With our focus on Ascot, we missed two hats worn by Empress Michiko of Japan this week. On June 21, 2013, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan arrived in Kyoto to visit the Myōshin-ji Buddhist Temple. This temple is significant as it stands on the grounds of the former palace of the late Emperor Hanazono of Japan. The Empress wore a petite white pillbox style hat trimmed with grey fabric in an origami-style fold. This hat, which she wore in July 2009 during a visit to Canada, is another one of Michiko’s signature mini-hats.
On June 23, 2013 the Imperial couple traveled to Osaka where they visited the Osaka Prefecture Environmental Learning Center Eco Museum of Osaka and toured a manufacturing company. For these events, Empress Michiko wore an elegant dove grey saucer style hat embellished with a two-tone grey bow. She first wore this hat in October last year at the Emporer’s Cup at the Tokyo Racecourse; I like larger hats on the Empress and this one is particularly elegant although I would love to see Michiko in a little more colour.
Photos taken from Ann News Footage and Ann News Footage
Royal Hats 
I am rarely a fan of small hats “stuck by god knows what” on foreheads, Michiko’s included. I can understand it may be a bit of a dilemma for her, with the natural Japanese reserve, that when she is in western dress finding a token hat that is discreet leads her to these.
Michiko usually wears such tiny token hats that the large hat looks enormous in comparison – but I really like it.
I really like the second one from June 23. For her it is large but it is very elegant. Beautiful!
Yes, it looks very elegant. It is better than the little round sailor hats she usually wears just above her forehead.
The Empress looks just lovely is the many soft shades of grey… even her hair is a co-ordinating shade of grey. Perfect.