Japan’s royal family debuts on Instagram

TOKYO:

Japan’s royal family is now on Instagram, but don’t expect candid selfies from its official account, which launched Monday in a cautious social media debut for the ancient monarchy.

The first 19 posts are officially staged photos and videos of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako performing royal duties in recent public appearances. However, more than 160,000 users have followed the Imperial Household Agency (IHA) account, which was announced a week ago but was made private until Monday.

The Japanese monarchy has mythological origins that stretch back more than two millennia, and any public criticism of the emperor remains taboo in the country. By joining social media, the foundation hopes to spark interest among younger generations in what the imperial family is up to, an IHA spokesperson confirmed AFP.

But, perhaps predictably, the posts under the Instagram handle kunaicho_jp lack behind-the-scenes juice. Tightly documented captions explain what the emperor was doing on which day, from meeting foreign dignitaries to admiring bonsai trees, with commentary toned down.

The account does not follow other users and has not yet ventured into Instagram Stories. “IHA is on Instagram! I thought it was an April Fool’s prank!’ A user X wrote in reaction to the release.

“When I heard that IHA created an Instagram account, I quickly checked it out. But of course, the emperor wouldn’t post ‘today’s lunch (heart emoji)’ or something like that,” wrote another. Some users joked that it was a good thing the royals had chosen the more “civilized” Instagram over X, formerly Twitter.

Naruhito ascended the Chrysanthemum throne in 2019 in a ceremony steeped in tradition after his wildly popular father became the first emperor to abdicate in two centuries. Other monarchies have created social media accounts, including Britain’s royals, who have recently been at the center of a firestorm of rumors and conspiracy theories.

The manipulation of a family photo from the palace has sparked media-fueled online speculation about the whereabouts of Catherine, Princess of Wales, who later revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer.

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