Category Archives: Imperial Family of Japan

Imperial Family of Japan

Japan’s National Diet Approves Landmark Imperial House Law Reform

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Portrait courtesy of Kunaichō/Imperial Household Agency

In Tokyo, Japan’s National Diet has approved legislation to revise the Imperial House Law following final passage by the House of Councillors this morning. The legislation represents one of the most significant reforms affecting the Imperial Family of Japan in decades. It is intended to address the continuing decline in the number of working members of the Imperial Family.

The House of Councillors, the upper house of the National Diet (Japan’s parliament), approved the measure by a vote of 184 to 57, one week after it passed the House of Representatives.

Under the revised law, female members of the Imperial Family will be permitted to remain in the Imperial Household after marrying a commoner, ending the long-standing requirement that Imperial women relinquish their Imperial status upon marriage. The legislation also authorizes the adoption of male-line descendants from former Imperial branch families that lost their Imperial status under post-war reforms following World War II. Lawmakers rejected an opposition proposal that sought to remove the adoption provision before the bill received final approval.

The legislation does not alter Japan’s rules of Imperial succession. The Chrysanthemum Throne will continue to pass exclusively through the male line under the current Imperial House Law, meaning Her Imperial Highness Princess Aiko, Princess Toshi, remains outside the line of succession.

The reforms are intended to strengthen the Imperial Household by increasing the number of family members available to carry out official duties while leaving the question of female succession unchanged. Whether women should one day be permitted to inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne remains a separate issue and was not addressed by the revised legislation.

The revised Imperial House Law will enter into force three months after its official promulgation.

Imperial Family of Japan

The Imperial Family of Japan Visits Fukushima to Mark 15th Anniversary of 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami

This afternoon, Their Imperial Majesties Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan, accompanied by Her Imperial Highness Princess Aiko of Japan, began their two-day official visit to the Fukushima Prefecture in northeastern Japan.

The visit is being held to mark the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011.

During the visit, the Imperial Family will pay tribute to the victims, visit facilities that document the disaster and subsequent reconstruction, and meet with residents affected by the events to observe ongoing recovery efforts in the region.

The visit began in the town of Futaba, where the Imperial Family visited the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum. They laid flowers in memory of the victims and met with local residents.

Tomorrow, the Imperial Family will continue their visit to Fukushima Prefecture, including a visit to a disaster memorial facility in Tomioka. They are also expected to attend classes at an educational facility in Okuma, located near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

The Imperial Family is also expected to stop at a roadside station in Namie, a town heavily affected by the 2011 disaster and subsequent nuclear evacuation, before returning to Tokyo later that day.

Imperial Family of Japan, Monaco Princely Family, Princely Family of Monaco

Princess Akiko of Mikasa Opens Journée du Japon à Monaco: Celebrating 20 Years of Diplomatic Relations Between Japan and Monaco

  • Photos courtesy of the Palais Princier de Monaco/Sarah Steck
  • Photos courtesy of the Palais Princier de Monaco/Sarah Steck
  • Photos courtesy of the Palais Princier de Monaco/Sarah Steck
  • Photos courtesy of the Palais Princier de Monaco/Sarah Steck
  • Photos courtesy of the Palais Princier de Monaco/Sarah Steck
  • Photos courtesy of the Palais Princier de Monaco/Sarah Steck

In the quartier of Larvotto, Monaco, Her Imperial Highness Princess Akiko of Mikasa, Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco, and Mr. Louis Ducruet, presided over the opening ceremony of Journée du Japon à Monaco, held along the esplanade of the Grimaldi Forum.

The event forms part of commemorations marking the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Principality of Monaco. Formal ties between the two countries were established on December 14th, 2006, and have since developed through sustained cultural exchange and official visits between the Imperial Family of Japan and the Princely Family of Monaco.

The main program, staged along the esplanade of the Grimaldi Forum, featured a Japanese handicrafts exhibition alongside cultural presentations highlighting both traditional and contemporary Japanese arts, including musical and dance performances. The program also included demonstrations and workshops introducing traditional techniques, including washi paper crafting. 

Additional activities are taking place at the Jardin Japonais in Larvotto, extending the program across multiple sites and underscoring the cultural dimension of the bilateral anniversary.

The initiative reflects the continued emphasis placed by both Japan and the Principality of Monaco on cultural diplomacy as a means of strengthening bilateral relations.

This evening,  the Princess will attend the 70th edition of the Bal de la Rose to be held inside the Salle des Étoiles at the Sporting Monte-Carlo.

Imperial Family of Japan, Monaco Princely Family, Princely Family of Monaco

Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco Open the 14th Edition of the Sainte-Dévote Rugby Tournament

  • Photos courtesy of the Palais Princier de Monaco/Sarah Steck
  • Photos courtesy of the Palais Princier de Monaco/Sarah Steck
  • Photos courtesy of the Palais Princier de Monaco/Sarah Steck
  • Photos courtesy of the Palais Princier de Monaco/Sarah Steck
  • Photos courtesy of the Palais Princier de Monaco/Sarah Steck

In Fontvieille, Their Serene Highnesses Albert II of Monaco and Charlene of Monaco, accompanied by Her Serene Highness Princess Gabriella of Monaco, Her Imperial Highness Princess Akiko of Mikasa, and Mr. Gareth Wittstock, attended the opening ceremony of the 14th edition of the Sainte-Dévote Rugby Tournament at Stade Louis-II.

Organized by the Fondation Princesse Charlène de Monaco, with the support of the Fédération Monégasque de Rugby, the annual tournament brings together youth teams from around the world, promoting the values of discipline, teamwork, and inclusion through sport.

A total of 24 teams representing 23 nations are participating in this year’s two-day competition, including delegations from South Africa, Argentina, Japan, the United States, France, and the United Arab Emirates. The 2026 edition marks the first participation of a team from Japan, reflecting the tournament’s expanding international reach.

Princess Akiko of Mikasa, President of the Japan Rugby Football Union and an official guest of the Princely Couple, attended the opening events alongside the princely family. Princess Charlene, who serves as President of the Fédération Monégasque de Rugby, emphasized the broader significance of the tournament.

“Rugby is a remarkable school of life, and the Sainte-Dévote Tournament is a vehicle for peace,” she said. “On the field, young players from diverse cultures discover solidarity, humility, and trust in others. These are values that extend far beyond sport.”

The opening ceremony featured a parade of nations followed by the Monégasque national anthem, after which the first matches were held on the Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella of Monaco pitches.

Earlier in the day, the initiative Rugby for All introduced schoolchildren from across the Principality, as well as young adults with disabilities, to the sport, underscoring the tournament’s commitment to accessibility and social inclusion.

Belgian Royals, Imperial Family of Japan, Royal Family of Belgium

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians to Host a State Visit by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan Marking 160 Years of Diplomatic Relations

  • Portrait courtesy of La Monarchie Belge
  • Portrait courtesy of Kunaichō (the Imperial Household Agency)

On Thursday, the Government of Japan announced that Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians will host an incoming state visit from Their Imperial Majesties Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan in mid to late June 2026.

The visit will take place on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Belgium and Japan.

In a statement issued by the Chief Cabinet Secretary of the Government of Japan, Minoru Kihara, noted that exchanges between the Imperial Family of Japan and the Royal Family of Belgium have long played an important role in strengthening the close and friendly relations between the two countries. He added that preparations for the visit are proceeding following repeated invitations extended by the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium.

Diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Belgium and Japan date back to  August 1st, 1866, when the two countries signed the Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation. The agreement was concluded during the final years of the Tokugawa period, at a time when Japan was establishing formal diplomatic and commercial relations with a number of Western countries following the end of its long period of relative isolation.

The Kingdom of Belgium was among the early European countries to establish sustained diplomatic ties with Japan. In the decades that followed, relations between the two countries expanded through diplomacy, trade, and cultural exchange.

In October 1921, His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Hirohito of Japan, the future Emperor Hirohito, visited the Kingdom of Belgium during his tour of Europe. During the visit, the Crown Prince was received by King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth of the Belgians.

Exchanges between the Royal Family of Belgium and the Imperial Family of Japan have continued as part of the broader diplomatic relationship between the two countries. The forthcoming visit by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will mark the latest chapter in those relations.

Imperial Family of Japan

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan to Host an Official Visit from the President and First Lady of the French Republic

  • Portrait courtesy of Kunaichō (the Imperial Household Agency)

In Tokyo, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan announced that Their Imperial Majesties Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan will host an incoming official visit from the President and the First Lady of the French Republic, Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron, on Tuesday, March 31st to April 2nd, 2026.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also noted that Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will host a luncheon at the Imperial Palace in honor of the presidential couple, which will be preceded by a meeting between the Imperial Couple and the presidential couple.

The Ministry added that the official visit is intended to “further strengthen Japan–France relations,” describing the partnership between the two nations as an “Exceptional Partner” founded on shared fundamental values and principles.

Dutch Royal Family, Imperial Family of Japan

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands to Host State Visit by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan

  • Portrait courtesy of Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (RVD)/Anton Corbijn
  • Portrait courtesy of Kunaichō (Imperial Household Agency)
  • Photo courtesy of Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (RVD

In Den Haag, it was announced that Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands will host an incoming state visit from Their Imperial Majesties Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan in the second half of June 2026.

The Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (RVD) noted that the visit will reaffirm the longstanding relationship between Japan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The state visit will focus on cooperation in areas including security, innovation, defense, economic resilience, and international law.

The relations between the two countries date back to 1600, when the Dutch ship De Liefde arrived in Japan. The ship’s pilot, William Adams, later entered the service of the Tokugawa shogunate and became one of the first Western advisers to the shogun.

In 1609, the Dutch East India Company established a trading post in Hirado. After Japan restricted most foreign contact in the seventeenth century, the Dutch remained the only Western traders permitted to operate in the country, relocating their commercial station in 1641 to the island of Dejima in Nagasaki.

Dutch merchants continued to operate from Dejima until 1859, when Japan reopened to international trade at the end of the Tokugawa period. The Dutch presence was maintained in part because their activities were primarily commercial, and they did not pursue missionary work in Japan.

During this period of limited international contact, exchanges between Japanese scholars and Dutch merchants and physicians contributed to the development of Rangaku, through which European scientific and medical knowledge entered Japan.

Modern diplomatic relations continue to reflect this historical connection. In 2000, Their Majesties Emperor Akihito of Japan and Empress Michiko of Japan paid a state visit to the Netherlands, marking the 400th anniversary of relations between the two countries.

In October 2014, Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima paid a state visit to Japan. In October 2019, the King and Queen attended the enthronement ceremonies of Emperor Naruhito in Tokyo. In May 2025, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander visited Japan to attend World Expo 2025 in Osaka.

Relations between the Royal Family of the Netherlands and the Imperial Family of Japan reflect the longstanding diplomatic relationship between the two countries.