Imperial Family– category –

Compare Tokyo and Kyoto Imperial Palaces, from castle moats and court architecture to visiting rules, free gardens and Kyoto’s conservation work.

Why does Japan use Reiwa alongside 2026? Discover how imperial era names work, what Reiwa means, and how to read and convert Japanese dates.

Explore Emperor Naruhito’s constitutional duties, diplomatic ceremonies, public visits and cultural activities through a real monthly schedule.

Who is invited to Japan’s imperial garden parties? Explore the conversations, seasonal flowers, music and hospitality at Akasaka’s spring and autumn gatherings.

Discover why Emperor Naruhito plants and harvests rice, how the palace tradition began, and where the crop fits into Japan’s imperial harvest ceremonies.

Explore Empress Masako’s journey from Harvard and Japan’s Foreign Ministry to imperial life, through her own words and her return to Oxford in 2024.

Why did Princess Aiko choose the Japanese Red Cross? Explore her own explanation, her volunteer-related work and how it fits alongside her imperial duties.

Discover Utakai Hajime, Japan’s imperial poetry ceremony, through its public submissions, tanka traditions and poems by Naruhito, Masako and Princess Aiko.

Explore Emperor Naruhito’s water research, from the Thames at Oxford to international discussions on floods, safe water and cooperation between communities.

Why does Empress Masako raise silkworms? Explore Japan’s imperial sericulture, Koishimaru silk and the recreation of ancient Shosoin textiles.