Far from photographs of sunrises, sunsets or moments of mindfulness that form the stock-in-trade of many Instagram profiles, the initial images released followed a steady course favoured by other royal families around the world. They featured a dignified attendance at a medical awards ceremony, a bonsai exhibition and a meeting with the president and first lady of Kenya. Another post features the family with the crown prince and princess of Brunei.
One clip shows a 64th-birthday gathering, but rather than intimate footage of family singing around a cake, it features large crowds waving Japanese flags outside the imperial palace while Emperor Naruhito waves from the balcony.
Nineteen posts were uploaded by the Imperial Household Agency (IHA) on one day, including images of Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter, Princess Aiko, during engagements from the first three months of 2024.
This story is from the April 02, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the April 02, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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