As much as we all love them, the Imperial family doesn't make for exciting reading. Last week, the European press was beside itself with news of the abdication of Spain's King Juan Carlos, who has been hit by several public support-sapping scandals in recent years. The only thing comparable here was that controversy about the propriety of taking photos of the Imperial couple in public places with a cell phone. A high school student got a flattering shot of the Emperor and Empress smiling, waving and looking straight into the camera at a train station in Tochigi Prefecture and then uploaded it on to Twitter. The public reaction was mostly positive, but the media were critical, saying it wasn't right to share photos on social media of the Emperor, though one could sense in the language the tang of sour grapes. The press is restricted by protocol and this teenager got the best pic of the Imperial couple ever by flouting the rules.

But the photo folderol was not breaking news. The only recent Imperial story that qualified was the announcement that Princess Noriko, the second daughter of Princess Hisako and the late Prince Takamado, plans to marry Kunimaro Senge, the eldest son of the head priest of Izumo-Taisha, the grand shrine in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture. The dailies printed extra editions about the engagement, but it can't compete with the Juan Carlos story in terms of news interest. Though Noriko is indeed a member of the Imperial family — her paternal grandfather is one of Emperor Showa's brothers, thus making the current Emperor her father's cousin — she doesn't command a high public profile.

More significantly, the aforementioned press protocol means that all we can expect from the mainstream media is a polite report of Noriko's official visits to other Imperial family members to convey the news personally and then a sober recreation of the official news conference. The Sankei Shimbun version was typical: At 10 a.m. on May 27, Princess Noriko visited the Imperial Palace and told the Emperor and Empress about Senge to gain their permission to wed. The Imperial couple were reportedly "very pleased" with the news, which goes without saying. A snag, however, occurred at the residence of the Crown Prince and Princess, who apparently weren't at home. Fortunately, a "member of the household staff" was there to convey the news to its intended recipients.