"I would like to express my heartfelt respect and appreciation of the comportment shown by His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus as the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people of Japan, I also swear that I will act according to the Constitution and fulfill my responsibility as the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people of Japan.I sincerely pray for the happiness of the people and the further development of the nation as well as the peace of the world."
He should have added "and you bastards had better start treating my wife right" at the end.
The imperial household was looking for a 'discreet' young woman, 'no taller, in heels, than 5 feet 4 and no older than 25,' the Washington Post reported in 1991. Masako, the daughter of a former diplomat and judge, was 27 years old at the time.
She also had a burgeoning career of her own, having studied at Harvard and Oxford before entering Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This immediately marked her out as different from every Japanese crown princess before her.
Worse still, at just over 5ft 4in, Masako was taller than Naruhito; in heels she towered over him. Shortly after the couple married in 1993, Masako was strongly rebuked in the press for the crime of speaking for around 30 seconds longer than her husband at a news conference.
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"I would like to express my heartfelt respect and appreciation of the comportment shown by His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus as the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people of Japan, I also swear that I will act according to the Constitution and fulfill my responsibility as the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people of Japan.I sincerely pray for the happiness of the people and the further development of the nation as well as the peace of the world."
He should have added "and you bastards had better start treating my wife right" at the end.
Ever since they married, Masako has been smothered by the Imperial Household and it's traditions treating her like a mannequin or a prop. Naruhito has had some (relatively) strong words towards them in the past, leading to polite show-apologies, but very little change.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6980197/How-wife-Japans-new-Emperor-struggled-life-public-eye.html
The imperial household was looking for a 'discreet' young woman, 'no taller, in heels, than 5 feet 4 and no older than 25,' the Washington Post reported in 1991. Masako, the daughter of a former diplomat and judge, was 27 years old at the time.
She also had a burgeoning career of her own, having studied at Harvard and Oxford before entering Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This immediately marked her out as different from every Japanese crown princess before her.
Worse still, at just over 5ft 4in, Masako was taller than Naruhito; in heels she towered over him. Shortly after the couple married in 1993, Masako was strongly rebuked in the press for the crime of speaking for around 30 seconds longer than her husband at a news conference.