Princess Aiko, 20, the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, gave her first solo news conference on Thursday, saying she would serve her official duties as an adult member of the royal family while staying close to the people.
“Since I was a child, I grew up watching the emperor, the empress, Emperor Emeritus (Akihito), Empress Emerita (Michiko) and other members of the imperial family get close to the people and perform their official duties with sincerity,” she said.
“I believe that the most important spirit of the imperial family is to always wish for the happiness of the people and to fulfill their duties while sharing hardships and joys with the people, as the emperor emeritus has often said and as has been handed down to the emperor.”