SHIGA - Princess Aiko made her first visit to Shiga Prefecture on August 21, touring facilities previously visited by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, viewing exhibits at the Lake Biwa Museum and trying the Paralympic sport of boccia for the first time.
Wearing a light blue pantsuit, Princess Aiko arrived at the Lake Biwa Museum in Kusatsu, where she learned about species that inhabit Japan's largest lake.
At an exhibit allowing visitors to look up at the giant Lake Biwa catfish from below, a senior curator asked her to look overhead and explained that the fish can be distinguished by features on its underside.
"Is the color of the belly different? Is the pattern different?" Princess Aiko asked. The curator replied that both the color and pattern differ.
Her museum visit also included an unscheduled stop at a special exhibition after she learned that specimens collected by Emperor Emeritus Akihito were on display.
Shiga has particular significance for the Imperial couple. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited the prefecture in 1993, two months after their marriage.
Crowds also gathered in Ryuo on August 21, with many people waiting for more than two hours along the roadside for a glimpse of Princess Aiko.
"I wanted to see Princess Aiko's face just once. My heart is pounding," one person said. Another said, "Just seeing her smiling and waving makes me happy. I'm happy simply to see her face."
Princess Aiko later visited a disaster prevention center, where she spoke with local volunteer firefighters and others involved in community safety.
In the afternoon, she traveled to a medical and welfare center in Maibara that Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited in 2018 when they were Crown Prince and Crown Princess.
There, Princess Aiko participated in boccia, a Paralympic sport in which competitors throw or roll red and blue balls in an attempt to place them as close as possible to a white target ball.
Spectators cheered when one of her shots landed extremely close to the target.
Princess Aiko was due to return to the Imperial Palace on the evening of August 21 after completing her two-day, one-night visit to Osaka and Shiga.
Source: KTV NEWS
