Crown Princess Masako, who has been recuperating from a health problem since December 2003, has begun attending more official functions. On Nov. 1 and 2, the crown princess took an overnight trip for the first time in three years and 10 months, to Iwate Prefecture, which was hit hard by tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake. She also attended a tea party at the Imperial Palace in honor of recipients of the 2013 Order of Culture awards.
Although it is too early to declare her fully recovered, the crown princess’ health condition became better after she visited the Netherlands with Crown Prince Naruhito this past spring, according to officials in the Imperial Household Agency. During a visit to a temporary housing complex in the afternoon of Nov. 2 in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, Princess Masako talked to elderly people for nearly an hour, bending down to give comforting words to those who sat in chairs, with her face close to them. While visiting a day service center for the elderly, the princess greeted everyone with a broad smile while the elderly did physical exercises. The crown princess did not seem to have fatigue even after the rare overnight stay in Morioka the previous night. [...]
Crown Princess Masako attended 13 meetings held at the crown prince’s palace, including those with Japanese envoys who were assigned to foreign countries and with specialists who briefed the royal couple about issues in various fields from July 1 to Nov. 11 this year. She also attended a total of seven events held in Tokyo outside the palace during the same period, compared to two at the Crown Prince’s Palace and one within Tokyo during the same period last year. [...]
Improvements in her health have been apparent if one looks at events the crown princess attended this year. In the past, events with big crowds were avoided as, “Such an occasion may give too much stress,” to the crown princess, according to an attendant of the crown prince’s family. However, Crown Princess Masako and the crown prince went up to a podium for the first time in 4½ years at a ceremony of the International Youth Exchange Programs of the Cabinet Office in September. The crown princess also attended an opening ceremony of the annual national sports festival for people with disabilities held at Tokyo’s Ajinomoto Stadium packed with about 26,000 athletes and spectators in October.
Two days of official duties in a row was a rarity so as not to make the crown princess tired. However, Princess Masako watched a basketball game, among other events, the day after she attended the opening ceremony for the sports festival for the disabled. [...]
“If the expectation for her to fulfill official duties comes too early, it may bring about a counterproductive result. [The crown princess] needs to widen the scope of activities with a proper balance while taking her private life into consideration,” an official close to the crown princess said.
Thank you for your posts, iceflower. I think that CP Masako is doing better. This makes three public appearances in about a month. We haven't seen that for awhile.
), this time it actually does seem as if there was some reason to hope. She attended the 20th anniversary ceremony of the International Youth Exchange September 26 on the podium, along with her husband. That was for the first time since 2009! 
(In the meantime, if she did attend such an event at all, she sat in the audience.) Besides, she joined her husband at the concert rather unexpectedly because she felt better. In recent years, we have most of the time rather heard the contrary, of her cancelling engagements at the last minute because she felt worse.
