Japan's imperial family has embraced social media by joining Instagram and expanding its online presence. The Imperial Household Agency (IHA) posted 19 images on Instagram, featuring Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, and their daughter, Princess Aiko, during various engagements from the first three months of the year. The move marks a significant shift in the agency's management of the family's senior members and is seen as a response to negative media coverage of Princess Mako's controversial marriage. The IHA is also considering opening accounts on Facebook and Twitter, although there are no plans for individual members of the imperial family to upload their own images. The account had garnered more than 270,000 followers by Monday evening. The agency hopes that social media will help bring the royal family closer to the people and allow them to control the narrative and respond to disinformation. [6b08842e] [d2a23747]
At the annual spring garden party hosted by the imperial couple at the Akasaka Imperial Garden in Tokyo on April 23, the spouses of the invited guests did not have their full names on their nametags. The nametags for wives read 'Wife of (husband's full name)' and the nametags for husbands read 'Husband of (wife's full name)'. The omission of spouses' first names on the nametags drew criticism on social media, with users calling it disrespectful and treating partners as accessories. The Imperial Household Agency, responsible for making the nametags, stated that the practice is in line with precedents and has no plans to change the rules at this stage. However, there used to be a time when only the nametags for wives omitted their full names, while husbands had their first names included. Experts attribute this practice to the influence of the prewar 'family system' and a lack of awareness of the right to be called by one's own name. They argue that the omission of full names on the nametags is an infringement of personal rights and urge the Imperial Household Agency to view it as a human rights issue and make improvements. [17b2ed49]