Tag - imperial-family

 
Menu
Search
 
June 30, 2026
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

IMPERIAL FAMILY

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, seen with other imperial family members, walk down a hill to greet guests during a spring garden party at the Akasaka Palace's imperial garden in Tokyo in April.
JAPAN
Jun 30, 2026
Japan adopts bill to revise Imperial House Law
The government aims to enact the bill during the ongoing Diet session, currently scheduled to end on July 17.
The ruling party lawmaker Hirofumi Nakasone said on Sunday that no one would marry Princess Aiko if she ascended the imperial throne while unmarried, prompting criticism.
JAPAN
Jun 30, 2026
LDP’s Hirofumi Nakasone regrets remark on Princess Aiko
In a speech in Toyama Prefecture on Sunday, the lawmaker added that no one would marry the princess if she were to succeed to the throne while unmarried.
Emperor Naruhito visits KU Leuven's library with Belgian King Philippe in the city of Leuven on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jun 25, 2026
Emperor thanks Netherlands and Belgium for warm welcome
The imperial couple’s visit included trips to a monument to the war dead in Amsterdam and a semiconductor research center in Belgium.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako sign the guest book at the Royal Palace, accompanied by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, in Brussels, on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Jun 24, 2026
Emperor Naruhito wishes for lasting friendship at Belgian banquet
The event comes as the two countries mark 160 years of diplomatic ties.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako lay a wreath at the National Monument at Dam Square in Amsterdam on June 17, as part of a three-day visit to the Netherlands.
JAPAN
Jun 23, 2026
Nagasaki hibakusha recalls wartime conversations with Dutch prisoner of war
Contact with foreigners was prohibited at the time, but Shohei Tsuiki wanted to try out the English he had started learning.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako with Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde at the Royal Castle of Ciergnon in Houyet, Belgium, on Sunday
JAPAN
Jun 22, 2026
Emperor and empress dine at a castle with Belgium’s royal family
They enjoyed their meal at a garden of the Royal Castle of Ciergnon near the town of Ciergnon in the municipality of Houyet, southern Belgium, for about an hour and a half.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are greeted by Belgian Princess Elisabeth as they arrive at the Melsbroek Air Base of the Belgian Air Force near Brussels on Saturday.
JAPAN
Jun 21, 2026
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako arrive in Belgium
The couple’s visit, their first to the country since 1999, follows their trip to Netherlands last week.
Eisuke Mori (second from right), speaker of the House of Representatives, speaks to reporters in Tokyo's Nagatacho area on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 20, 2026
Parliament leaders OK outline of Imperial House Law amendment bill
The outline calls for allowing male members of the male line of former imperial family branches who are 15 or over to be adopted into the family.
Emperor Naruhito and Dutch King Willem-Alexander pose for a photo in the “Sweat Room” at Leiden University, where it is a tradition for graduating students to write their names on the walls, in Leiden, the Netherlands, on Thursday.
JAPAN
Jun 19, 2026
Emperor talks with students at Leiden University on Netherlands visit
The oldest university in the Netherlands, established in 1575, is the only one in the country offering Japanese studies.
Emperor Naruhito delivers remarks at a luncheon hosted by Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten at the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague on Thursday.
JAPAN
Jun 19, 2026
Emperor Naruhito attends luncheon in The Hague
The emperor said he hopes the friendly and cooperative ties between Japan and the Netherlands will become deeper and more multifaceted for next-generation youths and children.
Over 53% of respondents to a recent survey support a plan to reduce 45 of the 176 proportional representation seats in the Lower House.
JAPAN
Jun 18, 2026
38% back parliament’s proposal on imperial family, poll shows
The government and the ruling coalition aim to enact the revision during the current parliamentary session ending July 17.
Emperor Naruhito (left) gives a speech as the Netherlands' King Willem-Alexander listens during a state banquet at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jun 18, 2026
Emperor makes wish for peace at banquet hosted by Dutch king and queen
Reflecting on World War II, when Japan and the Netherlands were on opposing sides, the emperor expressed hopes that both countries continue to walk together for peace.
Emperor Naruhito visits Het Loo Palace, a museum adjacent to Het Oude Loo Castle, in the Netherlands on Monday.
JAPAN
Jun 16, 2026
Emperor Naruhito visits palace museum in Netherlands
The emperor viewed exhibits such as paintings by court painters and toured rooms and a chapel while receiving briefings from the museum’s head, the Imperial Household Agency said.
(Left to right) Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, Dutch Queen Maxima and Dutch King Willem-Alexander in Apeldoorn in the Netherlands on Sunday
JAPAN
Jun 15, 2026
Emperor and empress watch World Cup match with Dutch royals
According to the Imperial Household Agency, the Dutch side suggested the two couples watch the group match, held in Arlington, Texas, together on television.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako arrived at Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam on Saturday
JAPAN
Jun 14, 2026
Imperial couple’s European trip ‘significant,’ expert says
The emperor and empress arrived in Amsterdam on Saturday on a two-week trip. Their family has strong ties with the royal families of both the Netherlands and Belgium.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attend the New Year's Greetings ceremony with Crown Prince Akishino, Crown Princess Kiko and other Imperial Family members at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Jan. 1.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 14, 2026
Japan is running out of royals. Are more men the answer?
The Japanese legislature has moved forward with a proposal to allow the imperial family to adopt scores of distant male relatives.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a House of Councillors budget committee session at the Diet in Tokyo on June 5.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 14, 2026
Japan opposition raps Takaichi over imperial law revision
Some opposition lawmakers said that her move could undermine previous discussions held by the Diet to form its consensus on the measures.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako arrived at Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam on Saturday.
JAPAN
Jun 14, 2026
Japan’s emperor and empress arrive in Netherlands
The couple will attend a welcoming ceremony and a banquet hosted by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima and lay flowers at a war memorial.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara holds a news conference at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 12, 2026
Japanese government starts work to draft Imperial House Law amendment
The government hopes to submit the legislation to the Diet late this month, aiming to secure its enactment during the ongoing parliamentary session.
Emperor Naruhito speaks at a news conference about his upcoming visit to the Netherlands and Belgium, in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2026
Emperor Naruhito seeks public backing for an imperial family plan
Emperor Naruhito refrained from commenting on the content of the recent consensus proposal by lawmakers.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets stage joint patrol near Japan
A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber is seen during a joint patrol with Russian military aircraft on Saturday.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

New Logistics Consortium baton to accelerate trucking efficiency
New Logistics Consortium baton to accelerate trucking efficiency

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER