Japan's Princess Aiko turns 23

Dec 01 (NHK) - Princess Aiko, the daughter of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, turned 23 on Sunday.

The Princess graduated from Gakushuin University this spring. She has been working for the Japanese Red Cross Society. She also performs duties as a member of the Imperial family.

In February, Princess Aiko attended a luncheon for foreign dignitaries for the first time. She greeted the Kenyan president and his wife in Swahili, a language that is spoken widely in Kenya.

In April, the Princess made her first appearance at an Imperial garden party. In October, she visited Saga Prefecture. It was the first time that she carried out a solo official engagement in a regional area.

In Saga, the Princess watched events at the Japan Games sports festival. She also tried her hand at making traditional handmade Japanese paper.

Prior to that, she was scheduled to visit Ishikawa Prefecture in September to see how the region is recovering from the earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula on January 1. But she canceled the visit, as heavy rain had just hit the area.

Princess Aiko, the Emperor and the Empress are said to be deeply saddened by the series of disasters. They hope that those affected will be able to live with peace of mind as soon as possible.

On Sunday, the Princess will visit Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko at their residence on the Akasaka Estate.

A birthday celebration will be held at the Imperial Palace.

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