[...]At a news conference ahead of his 53rd birthday in February, Naruhito paid tribute to his 49-year-old wife for standing by him through thick and thin. “Masako must have gone through many hardships, but I thank her from the bottom of my heart for helping and supporting me,” he said.
One of the “hardships” was the unrelenting pressure on her to produce a male heir. Princess Aiko, the couple’s only child, was born in December 2001. “We were under enormous pressure,” Naruhito recalled in a statement on their 10th wedding anniversary. “Masako must have gone through difficult days.” [...]
In recent years, it has become almost customary for Naruhito to fulfill his official duties alone in Japan and abroad. Masayasu Hosaka, a nonfiction writer versed in the imperial family, said Naruhito and Masako can choose to develop their own style in how they perform official duties. He said the way the imperial family conducts its business has been varied over generations, although Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko established a style of acting together. “If reasons are clearly explained, the crown prince can usually perform official duties and attend ceremonies on his own, while the crown princess takes part as much as possible, giving priority to her treatment,” Hosaka said. [...]
Toshu Ogawa, an 85-year-old calligrapher, has known Masako for 30 years. [...] When he was visiting Harvard University, Ogawa used to invite Japanese students to parties. But Masako would always return to her room at a certain time to study. “She puts in enormous efforts without being noticed by those around her,” Ogawa said. [...]