Crown Prince Naruhito & Crown Princess Masako: Current Events Part 2 - Page 4

Emily · #61 08-23-2006, 12:25 PM

Mandyy -- you are a gem for continuing to supply us with all the newspaper articles, and photos when they are available, and I am very thankful. I find this whole situation fascinating - obviously! - and really enjoy learning as much as I can and just trying to understand what is going on. As a Westerner, I am horrified by what does look like a "cruel" culture that Masako is immersed in. Yet, I am trying to understand just what the Japanese culture is to the average person in Japan and to see the importance of tradition, the collective "we" etc. that Charlotte has talked about in this thread. And Japan has some things we in the west could be thinking about a bit IMO -- the almighty "I" in the United States is causing unprecedented issues with anxiety in our own country -- but like most things, I hope for some balance between two extremes. Like most of you -- I continue to hope for a positive outcome for Masako. In a roundabout way, Masako was exposed to the same northeastern US educational culture that I was and knowing the sense of unlimited personal freedom that culture engenders I feel for her in having to restrict those freedoms now. Without at all making light of the situation, I think it would cause me a depression also. Once unlimited personal 'freedom to be' has been tasted it is very hard to stuff back into a box again without repercussions.

**Elspeth** · #62 08-24-2006, 01:08 PM

I've moved the posts discussing the succession problems, the IHA, and the new Akishino baby to the thread about the succession, because they were beginning to overwhelm this thread.

The conversation about the succession continues in this thread:

http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums...apan-4108.html

tosca_van_oranje · #63 08-24-2006, 04:33 PM

I just hope the familiy feels well.

maybe the press can show the japanes that women rule!!!!!!! very nicely for a verry long time

mandyy · #64 08-24-2006, 09:25 PM

Crown prince family visits zoo, forests in Netherlands vacation

..........................Crown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako and their 4-year-old daughter Princess Aiko..................... visited a zoo in Arnhem, about 30 kilometers south, on Tuesday, it said.
The family also went to a forest owned by the Dutch royal family near Apeldoorn the same day and walked and drove around the vast forest.
Back in the palace, Princess Aiko picked up acorns, played with hula hoops and had fun observing insects and eating snacks inside a play house. The crown prince and the crown princess were also seen spending time feeding ducks swimming in the moats at the castle, according to the agency..........................
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060823/kyodo/d8jm2o780.html

Emily · #65 08-24-2006, 10:01 PM

Time spent in nature is always so peaceful -- so this sounds perfect. I am charmed by the image of Aiko picking up acorns -- I wonder if Oak trees grow in Japan?

rominet09 · #66 08-25-2006, 12:50 AM

What a pity there are no pix of them in the forest !
I really think it is what Masako NEEDS : some normality

ropura · #67 08-25-2006, 08:43 PM

Crown Prince Naruhito,crown Princess Masako and they daughter Princess Aiko together with Crown Prince W.Alexander,Princes Maxima and they two daughter Princess Amalia and Princess Alexia yesterday morning go to ''Apenheul"|(monkey-forest) at Apeldoorn.

Ropura

Emily · #68 08-25-2006, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rominet09

What a pity there are no pix of them in the forest !

On the one hand I feel exactly as you and on the other I want them to have total privacy. I was sorry to hear that photographers were indeed there but that the pictures could not be published. The Crown Princely family's guard has to be up even if the pictures can't be published -- how much nicer if there were no one at all to photograph them.

That said -- it would be nice to see some photos after the visit is completely done!

Eliza · #69 08-26-2006, 04:53 AM

I agree with Emily - even though to hve pics of them would be nice, it's equally nice to know that there's no pics at all and they have total privacy. After all they're humans like us. I hope this holiday does CP Masako a whole of good. She really deserve much more.

I do believe that despite everything, both the CP Naruhito and CP Masako truely love each other and I salute the way CP Naruhito has stood by his wife and publicly defended her. Good for them and I hope soon we see the old Masako again.

mandyy · #70 08-30-2006, 07:14 AM

Translation from JIJI press
During the press conference given by the grand master of the Crown Prince household on Aug. 30th, the crown prince family spent time to have dinner with Masako's parents, Mr and Mrs. Owada. The crown prince family will return to Japan on Aug. 31st, 2006.
During their stay in Holland, they took walks, horseback riding and cycled around the palace together. On the 23rd of August, Mr. and Mrs. Owada and Masako's sister Setsuko & her husband who are currently staying in Switzerland came to visit them at the palace and they all ate dinner together.
On the 25th of August, Princess Aiko spent time with her maternal grandparents while the Crown Prince couple visited Mauritz house art museum.
On the 28th of August, Queen Beatrix hosted a dinner at the palace where the Crown prince family are staying. The crown prince family of Belgium and the Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg also attended to the dinner.

rominet09 · #71 08-30-2006, 11:18 AM

I don't know what I'd give to see pix of that dinner
Plus all the small ones playing together : a dream of mine !

Emily · #72 08-30-2006, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mandyy

Translation from JIJI press
During the press conference given by the grand master of the Crown Prince household on Aug. 30th, the crown prince family spent time to have dinner with Masako's parents, Mr and Mrs. Owada. The crown prince family will return to Japan on Aug. 31st, 2006.
During their stay in Holland, they took walks, horseback riding and cycled around the palace together. On the 23rd of August, Mr. and Mrs. Owada and Masako's sister Setsuko & her husband who are currently staying in Switzerland came to visit them at the palace and they all ate dinner together.
On the 25th of August, Princess Aiko spent time with her maternal grandparents while the Crown Prince couple visited Mauritz house art museum.
On the 28th of August, Queen Beatrix hosted a dinner at the palace where the Crown prince family are staying. The crown prince family of Belgium and the Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg also attended to the dinner.

Wonderful news, to my ears at least. This sounds like the kind of vacation Masako needed -- time with her family, Aiko getting time with her maternal grandparents, a meeting with other CP families, time in nature.... . I sure hope it is been a balm for their souls.

selminha · #73 08-30-2006, 02:44 PM

Aren't there any pictures of dinner on the 28th of August?????

janos614 · #74 08-30-2006, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emily

Wonderful news, to my ears at least. This sounds like the kind of vacation Masako needed -- time with her family, Aiko getting time with her maternal grandparents, a meeting with other CP families, time in nature.... . I sure hope it is been a balm for their souls.

Masako was also able to spend time alone with Naruhito- that, too, must have been welcome.

el-khanz · #75 08-31-2006, 02:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lotus

Princess Aiko is so cute, and it's really happy to see Crown Princess Masako has the spirit.

Yes, Aiko is so cute. I wonder if she always wear cardigan and the little bag. I saw some pictures of her with cardigan and bag on her hand.

mandyy · #76 08-31-2006, 01:36 PM

Crown prince's family back in Japan from sojourn in Netherlands

...........The three also visited Crown Princess Masako's parents in The Hague and had dinner with them last Friday. The crown princess's father, Hisashi Owada, is a former Japanese ambassador to the United Nations and currently serves as a judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
On Monday, Crown Prince Naruhito, 46, and his family met with Belgium's Prince Philippe and his wife Princess Mathilde, and Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg at a dinner hosted by Queen Beatrix, the agency said.......................Nine officials of the crown prince's household and two private citizens, including the princess's chief doctor, Yutaka Ono, as well as some security personnel accompanied the royal family on the trip.
The trip was paid for with private funds from the crown prince's household...............
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060831/kyodo/d8jr90jo2.html

rominet09 · #77 08-31-2006, 10:00 PM

No pic of their departure from Holland or their arrival in Japan ? What a pity !

Emily · #78 08-31-2006, 11:04 PM

Having looked at these photos of the three Owada girls and thinking that I recall only seeing one sister with Kiko, I am wondering if both girls come from families with only girls.

mandyy · #79 09-01-2006, 03:11 PM

Royal couple value 'heart-warming interaction' with Dutch royals
Crown Prince Naruhito and his wife Crown Princess Masako said Friday they were able to have a "heart-warming interaction" with the Dutch royal family during their two-week sojourn in the Netherlands, according to their statement released Friday by the Imperial Household Agency.
The royal couple thanked Dutch Queen Beatrix and the family of Crown Prince Willem Alexander for their warm hospitality while the Japanese royal family stayed in the country during the Aug. 17-31 trip, which was aimed at helping the crown princess recover from her stress-related illness........................"We are happy that we were able to experience various new things," the crown prince and his wife said......................
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060901/kyodo/d8js34a02.html

Emily · #80 09-01-2006, 04:29 PM

Thank you for the article, mandyy -- that is the kind of news I wanted to hear...that the friendship is firm and that the trip was restful and happy.