Singapore President Tony Tan and his wife Mary were welcomed by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo yesterday for the start of a five day state visit. Predictably, Empress Michiko wore a hat for the welcome ceremony, a large domed saucer in palest oyster grey, trimmed with a spray of silk roses and leaves. It’s one of the larger hats we will ever see on Michiko and the scale works well for her.
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new
Crown Princess Masako wore a midnight blue velvet hat with founded crown and sharply upfolded brim.Trimmed simply with a silk hat band in the same brighter blue as her suit (the hat matches her lapel), this design is all about the luxurious sheen off the velvet that covers it. It’s so great to see saturated colour on Princess Masako that any qualms I have about the hat’s shape (or an annoyingly large pucker in the velvet on the crown) are erased.
Update- thanks to reader Avery who notice this hat was first worn back in late January 1995 while on a visit to Jordan.
Royal Hats 
I think Masako’s hat was worn in 1995 when she and Naruhito visited Jordan, see https://twitter.com/shocopeco/status/571976464494534657
and on Feb. 7, 2016, see http://www.sankei.com/premium/photos/160213/prm1602130024-p6.html
Avery- you are BRILLIANT!
I personally love the colors black and royal blue and these colors look fabulous on the princess with her dark hair. The queen looks very nice, this is her style and she has found it so she sticks with it.
A most excellent choice for the Empress; I have missed these larger designs on her. The roses were a great choice for the trim.
Masako looks great in saturated colors! Although the first photo makes this hat look black, I like it better that it’s actually navy velvet, which makes it more unique.
Agree with @hats: “understated elegance” for both of these wonderful imperials.
understated elegance, like them both
Agree with this comment.