[FONT=TimesNewRomanPSMT, serif]Engagement photo[/FONT]
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Crown prince and princess, the princess in kimono[/FONT]
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The young couple looking very much comme il faut
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Masako: pretty in pink[/FONT]
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Crown prince and princess hiking: “See that over there?”[/FONT]
[FONT=TimesNewRomanPSMT, serif]Masako visiting the Gulf States[/FONT]
[FONT=TimesNewRomanPSMT, serif]The family in the rain[/FONT]
[FONT=TimesNewRomanPSMT, serif]Naruhito “protecting” his girls[/FONT]
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Little Aiko´s "koen debut"[/FONT] (click to enlarge)
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I think the term “koen-debut” should be explained. The "koen-debut" is a sort of ritual for little Japanese children (and their mothers), their first visit to a public playground. Nice conversation (for the mothers – with the other mothers who already "belong" to this place) and pretty clothing (for mother and child) are required. It is something commoners usually do, though, not imperial children. That the crown prince and princess took their little daughter in May 2003 to a playground close to their home - not a very special one that one would expect for a royal child to frequent, but quite an ordinary one that is situated between two big roads, so it is rather noisy - was a statement. It showed that they wanted to be close to “normal” Japanese people. The first time just Masako went with Aiko, the second time Naruhito accompanied them and they all behaved as if they were but the friendly family next door. But somebody – probably somebody close to the crown prince and princess – must have informed the media in advance about when they intended to go there again. As a consequence, camera teams, newspaper journalists and lots of housewives living close by were crowding the usually not much frequented park. That is why we have these nice photos. But it is improbable that it is this what the prince and princess originally intended.
[FONT=TimesNewRomanPSMT, serif]Aiko laughing with her mother[/FONT]
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A nice pic of the crown prince family with the Dutch royals[/FONT]
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Little Aiko with a tiara (please do not ask me for the occasion but must have been recently)[/FONT]