TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s imperial family made its Instagram debut with a flurry of posts Monday, hoping to shed its isolated image and reach younger people on social media.
The Imperial Household Agency, a government agency in charge of family affairs, released 60 photographs and five videos showing public appearances by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako over the past three months.
The agency said they wanted the public to have a better understanding of the family’s official duties and that Instagram was chosen due to its popularity among young people.
As of Monday night, his verified Kunaicho_jp account had more than 270,000 followers.
The first photo posted was of the imperial couple sitting on a couch with their 22-year-old daughter, Princess Aiko, all smiling as they celebrate the New Year. Other publications also include meetings of the imperial couple with foreign dignitaries, including Brunei Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah and his wife.
A video of Naruhito addressing supporters during his birthday celebrations on February 23 garnered more than 21,000 views in less than a day.
So far, the images are limited to the family’s official duties and do not include private or unpreamble moments. The agency said it was considering adding activities by other royals.
“It’s good that we can see a little of their activities because we barely know what they are doing,” said Koki Yooneura, a 21-year-old student. “It’s good that they seem to be a little closer to us.”
Yukino Yoshiura, also a student, said she was excited to see more posts about Princess Aiko. “Aiko-sama is almost our age and she just graduated from university, so I am very happy to be able to see pictures of her,” she said as she called the princess with the respectful honorific “sama.”
However, both said they did not plan to follow the royal family’s Instagram account.
The Japanese imperial family’s social media debut comes 15 years after the British royal family joined X, formerly Twitter, in 2009.
“In fact, I assumed they already had one. So I’m surprised that they’re doing it now,” said Daniela Kuthy, an American student. She added that the content seemed “very clean PR,” but that wasn’t necessarily a negative thing.
Naruhito’s father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, who abdicated the throne in 2019, and his wife were popular during their time. But these days, fans of the royal family largely belong to older generations.
Palace officials had considered using social media to get more people interested in the family and its activities. Last year, the agency created a team of experts to study the effects of social media use on the imperial family.
The agency had become cautious after the emperor’s niece, Mako Komuro, and her commoner husband faced severe backlash on social media and in the tabloids over concerns about her mother-in-law’s financial situation, prompting their marriage will be delayed. The princess refused to receive a dowry, as the public did not fully celebrate her union.
The former princess said that at the time, she suffered psychological trauma due to attacks from the media, including those on the Internet.
Experts say social media could help bring the royal family closer to the people and give the agency the ability to control the narrative and respond to misinformation, but concerns remain over how friendly the world’s oldest monarchy can be. without losing their nobility or avoiding scandals.
The account does not follow anyone or interact with the public. Users cannot comment on posts and can only press the “Like” button.
Those who want to send messages to the imperial family must use the official website.
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2024-04-03 22:35:00