TOKYO, July 29 (UPI) -- Together with her husband and daughter, she has become regular fodder for Japanese gossip magazines and chat shows. Although -- or perhaps because -- her last public appearance was late last year, the health and mental state of Princess Masako continues to intrigue and worry the nation at the same time. Moreover, that concern is extending to her daughter, Princess Aiko, as well as her husband, Crown Prince Naruhito.
But the problems facing the family of the crown prince as well as other members of the imperial family may actually simply be reflecting the problems faced by many Japanese families in recent years.
"Is Princess Aiko autistic?" screamed the headline of Shukan Jyosei, a weekly tabloid magazine geared towards middle-aged women. The article quoted a number of die-hard royalty-watching housewives who followed members of the imperial household whenever they stepped outside the palace grounds. One woman said that she never saw the two-year-old princess cry or smile, and so-called experts quoted in the article suggested that that was one symptom of autism.
Together with her mother, Princess Aiko has been out of the public limelight for over seven months, as both mother and daughter have kept away from the annual New Year's greeting at the palace, among other public functions seen as key occasions for the imperial family to make a united appearance.
Media speculation has ranged from Princess Masako seeking a divorce from her husband, to her having tried to commit suicide. While such extreme scenarios are seen as unlikely by most, it is clear that the fact she is not at all visible is making gossip columnists imagine increasingly worrisome scenarios.
One weekly magazine, Shukan Bunshun, which is popular with commuters and middle-aged men, reported that Princess Masako's father, Hisashi Owada, and his wife will be returning to Tokyo this summer holiday out of concern for their daughter's health. Owada is currently a judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Owada was a career diplomat with the Japanese foreign ministry, and Princess Masako too was in the diplomatic corps until she married 11 years ago.
But while many young Japanese women in particular had high hopes of the career-minded Princess Masako to be a breath of fresh air into the tradition-bound imperial family, it appears at least for now that the system has worn her down.
For the Japanese imperial rules dictate that only a male offspring can inherit the throne, which rules out the possibility of Princess Aiko becoming empress unless there is a change in the law. Moreover, given the difficulties the 40-year-old Princess Masako had in giving birth to one child, many royal watchers say that it is unlikely she will have another child. Moreover, there is no guarantee that the next one will be a boy, either.
The line of succession becomes even murkier as the prince's younger brother, Prince Akishino, has two daughters. So neither of Emperor Akihito's sons has a male offspring, thus making the question of succession more difficult. The only other child of the emperor is the 34-year-old Princess Norinomiya, who is single and is another source of tabloid gossip as to when and to whom she could get married.
But while someone with the bravado of the late Princess Diana might have become a vocal spokeswoman for fertility treatments and infertility in general, it is widely believed that the Harvard- and Oxford-educated princess is suffering from depression from continued media speculation about her fertility as well as pressure from the Imperial Household Agency to bear another child.
Nevertheless, there has only been renewed respect for the Crown Prince's decision to go public with his frustration about mounting pressure towards his wife, as he said at a press conference earlier in the year that he believed Princess Masako's abilities as well as her personality were being criticized by outsiders.
"It was a gutsy thing to do," said Kiyoko Matsuzaka, a self-professed royalty fan. "But in the end, it just goes to show you that even the prince can't do much to support his wife against such a big, unmoving system," she added.
The nation was particularly struck by the fact that the princess was not allowed to accompany her husband to the royal weddings in Denmark and Spain earlier this summer, even though it was one of the biggest get-together of royal families across the world. It was also seen by many Princess Masako supporters as an opportunity for her to make full use of her diplomatic skills as well as linguistic abilities. Instead, the media were quick to point out that during her years as a royal, the princess had only made four overseas visits.
In the meantime, there is no clue as to when Princess Masako might be recovering sufficiently enough to make public appearances. For now, the Imperial Household Agency says the princess spends her days largely within the confines of the palace grounds in central Tokyo. There is so little news about her daily activities that an announcement earlier this month that the princess spend about a quarter of an hour playing tennis with her husband at the palace made the front page on tabloid magazines.
Meanwhile, the Imperial Household Agency called upon the Japanese media last week to refrain from taking photographs of the princess as she heads towards Karizawa, about two hours from Tokyo, next month to the imperial family's official summer retreat. Television commentators made a point of stating that what the agency was asking was impossible, given the high interest among viewers about the royals. But as Princess Masako continues to shy away from the limelight, her plight is clearly winning the sympathy of many women of her generation.
"I feel so sorry for her. It's not her fault ... the imperial family represents Japan, and they are there at scenes of crises like earthquakes and things. I think we all want to support Masako at a time when she is obviously so unhappy," Matsuzaka said.
