TOKYO, May 21 (UPI) -- Japanese Princess Masako is being treated for depression resulting from the isolation imposed by palace life, The Times of London reports.
The princess is a former member of the Japanese diplomatic service who used to travel frequently and had lived in Britain, the United States and Russia.
At a news conference last week, Prince Naruhito said: "Princess Masako, having given up her job as a diplomat to enter the imperial household, was greatly distressed that she was not allowed to make overseas visits for a long time, as she believed that such overseas visits were crucial to her role in promoting international goodwill."
Adding to her woes, the couple have still not produced an heir to the world's oldest unbroken hereditary monarchy. After one miscarriage in 1999, Princess Masako underwent fertility treatment and gave birth to Princess Aiko in 2001.
Under Japanese law, only a male child can inherit the 2,000-year-old Chrysanthemum Throne.
