Princess Akiko of Japan sat down for a rare interview with Kyodo News in which she discussed her role and the influences in her life, including her 99-year-old grandmother.
The Princess didn’t waste time in highlighting the reasons that pushed her to take on so many roles related to the promotion of Japanese culture at home an abroad. She stated: “I was the only Japanese student in my year, so I was asked many questions about Japan. The experience made me keenly aware of the need for knowledge that would enable me to properly talk about my country to people overseas”, referring to her experience as a foreign exchange student at the University of Oxford.
However, she soon realised that, in order to promote her country’s culture abroad, it was necessary to preserve it at home, which is why she founded Shinyusha – an organisation focussed on “ensuring that Japanese children get a chance to encounter their cultural heritage” – according to their website.
The organisation offers workshops and seminars on topics such as authentic Japanese recipes and Japanese influence on art; nowadays, due to restrictions on gatherings, conferences are held online twice a month.
Together with her experience attending a British university, the Princess also credits words from various members of the Imperial family for inspiring her to take up this task. She said that her father, the late Prince Tomohito, taught her that the role of the Imperial Family is to connect with the people and fulfil their wishes.
In addition, Princess Akiko stated that she has learned a lot about the culture that surrounds the Imperial Family from her grandmother, 99-years-old Princess Yuriko.
The Princess declared that she started feeling the weight of her role after taking part in the New Year celebrations offered by then-Emperor Akihito in 2011, when she realised the prominent position that the Emperor holds in many people’s lives. She said: “I heard ground-shaking cheers and saw small flags of the rising sun. I felt the weight of the emperor’s words as some people shed tears. I realised then that I must be a person worthy to stand in such a position”.
Aside from being the President of Shinyusha, Princess Akiko is also the President of the Japan-Turkey Society and the honorary patron of the Japan-British Society. Since last April she is also a visiting professor of Japanese culture at Kyoto’s Ritsumeikan University.
