Princess Kako’s Graceful Suit and the Emotional Struggles Behind Her Grueling Brazil Visit

Thoughts behind her energetic dedication to official duties

Brazil marks the 130th anniversary this year since establishing diplomatic relations with Japan. On June 6 local time, Princess Kako, the second daughter of the Akishino family, visited São Paulo and responded with a smile to the enthusiastic welcome by about 250 Japanese-Brazilian elementary and junior high school students.

Her foreign official visit was her first in a year since Greece last May, and her fourth overall.

“Due to immigration policies from the Meiji to Heisei eras, many Japanese settled in Brazil, resulting in about 2.7 million people of Japanese descent living there. Because of this background, Brazil is an important destination for the Imperial Family. In the past, the Emperor Emeritus and Empress, as well as the current Emperor, have visited. In 2018, Princess Kako’s elder sister, Mako Komuro, also visited. Princess Kako understands this and therefore took on a demanding itinerary visiting eight cities in two weeks. During her visit, she energetically carried out official duties, exchanging greetings in Portuguese with local staff,” said a National Newspaper reporter covering the Imperial Household Agency.

Last year, Princess Kako completed a record-high 134 official duties. Noriko Tsuge, a part-time lecturer at Seibu Bunri University and producer of the TV Tokyo program “Koushitsu no Mado” (“Window on the Imperial Family”), analyzed the background of her active public service:

“Seeing Princess Aiko (23), who only performed three solo official duties last year, already carrying out three official duties just in May this year, Princess Kako likely felt she needed to set an example as a senior female member of the Imperial Family.

Her younger brother, Prince Hisahito (18), enrolled at Tsukuba University this April and will start full-scale official duties after finishing his studies. Until then, by showing her active engagement in official duties, Princess Kako probably hopes to ease the criticism directed at the Akishino family stemming from Mako’s marriage issues and create an environment that allows Prince Hisahito to smoothly assume his official duties.”

Meanwhile, the Imperial Household Agency reporter added, “Princess Kako has other thoughts as well.”

“There is no doubt she strongly wishes to marry and leave the Imperial Family in the near future. By working intensively on her official duties, she may hope to be widely accepted by the public when she eventually leaves the Imperial Family.”

Behind the charming smile she shows in her lovely suit, Princess Kako harbors complex feelings.

From the combined June 27 and July 4, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”