Imperial Princess Mako (眞子内親王)
Imperial Princess Mako is a member of Imperial family of Japan.
Born on October 23, 1991 as the first daughter of Imperial Prince Akishinonomiya Fumihito. The details about her will be described in this article.
Imperial Princess Saneko, a daughter of Emperor Ninmyo (date of birth unknown - June 11, 870)
Her mother was KI no Taneko, a koi or nyokan (a lady waiting in the court).
Imperial Princess Mako (born on October 23, 1991) is a member of the Imperial family of Japan. The first daughter between Imperial Prince Akishinonomiya and his wife Princess Kiko.
One of the grandchildren of Emperor Akihito
The imperial rank is Naishinno (Imperial Princess). The honorific for her in the Imperial House Act is "denka" (her Highness). The symbol for her is Mokkobara (banksia rose).
Imperial Princess Kako is her younger sister and Imperial Prince Hisahito her younger brother
Brief Personal History
Born on October 23, 1991 in the Imperial Household Hospital. On the same day the ceremony of the Imperial family was celebrated. The mamorigatana (the sword for protection) given by Emperor Akihito on the ceremony was made by Masamine SUMITANI, the holder of certified Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure).
On October 29 in the same year of her birth, Meimei no gi (the naming ceremony)
She was named 'Mako' by her father, Imperial Prince Akishinonomiya.
The name was given in the hope that 'She will go through her life as she is without losing her gift and showing vanity.'
entered Gakushuin Primary School in April, 1998. Graduated from the school in March, 2004.
Entered Gakushuin Girls' Junior High school in the same year. In 2008, she stayed with a family in Austria for two weeks. The family she stayed with was one of her mother Imperial Princess Kiko's acquaintances. In 2007, graduated from Gakushuin Girls' Junior High School.
In April of the same year, she entered Gakushuin Girls' Senior High School.
Starting around 2005, there have been increasing chances of her appearing in public as Imperial Princess by accompanying her parents' doing public services, most of which are centered in Japan. In 2006, the princess accompanied her father Imperial Prince Akishinonomiya Fumihito when he visited Mie Prefecture and she observed and participated in 'Okihikigyoji' (the event to carry the lumber into the reconstruction site), one of the events in Jingu Shikinen Sengu (the event to reconstruct a shrine building every 20 years) of Ise Shrine. In 2008 she started her solo public services by herself.
Anecdote
She was often reported by the press and tabloid TV shows at her infancy because she is the first granddaughter of Emperor Akihito. Also, it is said that during this period increased security personnel were mobilized.
In the summer of 1993 while resting in Karuizawa, there was a surprising episode where a large-sized dog suddenly jumped just before the eyes of Princess Mako held in the arms of her mother (Princess Kiko), but she used her wit to get through the situation by saying to the surprised dog's owner 'Oh, the dog wants to be my friend.'
She continued meeting the dog the following years.
There is a video clip during their rest in Hayama (in Kanagawa Prefecture) she took an interest in sea snakes and asked her father Akishinonomiya many times about them. This is one of the most popular episodes in her infancy and it has been often reported by special TV programs and news.
She is interested in art, ancient documents and architecture. She is especially interested in Japanese style painting and on the occasion of her graduation from Gakushuin Primary School she wrote an essay to the effect that she had enjoyed looking at art work in the Shosoin Treasure Repository, Toshodai-ji Temple, and the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and in the essay she also wrote about her experience of being instructed on hints about drawing birds at the Nara Institute for Ornithology. The essay also offered a glimpse of her interest in restoration techniques.
She helps the Empress with her silk cultivation, which the empress is engaged in, with her mother Princess Kiko (the wife of Prince Akishinonomiya) and her younger sister Princess Kako. The silk clothes made of the thread taken from koishimaru (a kind of silkworm) are used for the kimono (Japanese traditional dress) that members of Imperial families wear at imperial ceremonies, and the Princess wore haregi (the festive kimono) on which zuiju (lucky animals) are featured.
Besides the cultivation she started to help the present Emperor with his rice crop together with her younger sister from 1996.
There was an episode that resulted in gossip on the Internet.
A gossip article appeared in a magazine and TV new shows that Princess Mako was a great fan of the star belonging to Johnny's (an idols office) and went to the star's concert, but both the Imperial Household Agency and a TV program denied the claim on September 26 about her going to the concert.
Notes about her name
The princess is often called 'Akishinonomiya Mako' by the media, but officially it is proper to call her 'Mako Naishinno' (Imperial Princess Mako) because she is not the head of Miyake (a family allowed to be in status of the Imperial family). However, in some cases the princess used 'Akishinonomiya Mako Naishinno' as her own signature.
In addition, the examples of using the expression '真子' (Mako) by the simplified Chinese characters for '眞子' have not been found even in popular style.