Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako beam in family portraits

JapanSlovenian Emperor Naruhito looked in high spirits as he posed with his wife and daughter for a New Year’s portrait at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

He wore a sophisticated black suit teamed with a cream tie as he sat next to Empress Masako – who looked effortlessly chic in a white blazer and skirt – and their daughter Princess Aiko in a smiling family photo.

The trio were surrounded by beautiful traditional interiors as they marked the world saying goodbye to 2022 and welcoming the first day of 2023 today.

Smiling alongside her 62-year-old husband, the 59-year-old empress wore her chestnut locks back in a sleek style and looked stunning with a minimal coat. to make up and matching pearl jewelry.

Elsewhere, young princess Aiko, 21, stunned in a pastel dress and peach blazer as she wore her raven tresses in a half-up, half-down style, mimicking her mum with a choice of understated but pretty accessories.

Emperor Naruhito’s father – Emperor Emeritus Akihito, 89 – also appeared in holiday pictures, looking dapper as ever in a navy blue double-breasted suit.

He was pictured with his wife Empress Emerita Michiko, 88, who wore a glamorous ensemble in muted tones, featuring a square-neck top and plunging skirt.

Other family members in the happy portraits included Japan’s heir to the throne and the emperor’s younger brother, Prince Akishino, 57.

He smiled sincerely while talking to his family and flipping through a book of pictures, dressed in a simple black suit.

His wife, Princess Kiko, 56, was the picture of elegance in a cream cardigan embellished with pearl jewelery and an ornate brooch worn over a matching dress.

The couple’s children, Princess Kako, 28, and Prince Hisahito, 16, shared a smile with their parents in adorable family photos.

How – whose birthday was just days before New Year’s Eve – looked stunning in a deep pink dress, which she teamed with minimal accessories and a simple hairstyle, while her teenage brother opted for a classic black outfit.

Emperor Naruhito’s niece marked her 28th birthday with new official portraits – after taking over the official duties left by her older sister Princess Mako, who moved to New York with her commoner husband.

How she caused a storm at the Akasaka Imperial Residence in Tokyo on December 2 before celebrating her birthday a few days ago.

In the photos, the princess, dressed in a white sweater and jacket with a cream pleated skirt, was walking through a picturesque forest.

The younger daughter of Crown Prince Akishin and Crown Princess Kiko has been actively replacing her older sister Mako Komura, who reportedly moved to New York in 2021. Japan Times.

After her sister’s departure, Princess Kako took over the position of Honorary President of the Japan Tennis Association and President of the Japan Kogei Association.

Also this year, she visited the events of the city’s green infrastructure, which her sister attended.

The former Princess Mako has been reported to be working as an unpaid volunteer at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art after giving up her title – and a $1.3 million payout – to marry her “common sense” college sweetheart.

In November, it was revealed that Maka’s husband, Kei Komuro, had passed the bar exam in New York after two failed attempts.

Meanwhile, Mako works at the museum’s famous collection of Asian art, helping to put together an exhibition of paintings inspired by the life of a 13th-century monk who introduced Buddhism to Japan. Japan Times.

The Upper East Side Museum is a 10-minute drive from the luxury one-bedroom apartment in Hell’s Kitchen that she shares with husband and aspiring lawyer Kei Komura, 30.

The couple were engaged for eight years before tying the knot in a small civil ceremony in Tokyo last October.

Since only non-royal male members of the Japanese imperial family are allowed to marry, Mako’s decision to marry for love means that she is no longer considered a princess and any future sons will not be in the line of succession to the empire.

Mako and Kei met in 2013 when they were both studying at the International Christian University outside Tokyo, where she studied art and cultural heritage. She then worked as a special researcher at the Tokyo University Museum.

Earlier this year, Crown Prince Akishino officially became Crown Prince following the accession of Emperor Naruhito in 2019.

Nahurito, who ascended the throne himself after the abdication of his father, Emperor Akihito, has no male heir, and under Japanese succession rules only a man can ascend to the throne.

In April, Crown Prince Akishino traveled to Ise’s sacred shrine, Mie, where he performed a ritual known as Rikkoshi no Rei, which is requested of all heirs to the Chrysanthemum Throne.

The ritual first began in 2020, when Nahurito had to send emissaries across Japan to locations with strong ties to the Imperial Family to announce that Fujimito would be his heir.

The sites included Ise Jingu, a Shinto shrine complex in Mie Prefecture, the mausoleum of Emperor Jinmu, Japan’s mythical first emperor, in Nara Prefecture, and the mausoleum of Emperor Showa, Emperor Naruhito’s grandfather.

After the envoys reported the news, ceremonies were held in each place.

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