The Japanese Imperial Family is not having the smoothest of beginnings for this 2024. They were forced to cancel the public appearance for New Year following a devastating 7.5 earthquake in the Ishikawa prefecture, and the tragic plane crash at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport that took the lives of five coast guards service people scheduled to deliver aid to the affected area.
Now, less than a week after, the Imperial Household has released a statement indicating that Crown Princess Kiko has been dealing with some health issues related to her gastrointestinal tract.
The communiqué reveals that the likely future Empress has been feeling unwell since the end of 2023, and that her attendance to the New Year’s celebrations was carried out following a doctor’s green light.
However, over the past few days, her symptoms seem to have worsened, and her participation to the memorial for Emperor Showa, which falls on the 7th of January, was shortened to just the morning events.
She was forced to cancel her attendance to the evening portion of the celebrations, as well as the attendance on January 8th to the 43rd Sing Language Kyogen, which she was supposed to carry out together with Princess Kako. Her daughter will carry out the engagement on her own.
The press release also conveyed that Crown Princess Kiko was tested for both CoviD-19 and influenza, and both tests came back negative. The doctors have therefore advised to carry out some more detailed tests, which will happen over the next few days.
In the meantime, after attending the morning portion of the Emperor Showa Memorial, she was reassessed by her doctors, and advised to rest for the next day or two. The Imperial Household has not made clear whether there will be further releases once test results are back.
Aside from a few complications derived from her three pregnancies, Crown Princess Kiko has so far enjoyed pretty good health, so this must be a difficult time for her and her family.
