by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014
Princess Aiko of Japan (Toshi-no-miya Aiko Naishinnō) is the only child of Emperor Naruhito of Japan and Masako Owada and the granddaughter of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. Aiko was born on December 1, 2001, at the Imperial Household Agency Hospital, on the grounds of the Tokyo Imperial Palace. She was given the imperial title Princess Toshi.
Princess Aiko, March 2002. source: USNews
Like most members of the Imperial Family, Princess Aiko attended the Gakushūin School in Tokyo, Japan. The Gakushūin or Peers School (Gakushūin School Corporation) was originally established to educate the children of Japan’s nobility. Gakushuin is composed of Kindergarten, Elementary School, Middle School, High School, and University. After World War II, enrollment in Gakushuin was opened up to the general public.
Princess Aiko began her education at Gakushuin Kindergarten on April 3, 2006. Following kindergarten, she attended Gakushūin Primary School from 2008 to 2014 where she played the cello in the school orchestra and played in the basketball club. In 2011, Princess Aiko made headlines when it was reported that she had been bullied in school. She stayed away from the school for several months, being privately tutored at home, before returning on a limited basis, usually accompanied by her mother.
Princess Aiko beginning Gakushuin Girls High School, April 2014. source: Japan Times/AP
Princess Aiko graduated from Gakushūin Primary School in March 2014, and the following month, she entered the Gakushūin Girls Junior High School. She took English lessons each summer at the Gakushūin Women’s College. In 2017, Aiko entered the Gakushuin Girls High School, graduating in March 2020. In April 2020, Princess Aiko began her studies at Gakushuin University where she majored in Japanese language and literature, graduating in March 2024.
Princess Aiko greeting the press on the day of her coming-of-age-ceremony
On December 5, 2021, the Sunday after her 20th birthday, Princess Aiko participated in the traditional formal coming-of-age ceremonies and was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown by her father Emperor Naruhito. She attended the 2022 New Year celebration at the Imperial Palace as her first public event as a working member of the imperial family and her first press conference took place on March 17, 2022.
Despite being the child of the Emperor, Princess Aiko is not in the line of succession to the Chrysanthemum throne, as The Imperial Household Law of 1947 limits succession to males in a male line only. After Aiko’s birth, there was much discussion about changing the laws to absolute primogeniture. In 2005, the Prime Minister vowed to submit a bill to the government to change The Imperial Household Law, based on recommendations from an independent, government-appointed panel. However, the birth of a male cousin in 2006 seems to have ended the efforts, and the proposal was dropped.
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