A Rare Peek Inside Japan’s Royal Family: Their Instagram Debut Has Everyone Buzzing
Known to be extremely private, the new account was quietly unveiled earlier this week
Japan’s royal family, typically known to stay out of the spotlight, has just joined Instagram sharing several posts on Monday and acquiring close to half a million followers in less than 48 hours
Posts on the account, @kunaichi_jp (the name for the Imperial Household Agency in Japanese), currently entail the family’s public duties. The first set of pictures shared on the page showed Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako sitting on a sofa with their 22-year-old daughter Princess Aiko.
The creation of an account for the royal family was announced last week and set to private until it went live on Monday.
The photos, which were taken on New Year’s Day, became the family’s official debut on the platform.
The most recent series of pictures, shared on Tuesday, showed the royal couple visiting areas in the Noto Peninsula that were hit by an earthquake in January.
It was reported that the Imperial Household Agency said that the launch of the account was part of an attempt to give the general public a better understanding of the family’s official commitments and that joining Instagram was a move to connect with the youth of Japan.
As of now, the posts remain highly formal, with a focus on royal duties and brief captions limited to the description of the pictures and no candid moments. Instagram users are also only allowed to Like the posts and the comment section is restricted.
About The Imperial House of Japan
The Japanese royal family originates in traditional Japanese mythology that dates back over 2000 years.
Following the abdication of his father, Akihito, who became the first emperor to step down in more than two centuries, Emperor Naruhito acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1st, 2019, in a traditional ceremony. His assumption of the role marked the beginning of the Reiwa era.
Emperor Naruhito’s mother, Michiko, was the first commoner to marry into the Japanese Imperial Family.
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Lead image courtesy of Instagram/@kunaicho_jp