Crown Prince Naruhito & Crown Princess Masako current events 5: Dec. 2008- Dec. 2015


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So she's been to the New Year's celebration every year since 2007 then. I didn't know that. She's looking lovely.
 
Mermaid1962 said:
So she's been to the New Year's celebration every year since 2007 then. I didn't know that. She's looking lovely.
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Yes, the Crown Princess was present at the exchanging gifts ceremony every year, but did not attend the ceremonies for Japanese dignitaries and the diplomats due to her illness.

In this collage you can see HIH the Crown Princess' visits to Imperial palace on January 1st and 2nd since 2007.
Figures from '07 to '11 are the years.
 
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More pics of the the crown princely couple on their way to the the annual imperial family luncheon

The crown princely couple smiling at each other at the birthday greeting on December 23, 2011
 
Beijing invites Crown Prince, Princess to visit | The Japan Times Online
Beijing has officially invited Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako to visit China this year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the two countries normalizing diplomatic ties, sources close to bilateral relations said Saturday.
The visit is also aimed at easing anti-Japanese sentiment in China, which remains strong on account of Japan's past military aggression, and to strengthen relations between the two countries.
If realized, it would be the 51-year-old Crown Prince's first visit to China, and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's administration intends to consider Beijing's request carefully, the sources said.
 
Crown Princess Masako diagnosed with gastroenteritis - The Mainichi Daily News
Crown Princess Masako has been diagnosed with viral gastroenteritis, the Imperial Household Agency said Friday. The 48-year-old crown princess is recovering after being treated with medication, Kyoji Komachi, grand master of Crown Prince's Household, told a press conference.
While she developed a fever on Tuesday, possibly caused by a norovirus, her husband and their daughter -- Crown Prince Naruhito and Princess Aiko -- have not been affected, Komachi added.
 
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Crown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako and Princess Aiko during a photo session at their
Akasaka Palace in Tokyo on February 12, 2012. The pics were released on the Crown Prince's 52th
birthday today, February 23, 2012.




** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 **
 
Crown Prince Naruhito notes need to reduce emperor's burden

Crown Prince Naruhito called for a reduction in Emperor Akihito's official duties following heart bypass surgery last week, as the first in line to the throne marked his 52nd birthday Thursday. "Considering the emperor's age, it is necessary to cut down on his burden," the eldest son of the 78-year-old emperor said at a press conference given prior to his birthday.
"I would be more than happy to do anything if I can be of help to him," the crown prince said. [...]

On the introduction of an age limit for Japan's emperor, who currently remains on the throne for the rest of his life, the crown prince declined to comment specifically, only saying, "I think there are various options available" regarding how to reduce the emperor's burden.
The crown prince also refrained from clarifying his stance on whether female members of the imperial family should be allowed to create their own family branches so they can retain their imperial status after marriage. [...]

On the upcoming first anniversary of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami disaster, the crown prince said the catastrophe has constantly been on his mind during the past year.
"I feel truly encouraged by the fact that people affected by the disaster are making efforts hand in hand toward reconstruction despite harsh conditions," he said. [...]

Regarding their only child Princess Aiko, the crown prince said his daughter now feels secure at school by taking part in a brass band and field trips. She is now attending school without being accompanied by her mother.
On Thursday morning, the crown prince visited University of Tokyo Hospital to greet the emperor who is now recuperating from the surgery and undergoing rehabilitation.
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Mainichi Daily News

The crown prince has demonstrated that he is perfectly aware of his constitutional duties by refraining from commenting on the political matters of a retirement age for emperors and of female-headed family branches. I have expected nothing less from him! :flowers:
 
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iceflower said:
__________________


Crown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako and Princess Aiko during a photo session at their
Akasaka Palace in Tokyo on February 12, 2012. The pics were released on the Crown Prince's 52th
birthday today, February 23, 2012.




** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 **
Click to expand...

Princess Masako looks very well on these pics. :) Although it is clear that this does not mean that she is fully recovered (if she were, her husband would have said so), I still think that there is a clear difference visible between how she looks today and how she looked in 2005. (On this pic you see her with Crown Prince Naruhito as they attend a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Japanese branch of UNICEF in Tokyo May 1, 2005.)

Here is another article about the birthday news conference:
Heir says Japanese emperor must reduce duties
Japanese Emperor Akihito should cut down his duties following his heart bypass last weekend, his son and heir Crown Prince Naruhito said in comments released to mark his 52nd birthday on Thursday. "Considering his age, I think it is necessary to reduce his burden," he told reporters, in his first comments on his father's future role. "It's important that people surrounding him think hard to help him. I'd like to do whatever I can that is helpful in this regard," he said at the news conference held on Tuesday but embargoed until Thursday.

The 78-year-old emperor left intensive care on Monday, just two days after undergoing a successful heart bypass operation. During his recuperation, Naruhito will handle official duties such as attending public ceremonies and meeting state guests. Referring to his experience in November in acting for his father when the emperor was hospitalised for bronchial pneumonia, Naruhito said: "I keenly felt the need to study more (about the emperor's duty) to help His Imperial Majesty."
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I wish I knew how the Emperor feels about it.
Does he wish his duties reduced?

(I'd also like to know how he feels about the succession issues, but I suppose he won't come right out and say).
 
Well, I suppose the emperor is the „Emily Brontë“-type of person. I think that I have read in a biography about the author that when she fell terminally ill she refused to lie down or reduce her workload. (That must have been very hard to watch for her family.) When she finally did lie down she died very quickly – on the same day if I remember right.

The problem is imo that if you ask the emperor for his wishes, he would probably never want to reduce his engagements. After he recovered from pneumonia last year, he said that he never felt his imperial duties as a burden (commenting on Akishino´s idea of a retirement age, I think). On the other hand, things seem to have come to a point where his life may definitely get shortened if he refuses to rest more. Imo, that is a real problem :sad: (that not only royals face, incidentally). On one hand, people surrounding Emperor Akihito may feel that they have to do whatever necessary to preserve his life, on the other hand they quite naturally also desire to respect his wishes.

More pictures of the family on occasion of the crown prince´s birthday (You can make 1 and 2 bigger by clicking on them):
1
2 (Here is also one pic of the press conference.)
3
4

I have found a comment that gives further details regarding this pic that has already been posted by Iceflower:
Crown Prince Naruhito (C) and Crown Princess Masako (L) teach their daughter Princess Aiko using "hyakunin isshu" playing cards during a photo session at their Akasaka Palace in Tokyo February 12, 2012.
 
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I think that Princess Aiko is a tense, nervous child. Look at her arms when she's looking at the book with her father. I find the first picture of the group interesting in that both Masako and Aiko are sitting looking ahead with their knees pointing away from Naruhito. Some of the pictures look very staged and artificial, although I do agree that Masako looks better. Some of her smiles look genuine.
 
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It was a photo op, of course the pictures were staged.
 
:previous: Well, obviously.:) Perhaps what I meant is that there's something that appears fake and forced to me. All formal pictures are staged, but some appear more staged than others. Naruhito's the only one who looks natural. But then, he's a lot more used to this sort of thing.
 
I'm sure Aiko and her parents were as always given instructions where and how to keep their hands and feets etc. The photo must express symmetry and harmony, I presume. :)
 
the prince will now share birthday with the little swedish princess
 
Josefine said:
the prince will now share birthday with the little swedish princess
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Yes, that is nice. :flowers: Prince Naruhito will probably have been delighted by the news. I am sure that he has fond memories of Crown Princess Victoria´s visit to Japan in 2001. By then, Princess Masako was well advanced in pregnancy and awaiting the birth of their only child, Princess Aiko. Happy times...
 
Mirabel said:
I wish I knew how the Emperor feels about it.
Does he wish his duties reduced?...
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During his 2009 press conference His Majesty had expressed his will to perform his official duties in full extence. I believe his intention hasn't changed since then.
 
It's really amazing how little Masako has changed over the years, at least as far as the physical appearance is concerned.
Nice to see the crown princely couple; it's unfortunately quite a rare treat.
 
A Bulgarian parliamentary delegation headed by National Assembly Speaker Tsetska Tsacheva will pay an official visit to Japan between 8 and 12 April 2012. Tomorrow, Tsetska Tsacheva is to have an audience with Crown Prince Naruhito. (Source)

On April 11th – 13th Bahraini ruler King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa will visit Japan at the invitation of Emperor Akihito. (Source) Although the Bahraini court said in a statement that "The King will explore ways of promoting bilateral relations with Japan's Emperor, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and a number of Japanese officials," I think (I hope :ermm:) Prince Naruhito will meet the king, on behalf of the emperor.

On Friday, the head of the Crown Prince's Household adressed the state of Crown Princess Masako's health, quoting a statement released by her medical team.

The crown princess is ''in a situation where her health conditions can easily worsen due to accumulated fatigue,'' said the statement released by grand master Kyoji Komachi. [...] But Komachi also said, ''It does not mean that the crown princess' conditions are getting worse. I would like people to warmly watch the crown princess.''
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House of Japan

Her medical team said the Crown Princess should take sufficient rest before slowly expanding her activities beyond private affairs. Komachi released the statement after telling a news conference last month that the Crown Princess' health is unstable, stirring a media controversy due mainly to a lack of detail.
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Japan Times

It is no news that the princess is still not well. :sad: Otherwise we would have been seeing more of her lately. And while we should probably feel grateful that they care to say anything at all, it really seems to me that they should consult an expert on communication concerning the way they handle their public statements. I am not surprised that "a lack of detail" would have caused a media controversy last month but I do not understand how this latest statement could in any way help matters. I am sure that those who have been closely watching events during the last years would be enabled by now to write that sort of statement themselves. It is ALWAYS saying that the princess is working to regain her health and needs more time. :sleep:

I, for one, do not doubt in the least that she is working to regain her health as from time to time there is sort of a "surprise appearance" of hers, like last year, during the emperor´s hospital stay, when she joined her husband on an official engagement or when she attended the family´s New Year luncheon last minute. This year she accompanied her husband on his visit to his hospitalized father while last year she had been criticized for not having visited her father-in-law in hospital. But it seems that this has been as much as she is presently capable of. From the outside, I receive the impression that those efforts rather serve to exhaust her than to fill her with new self confidence and courage. :ermm:

But maybe I expect too much of the doctors if I want them to explain things in a way that I can understand. A dear friend of mine was battling depression as a young woman and had a severe relapse two and a half years ago. There was a trigger for it (her husband had a minor accident) but nothing that would have actually been sufficient to explain the extremity of her emotions, let alone that she would not get better for nearly two years. Only recently, since last autumn, she has gradually been coming back to herself, for no special reason it seems. (She has been receiving treatment and such but she had that before and it did not seem to have much effect - as far as I could notice, at least.) At present, she feels brilliant and is full of self confidence. Amazing. :)
But obviously impossible to explain to someone who is not a doctor (including myself). As her friend, I feel relieved :ROFLMAO: but also puzzled. :confused:
 
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I'm always glad to see Masako out and about-seems it's a rarity and even the brief sightings are welcome. I would hope that she would know that even though she is "out of sight" for much of the time, she's certainly not forgotten by her admirers, and that there are many good thoughts and wishes that go out to her as she is recovering her health.
 
The brain and mind are extremely complex, and who can understand another's soul? From one of the statements, it appears that the CP is attending to some private events with the doctors' blessings. As nice as it is to see Masako "out and about", it's also good to know that she's being careful with her activities. If we really knew what her problems were, perhaps we'd be amazed that she's able to make public appearances at all.


ChiaraC said:
House of Japan

Japan Times
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Wonder what will happen with Masako in case the Emperor dies in the near future which wouldn´t happen unexpected. I´m sure for this situation the Royal household has already taken precautions. I feel that Masako might only attend the enthronement festivities and then disappear from the scene again (possibly forever....)
I really hope it won´t be published one day that she was totally healthy but they didn´t want her to ever appear in public again for some reason and therefore locked her up in the palace....
Wonder what she´s doing all day, all her talents go to the waste - it´s really a tragedy and the whole world can watch it.....:bang:
 
Stefanie said:
I really hope it won´t be published one day that she was totally healthy but they didn´t want her to ever appear in public again for some reason and therefore locked her up in the palace....
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I am convinced that if that were true, Naruhito would not fail to inform the public about it on his very first day as emperor. But, unfortunately, I believe things to be more complicated. I do believe that the princess is suffering from a depression. But I suspect that she is not allowed to do what might help her most because that would be against the royal rules. Of course, I do not know what exactly the princess would need to recover. But I suppose that it would help a lot if she would be given some time out of the palace, out of royal life.

In 2004, the crown princess was allowed to stay for four weeks at her parents` holiday home in Karuizawa with her daughter and her mother. Naruhito joined them whenever he could get away from his duties. When the crown princess arrived, she was completely apathetic, towards the end of her stay she began to have glimpses of her old self and her former active nature became visible again. But then she was obliged to go back to the palace and had a severe relapse (which drove her husband to call the public for help).

I am aware that it would be a problem for any monarchy to do without their crown princess, to let her stay in her parents´ holiday home or at some foreign university. But I suppose that most monarchies would be more flexible concerning what they would allow, especially if they knew that it would be necessary for medical reasons.
 
Noooooo, talk about a distortion of information to fit a sterotype!!!!

Masako's health began to decline in late 2003, she cancelled a number of public engagements. In December 2003 she was hospitalised with shingles, after she was released her health did not improve. Her parents were living in the Netherlands as Masako's father had been appointed to the International Court of Justice (he's still there), Masako's mother was so worried about her daughter's health that she returned to Japan and took her daughter to the family private villa in Nagano. (there was no 'allowed' about her, her mother came, collected Masako and Aiko and they went.) The Imperial Family also have a villa in Nagano, but Masako didn't stay there, when Naruhito visited on weekends, he did so with an entourage and so they stayed at a local hotel as there wasn't room in the Owada's villa) This occured in April 2004 (the IHA press office released information that Masako and Aiko had gone to Nagano to stay with Masako's mother) Masako didn't return to her 'old self" (who writes this stuff, the woman was suffering badly from depression, she wasn't going to snap out of it in 4 weeks!) At the end of April Masako's mother had to return to the Netherlands and so Masako returned to Tokyo (she wasn't ordered back!) Masako could barely care for herself, let alone Aiko, without Mrs Owada they needed to return.

Mrs Owada was worried enough about her daughter to also use her networks to find a psycharist for her. One was found outside the Imperial Household agency doctors, as far as I know he's still treating her. When Masako and family went to the Netherlands for a holiday at the invitation of Queen Beatrix, Masako's psycharist also made the trip. Much was made of it, but he was one of 20 people who accompanied them and stayed in a hotel, the royals stayed in Queen Beatrix's private castle. There was a suggestion at the time that Queen Beatrix invited them since she really understood depression as he husband had suffered from it and so she reached out to Masako.

Masako didn't have a severe relapse when she returned to Tokyo (in May 2004), infact she was seen horse riding at the Asakasa estate where they live! But with depression, people have good days and bad days, Naruhito spoke out for his wife because he wanted to. He could see that she was ill and understood the pressure she had been under. Since then the regular updates we get tell us that Masako takes medication, she receives counselling and gets 'fatigued' probably on her bad days. We don't get a lot of information since Masako herself spoke out how annoyed she was with the media coverage of his miscarriage. This is her privacy the public are invading and the press office officials try to balance that with throwing out a few crumbs of information about her condition every so often.

Masako seems to have made the decision to devote herself to her daughter, she was attending school everyday with her for over a year. That's now stopped, but it did take up much of Masako's time, she's also active in the school PTA, well she attends the meetings! If Masako needs to allocate what she spends her energy on, fulltime royal duties are not on her agenda in the near future.

Masako does spend time 'out of the palace' and that's what she was criticised for a few years back, she was well enough to be seen around Tokyo but not do official work. She, Naruhito and Aiko spend time at the various Imperial villas where life is fairly relaxed (the Japanese Balmoral if you like), each March they ski in Nagano, (again criticisim as at the height of her illness a few years back she was seen skiing)
 
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I have told Charlotte1 some time ago that I would not answer her posts anymore. (For the reasons please see this post and for further details the pages 8 - 12 of that thread: "Criticisms of the Crown Princess and her family".)

But I think that some people who read this thread here may be interested in my source for the above description concerning the events leading to Prince Naruhito´s famous press conference in 2004. It is the German book “Prinzessin Masako – Der gefangene Schmetterling“ („Princess Masako – The encaged butterfly“), published in 2005. The authors are Martin Fritz, correspondent of the German public TV station ARD, and Yoko Kobayashi who works as a free-lance journalist in Tokyo. They say that they got a lot of their information from friends of the crown prince and princess who did not get the imperial couple´s official permission to speak but who are so concerned and worried about the overall situation that they decided “at their own risk” to talk to the two journalists, on the condition of anonymity. That the authors really got their information from these friends, is, obviously, something that they cannot prove under the circumstances. It is up to everybody to decide if they think them credible. Having read the book, I can say that neither the style of writing nor the contents give the impression of yellow press and that someone who works for the ARD has definitely a reputation to lose.

The book is, unfortunately, not available in English but I have summarized it for this forum, to be found in this thread. The relevant part for Masako´s stay at her parents´ holiday home and the prince´s motives for speaking out is “Time to go home”.

Due to recent events ;), I´d like to explicitly say that everybody who is interested in my sources is always most welcome to ask me for them. I often post them of my own accord. But sometimes when my time is limited I have to choose between posting without a source or not posting at all. Especially when I am dealing with a matter that I have addressed before in this forum, I will probably decide in such a case to post without a source. I always make efforts to write my postings to the best of my knowledge but, of course, I make absolutely no claims to infallibility. If you doubt or are just curious, please feel always free to ask me. :flowers:
 
I wonder how Masako will manage, once she becomes Empress?
Will she even become Empress if she can't perform any official duties?

I hope I'm wrong, but I don't believe Masako will get better.
She's been depressed for almost a decade, and I see very few signs of improvement (in fact, I think her condition has worsened over the years).
I doubt she will get better unless she is somehow able to leave the Imperial Household and return to private life.
 
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Crown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako and Princess Aiko waving to a crowd upon arrival at JR
Nasushiobara Station in Tochigi Prefecture on May 3, 2012. The family's visit was to spend the latter
half of the Golden Week holiday period at the local Nasu Imperial Villa.



** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 **
 
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