Members of the Imperial Family hosted a tea party for this year’s recipients of the Order of Culture at the Imperial Palace today. While the Empress and Princess Kiko both wore a traditional kimono, Crown Princess Masako chose a white suit and coordinating hat. This squared bowler hat with short, upturned brim appears to be trimmed with a sash band around the crown topped by very narrow braided trim. While I wish for feathers, flowers or something to embellish these demure Imperial hats, braided trim is a tiny step in the right direction.
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I suspect this hat is new
Photos from The Asahi Shimbun
Royal Hats 
A lovely hat on a lovely Princess.
This is so wonderful to see her out so soon after the Dutch visit. I like the hat, in fact very much, and the suit and the jewelry and most of all that big glowing smile of hers. How delightful to see her out again, been waiting for this for a long time now and hopefully all is extremely well with her.
Not a fan of this hat shape in general, but…as with the Dutch state visit, I’m just so pleased to see the Crown Princess that she could show up in a baseball cap!
(Ok–maybe not a baseball cap…)
I agree!
Princess Masako looked chic in this crisp white suit and squared bowler hat and I liked the upturned brim, which was flattering to her face. I agree with HatQueen, the hat could have received a benefit from being trimmed with something other than just a sash band around the crown topped by narrow braided trim. I also loved her classic jewels. Her lovely smile is the icing on the cake! Well if you are going to wear a hat that reminds people of a wedding cake, you might as well put some icing on it, don’t you think?
I agree with other posters. The hat is very attractive on the crown princess, but what makes the outfit is her radiant smile. It is so great to seeing her looking so wonderful after her illness and time away from royal duties.
The hat looks great on the Princess. She’s lovely and it is so nice to see her. Her smile is beautiful.
It does look like a wedding cake! I couldn’t quite put my finger on what bothered me about the hat, but that’s what it is. Having said that, she looks very nice regardless of the hat. They do seem to like their bowler hats in Japan. Personally, I don’t like them on men or women. Generally they don’t seem flattering but she pulls it off with charm and panache to spare.
The overall look is very nice but the hat conjures up a wedding cake for me. Perhaps if it was less round?
A wedding cake with so so smooth, even icing! I like it on the Crown Princess.
Typical expected shape ect. But I do like the outfit. Better than the pink one although very similar.