A photo of Princess Kako of Japan is being widely circulated on social media, showing her sleeping on an economy flight to Brazil. The princess is a member of the Japanese imperial family and niece of Emperor Naruhito, but despite her royal connections, she preferred a modest means of travel, drawing appreciation from the online community, who called her charming and humble.
The photo showed Princess Kako asleep against the window of a domestic flight. According to a report in the South China Morning Post, the 30-year-old princess had an exhausting day, having visited four different locations before the flight.
The princess was visiting the South American nation for public events to mark the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. In the video, she could be seen boarding the flight alongside other officials before falling asleep.
Reacting to the video, one user wrote: “She looked like a porcelain doll. It is completely understandable to feel tired with such a packed schedule.”
Another added: "People love seeing her. The video shows how humble she is."
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IHA disappointed
While social media users had a positive reaction to the princess falling asleep in economy class, the Imperial Household Agency (IHA), responsible for looking after royal affairs, expressed disappointment at the leak.
“In general, it is not desirable to have videos taken without permission during an individual's private moments," said Naomasa Yoshida, the grand master of the crown prince's household at the agency.
The agency said it had asked X (formerly known as Twitter) to look into whether the video violated the company's guidelines.
Ever since her older sister, Princess Mako, gave up her royal title and left the crown family to marry her college sweetheart, Princess Kako has assumed a prominent role in the public eye. She is often seen representing the royal family on domestic and overseas trips.
She is admired for her beauty, grace, and sincerity, with Japanese media calling her “the hope of Japan”.
