Princess Kako and Mother Kiko Face Public Duties Together After 5 Years Highlighting Subtle Distance

Unease in the Mother-Daughter Relationship

On September 10, Princess Kako (29), the second daughter of the Akishino family, and her mother Kiko (58) attended an embroidery exhibition in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, marking their first joint public duty in 5 years and 4 months since the April garden party.

While there were moments of laughter between mother and daughter, a reporter from the Imperial Household Agency noted that there was a “subtle distance” between them during their journey to the venue.

“It is said that a rift has developed between Princess Mako (32), her parents, and her sister regarding her marriage. In fact, it has become clear that Princess Kako does not have her own room in the renovated Akishino residence and is living in the former temporary residence within the Akasaka Estate, which is currently under reconstruction. It is reported that she remains ‘separated’ from her family.”

Commenting on the situation, royal commentator Shinji Yamashita pointed out that the background of the mother-daughter relationship becoming a major concern is partly due to the Imperial Household Agency’s inadequate response.

“The reports about the ‘drafts’ between the parent and child stem from the poor way the Imperial Household Agency has made announcements, which has led to speculation. Regarding the former temporary residence, they should have simply announced before construction began that ‘due to budget cuts, we decided not to create a room for Princess Kako.’ It is no surprise that there are complaints about poor collaboration with the Akishino family.”

There were moments when they exchanged smiles, but the aforementioned reporter did not take it at face value.

“With whispers of Princess Kako’s impending marriage, it seems that despite any underlying tensions, both of them were determined not to show any scenes that could further damage the image of the Akishino family, which resulted in a distance of about one meter between them.”

“It would be preferable if this were just the result of the surrounding chatter,” the reporter noted.

From the September 27 and October 4, 2024 issue of ‘FRIDAY.’