"Do You Write 'Queen' When Registering Online?"... Queen Akiko Answers on Radio [Japan Insight]

Queen Akiko Hosts "All Night Nippon" Radio Show
Japanese Royal Family Focuses on YouTube and Instagram
Continued Efforts to Build a Friendly Image Amid Negative Public Opinion

The biggest difference between South Korea and Japan is the existence of a royal family. Japan still has a royal family, as well as the Imperial Household Agency, which is the administrative body responsible for it. The Japanese media consistently reports on the royal family's schedule. Recently, the Japanese queen appeared on a radio show and shared details about her daily life, drawing public attention. In recent years, the Japanese royal family has not only appeared on radio but has also created YouTube and Instagram accounts, taking steps to become more accessible to the public. Japanese media interpret these moves as a response to increasing criticism of the royal family. Today, we bring you the story of Queen Akiko's radio appearance and related developments concerning the Japanese royal family.

In Japan, the title of "queen" is given to the great-granddaughters of the emperor. Granddaughters are given the title "naishinnou." Therefore, even though the title is "queen," it is translated as "Princess" in English. Akiko is called Queen Akiko because she is the great-granddaughter of Emperor Taisho, who ascended the throne in 1912.

Queen Akiko appeared on the radio show 'All Night Nippon.' All Night Nippon X account.

The Japanese royal family is frequently the subject of controversy, but Queen Akiko tends to receive less criticism. After graduating from Gakushuin, the royal family’s school, she studied Oriental Studies at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom and earned a Ph.D. in Japanese art history. At the time, there were reports noting that she was the first woman in the Japanese royal family to earn a doctorate. Of course, being part of the royal family means she had the financial means to study abroad, but this is different from Prince Hisahito, who faced controversy for allegedly receiving special admission to university due to "dragonfly research." A book she wrote about her experiences studying abroad became a bestseller, selling over 300,000 copies. Now, she puts her expertise in art history to use as the president of the association "Shinyusha," which works to preserve Japanese culture?a role she mentioned with affection on the radio show.

On April 21, Queen Akiko hosted a special broadcast celebrating the 70th anniversary of Nippon Broadcasting's flagship radio program "All Night Nippon." The program aired for two hours starting at 6:00 p.m. It was a pre-recorded broadcast, not live. She appeared on the show at the recommendation of a family member, following in the footsteps of her father, who appeared in 1975. She personally announced the title, saying, "Queen Akiko's All Night Nippon." Guests included a kabuki actor and a comic storyteller who are close to her family, creating a relaxed talk show atmosphere.

Queen Akiko's radio appearance drew attention right from her opening greeting. Instead of using the common Japanese greetings "konnichiwa" or "konbanwa," she greeted listeners with "gokigenyo." Are you familiar with this phrase? It is a greeting rarely used in modern Japanese, originally reserved for the imperial court. Ordinary people rarely use it; it is mainly used by members of the royal family or by students at Gakushuin, the private school attended by royal family members. Translated into Korean, it would be an extremely respectful expression akin to "Have you been well?" or "Have you been in good health?" She explained, "There is rarely an occasion to use 'konnichiwa' or 'konbanwa' in the royal family. Sometimes, when I meet someone while out for a walk, they greet me like this. I thought using a greeting that feels more natural to me, rather than something unfamiliar, would be better, so I chose to greet everyone with 'gokigenyo' this time."

She also said, "There have been many news stories about my hospitalization or my books becoming popular, but I have never received such a strong response as I have since it was announced I would be on this radio program," adding, "I felt a lot of pressure as I recorded the show." She admitted, "Actually, I'm not very good at speaking," her voice trembling with nerves.

She also showed a down-to-earth side. During the talk, she was asked, "How do you fill out your name when registering as a member on internet shopping sites or websites?" Members of the royal family are typically referred to by their title and given name, not by a surname and given name, as is the case with Queen Akiko. She candidly replied, "On sites run by acquaintances, I enter 'Akiko' as my surname and 'Queen' as my given name." She added, "But on sites where I feel I shouldn't use that, I write 'Mikasa' as the surname?since I belong to the Mikasa-no-miya family?and 'Akiko' as the given name."

Regarding always being addressed as "Queen," she explained, "Queen is not an honorific, but simply a rank. It's just one of the various ranks within the royal family. In fact, calling me 'Queen Akiko' is the same as calling someone by their name." She went on to say, "Some people add 'Your Highness' to be more respectful, but 'Queen Your Highness' is redundant, like 'jjigae nabe' (a tautological expression similar to the Korean dish 'dakdoritang,' where 'dori' and 'dak' both mean chicken)." She also revealed that she is a fan of the high school baseball championship "Koshien" and often cries during the finals and closing ceremonies, and that she enjoys visiting manga cafes. The radio show is even available on YouTube for anyone to listen to.

Starting with radio appearances, the Japanese royal family is now putting significant effort into shaping a more approachable image through social networking services (SNS). Since April 1, the Imperial Household Agency has launched a royal family YouTube channel, posting videos of the royal family's inner workings and state banquets. They have also created an Instagram account, which has gained over 1.9 million followers.

The YouTube channel of the Japanese Imperial Household Agency. Imperial Household Agency YouTube.

Japanese media attribute this to the backlash on social media following scandals such as Princess Mako, niece of Emperor Naruhito, marrying a commoner and moving to the United States, subsequent allegations of special treatment, and controversy over Princess Kako hiring a personal photographer. Since the royal family lives on taxpayer money and is continually embroiled in controversy, public opinion has soured. In response, the Imperial Household Agency established a public relations office in April 2023 to work on improving the royal family's image. However, there has been criticism that most followers are over 45 years old, making it difficult to connect with younger generations.

Japan is currently focused on creating this more down-to-earth image for the royal family. While Queen Akiko is seen as part of this image, how she is perceived in South Korea remains a matter for consideration. It is also worth noting that Queen Akiko regularly visits Yasukuni Shrine, which enshrines war criminals. She has also participated in symposiums organized by the Yasukuni Shrine Worship Association, a group established to pass on the significance of the shrine to future generations, where she has given lectures on how she promoted the excellence of Japanese culture during her studies in the United Kingdom.