Princess Kako, the second daughter of Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, arrived in Greece on May twenty sixth, marking her third official abroad engagement. This go to commemorates the a hundred and twenty fifth anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Greece.

Despite an extended journey of over 22 hours, Kako greeted the press with a smile. She visited the Acropolis and noticed the restoration of the Parthenon, a UNESCO World Heritage web site.

Earlier this 12 months, Kako participated in additional than 40 official duties, together with attending a women’ highschool baseball match and inspecting Arita porcelain. Prior to her journey, she attended a luncheon on the Greek Ambassador’s residence in Japan, the place she impressed the attendees together with her questions on Greek historical past and tradition, even talking a little bit of Greek.

The go to is a part of the broader duties undertaken by the Japanese Imperial household, who collectively engaged in over 150 official actions since April. However, there’s rising dialogue in regards to the sustainability of those duties as a result of shrinking variety of royal relations.

As of now, there are 17 members within the Imperial household, with solely three eligible male heirs. The debate continues on how to make sure the steady succession of the Chrysanthemum Throne, with some suggesting that feminine members stay within the household after marriage, whereas others suggest adopting male members from former branches of the Imperial household.

The dialogue on Imperial household duties and succession displays a broader societal shift. Recent surveys present that 84% of the Japanese public help permitting feminine succession, whereas solely 10% consider it ought to stay restricted to males. Experts argue that adapting the succession guidelines to up to date societal norms, together with the potential for a feminine emperor, can be helpful for the way forward for the monarchy.

Source: ANN