The first official royal duty of Japan’s Princess Aiko has been revealed by the Japanese Imperial Household.
Princess Aiko, 20, will attend the New Year Receptions as her first official royal duty since coming of age in early December. The events will take place on New Year’s Day 2022.
The ceremonies will begin at 10 am local time at the Imperial Palace.
The traditional public greeting of the Emperor and his family will not take place on 2 January at the Imperial Palace due to the global health situation. A video message from Emperor Naruhito will be released instead.
Her first official court duty was also announced. She will attend the memorial ceremony for Emperor Taisho on 25 December.
The Imperial Household has said that Aiko’s studies will come before her imperial duties.
Aiko is the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako. She currently attends Gakushuin University, where she studies Japanese literature and language. Although she is the only child of the Emperor, she is not in the line of succession or allowed to succeed to the throne. In Japan, women are barred from reigning in their own right and by law must leave the Imperial Family upon marriage to a commoner.
As a result, Japan only has three people in the line of succession. First in the line of succession is the Emperor’s younger brother, Crown Prince Akishino; he is followed by his 15-year-old son, Prince Hisahito. Third and last in the line of succession is the Emperor’s uncle, 86-year-old Masahito, Prince Hitachi.