The Imperial Household Agency on Saturday established a formal press relations office to revamp its public outreach.

The launch comes after the agency in charge of the family's affairs struggled with scandals and sharp, often slanderous, online reaction over former Princess Mako's engagement and 2021 marriage to her university sweetheart Kei Komuro.

The new office is expected to freshen up its staid website, which has been the agency's only direct interface with the public, and consider other options, including using social media, to proactively share information about the imperial family.