Two changes” behind the “smiling face and hard work” of Kako, the second daughter of Akishino no Miya, in a fresh dress of her favorite brand.

While the revision of the Imperial Household Law is being discussed,
Participating in a series of official duties

Her smile was as bright as her vivid dress.

Kako’s number of official duties is one of the highest in the Imperial Family. She has more than 130 official duties scheduled this year,” said a reporter from the Imperial Household Agency for a national newspaper. Along with her enthusiasm, her attire is also attracting attention.

On May 7, she wore a black all-in-one dress decorated with cattleya flowers (second photo) to an event with her mother, Noriko (59), and two days later, on May 9, she wore a contrasting white dress studded with camelia flowers (first photo) to an official function.

On the 7th, she wore a 70,000 yen dress from the Osaka brand ADELLY, and on the 9th, she wore a 60,000 yen dress from the Kobe brand Viaggio Blu, which she has been wearing recently. Especially the dress on the 7th, she has worn a different color in the past on official business trips abroad. It seems to be a favorite of hers, and she probably bought it in a very expensive price.

At the event on the 7th, she was chatting with Princess Noriko and looked contented. Behind her smile, there were two changes.

In less than a month since the beginning of April, he and Princess Noriko have had a total of five official duties together. Although the relationship between mother and son was once reported to have been strained over the marriage of their eldest daughter, Mako (34), to Kei Komuro (34), the current relationship is good. Imperial Household commentator Shinji Yamashita tells us, “Her Imperial Highness Princess Noriko is a very good mother.

Princess Noriko will celebrate her 60th birthday in September. Her Imperial Highness Princess Kako is now 31 years old. I don’t know when they will get married, but I think she wants to be close to her mother as long as they can be together. As Her Imperial Highness Princess Kako has gotten older, she has come to understand how her parents feel.

The other factor is “changes in the environment surrounding marriage. The Diet is currently debating revisions to the Imperial Household Law. The proposal is to allow female members of the Imperial Family to retain their status as members of the Imperial Family after marriage, but Yamashita said, “The decision of whether or not to remain in the Imperial Family is respected by the person himself/herself. This means that the responsibility for the choice lies with the individual. Whichever one he chooses, he may be criticized, making marriage even more difficult. His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino must be worried about that situation,” he observed.

The proposed amendment could be enacted by the end of the year. The rumor then is that there is a possibility of a surprise marriage before the amendment is passed. Noriko Tsuge, a part-time lecturer at Seibu Bunri University and author of “The True Face of Princess Kako,” says, “An announcement could be made at any time.

Her younger brother Eugene completed his coming-of-age ceremony last year, and I think Kako has begun to think about the next stage of her life. The Tokyo Deaflympics, which she has been putting a lot of effort into, have been successfully completed, and it would not be surprising if she made a surprise announcement at any time. Kako previously responded, ‘I do not intend to answer about my partner. We don’t know what is going on behind the scenes, but I wouldn’t be surprised if talks of marriage are in progress.

The day when she announces her own departure, dressed in her favorite dress, may not be too far away.

From the May 29, 2026 issue of FRIDAY