "Pivot of The Universe", by Abbas Amanat (it's a biography of the Persian Shah's Nasser-es-Dinh, from Qajar dynasty) that it was custommary in some not European Royal Houses, to ask to princes not to show any expression of joy, nor even to smile in front of persons that were not family or very close friends. This was required to show a perfect "Royal or Imperial face", something similar to a mask with no emotion on them. Royals must be beyond all this. Emotions were said to be "too commoner". Egyptian ancient Pharaos must act this way, and for the same reasons, as Inca's in Peru or Chinese Monarchs.

Then, maybe Princess mako is not sad, nor scared and we are judging her very harshly.

However I still have a complain about her: this awful "Orphan Annie" dress returned in one of the sets of photos that Mandyy posted! Poor girl! She is much more beatiful (and she is beatiful, indeed) without it!

Vanesa.

[mandyy]

Originally Posted by mandyy

My translation of news from Asahi news
Princess Mako was greeted by her family upon her arrival back home at the Akishino Residence within the Akasaka Palace grounds. The family took a photograph together to remember this special moment upon Mako's arrival from her 1st solo overseas trip.

Below is the photo I believe Asahi news was reporting about
from www.yuko2ch.net

[SyberiaWinx]

I think her expressions in the photos could be misread. Leaving home alone to travel to another country would make anyone scared. But think about this-maybe her smiling or not smiling has to do with other things. Leaving and returning home, she was probably swarmed by media and very nervous or maybe even shy. The ones during her vacation were probably taken by a single person. It can be hard to smile when you know so many people are swarming and staring at you.

[The Historian]

Originally Posted by SyberiaWinx

I think her expressions in the photos could be misread. Leaving home alone to travel to another country would make anyone scared. But think about this-maybe her smiling or not smiling has to do with other things. Leaving and returning home, she was probably swarmed by media and very nervous or maybe even shy. The ones during her vacation were probably taken by a single person. It can be hard to smile when you know so many people are swarming and staring at you.

It's true having t face the media in huge masses like that can be scarey.
I suppose what she could have liked in Austria was that yes she was treated with the highest respect but she could have still been treated normally,
instead of in Japan where everyone know's she's a princess and the media will follow every single thing she does.
Can be very intimidating.

[Vanesa]

Living in a different country than yours, hearing people speaking in a language you don't understand and being so far from your own family ,could be sufficiently scary for a young girl, even if she is not a princess. I think that she was a little afraid of being alone in a foreign country, like myself would have been also scared having her age.

Vanesa,

[mayu12]

off-topic: when was this picture taken? her hairstyle looks different, almost like.. a normal layered japanese hair. O.O usually her hairstyles are with bangs or no bangs.

[janos614]

Originally Posted by mayu12

off-topic: when was this picture taken? her hairstyle looks different, almost like.. a normal layered japanese hair. O.O usually her hairstyles are with bangs or no bangs.

I really like that look for her, but it seems a bit risque for the imperial family, IMO.

[Vanesa]

I do not know why she would get depressed to return home...The first time I travelled alone (to Europe! ) it was wonderful for me, but when I returned home I felt very happy too. I missed my beloved ones (not only my parents but my friends, my brother and the rest of my relatives) and wanted to see them again...and of course, I wanted to show them all the fotos and videos I got, and tell them all I have experienced there.

I think that, when you are VERY far of your family for the first time in your life, you begins to realize the true importance of the words "family" and "friends". I do not see why it would be different for a young Princess.

As for the "liberty" think, of course, she has a little more of it than in her own house, but don't think that she had MUCH more liberty...She is the daughter of a Prince, and not a "common one", but the brother of the Crownprince of a country: the first one in the succesory line. So she must have been surveyed seriously, and journalist should always there, ready to find something to gossip about. She couldn't do all she wanted to. It could have been dangerous. I remember perfectly that, when Prince Harry of England visited Argentina (my country) and he went to an "Estancia" ( a big kind of farm) to pass some days with a high family from here...He loved to go all nights to pubs, and journalist went there just to said that he was a drunkard, a thing that could or not be true... It's very dangerous to do something "free" only for you are far from home. In all circumstances, you are a Prince or a Princess, and you must mind about that...I think that Princess Kako is very dutyfull and she behaved like the Princess she is.

Vanesa.

[Sister Morphine]

I couldn't get over the sense of joy she had in her face when she was in Austria and the complete lack of emotion she had when she got back home. She looked depressed, sad and miserable.

How utterly tragic that a young woman should have that look on her face when going home, after having been in a foreign country for 2 weeks.

[wlee]

Princess Kako attended her primary school graduation ceremony with her mother, Princess Kiko, on March 18, 2007. She will enter secondary school in April.

Photo from JiJi

Congratulations!

[mandyy]

Video news of Princess Kako arriving with her mother Princess Kiko at Gakushuin primary school to attend her own graduation ceremony on March 18, 2007.

FNN news
ANN news

Photo from Mainichi news

[dragonsfire8]

Thanks for the video!
I think there was a hint of a smile (Kako) in the video, that is if you watch carefully....