Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan travelled to the South Pacific island of Palau for two days of events commemorating World War II victims. This commemoration precedes the 70th anniversary of Japan’s surrender, which takes place this summer. For their Tokyo departure and arrival on the island on Wednesday, Empress Michiko topped her grey suit and beautiful cream tiered coat with a new cream saucer hat. The hat was trimmed in a pair of flat bows in a crisp cream and grey stripe and some small cream blossoms. I particularly liked how the graphic nature of the hat echoed Michiko’s horizontally tiered coat.
Yesterday, the Imperial couple visited the West Pacific Ocean Monument to the War Dead, spoke to veterans and saw Orange Beach, the site where the U.S. military landed at Peleliu Island.
For these memorial events, the Empress wore large cream saucer hat with lace trim and a narrow lattice brim around the perimeter of the hat. The hat was embellished with a folded bow in dove grey silk to match Empress Michiko’s jacket lapel. The hat is more intricately embellished than many of the Empress’ other pieces and I thought the delicate lace detail added an exquisite touch.
Memorial visits such as this one can be tough to strike the right royal fashion balance between. As always, the Empress’ ensembles were elegant and very appropriate. The hat she wore today is a departure from her regular millinery, which sometimes borders on the austere. It was a beautiful hat on Her Imperial Highness and makes me hopeful about what we might see her wear next.
Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
I was wondering why the Emperor is not wearing any jacket? Is it because of the heat or to blend in with the survivors, or out of respect to the victims/survivors?
I love this couple, because they always seem to be so happy together. The Empress’s outfits and hats are beautiful, and suit her very well. I especially love the first tiered coat on her. It’s quite a fashion statement, which we don’t usually see her aiming to do.
I obviously don’t know as much about the Japanese royals, but here TIM remind me a lot of HM and the DOE when they’re together at engagements; you can tell they are a happy couple. Michiko’s hats are great here, and I love her coat in the first outing.
That first coat is gorgeous. The second hat with the lace looks like the start of a new era of hat styling for the Empress. I didn’t know why I don’t like her other hats until you named it for me here. They are all just too stark, cold and austere. This one is soft, detailed and so, so SO pretty.
The fourth picture, with the Empress’s head bowed, is amazing. That saucer is well affixed to the head, isn’t it? That second, larger saucer is beautiful, but I’m also intrigued at the cream coat in the first pictures.
Elegant, appropriate and suited her beautifully. I too love the different direction her hat is taking!
Very appropriate 👏👏👏