Compared to Other Royal Families, the Opening Was Somewhat Late
Direct Messages and Comments Are Not Allowed
Princess Aiko, Only Daughter of the Emperor and Empress, Starts Her First Day at Work on the 1st
The Japanese Imperial Family has begun official promotional activities using Instagram. The Imperial Household Agency, which is responsible for the Japanese Imperial Family, posted 19 posts on Instagram starting from the 1st, along with an introduction stating, "This is the official account of the Imperial Household Agency to inform you about the activities of Their Majesties the Emperor (Naruhito) and Empress." Most of the photos featured official appearances of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako. Direct messages (DMs) or comments cannot be posted on the Imperial Household Agency's account. This is to prevent users from publicly posting opinions about the imperial couple.
Emperor Naruhito (left) and Princess Aiko [Image source=Captured from the Japanese Imperial Family SNS]
The Japanese Imperial Family's launch of an Instagram account is somewhat late compared to other royal families. The British Royal Family created their Instagram account in March 2013 and currently has 13.4 million followers. In addition to Instagram, the British Royal Family communicates with the public through X (formerly Twitter) and other platforms. The Danish Royal Family's Instagram account is actively used, with 1.06 million followers and 3,521 posts.
Until last year, the Imperial Household Agency was closed and conservative, only using its internet homepage to inform the public about official royal activities after establishing a public relations office. The late creation of the Instagram account by the Imperial Household Agency reflects the necessity to actively raise awareness of the Japanese Imperial Family among younger generations. In the past, the Japanese Imperial Family was deified and showed itself to the public in a limited way. However, recently, especially among younger generations in Japan, there have been ongoing demands that the Imperial Family, maintained by taxpayers' money, properly carry out their official duties.
The Imperial Household Agency, responsible for the Japanese royal family, posted 19 posts on Instagram starting from the 1st, with an introduction stating, "This is the official account of the Imperial Household Agency to inform you about the activities of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress." [Photo by Imperial Household Agency Instagram]
Furthermore, another reason the Japanese Imperial Family has started using social networking services (SNS) is that a lack of communication with the public has previously caused significant damage to their image. In 2021, Princess Mako, niece of Emperor Naruhito, married commoner lawyer Kei Komuro, which sparked controversy due to financial issues involving Komuro's mother. At that time, the Japanese Imperial Family did not actively respond to the controversy, which was criticized for further damaging their image. In response, the Japanese Imperial Family has recently been actively appearing and expanding communication with the public, unlike before.
Meanwhile, interest in the Imperial Household Agency's Instagram within Japan is high. About 420,000 people followed the account within a day of its launch. The most popular post was a photo taken on the 8th when Princess Aiko, the only daughter of the imperial couple, received a job briefing from the president of the Japanese Red Cross Society. This photo received over 56,000 likes. Princess Aiko started her social life by reporting for her first day at the Japanese Red Cross Society on the 1st.
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