to this day in 1985, an Imperial royal visit to Ireland and an empress (who was then a crown princess) in a flat crowned, flower trimmed boater hat. While she doesn’t wear brimmed hats these days, this hasn’t always been the case for Empress Michiko.
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Photo from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
Does anyone know why none of the other Japanese royal women wears hats like the ones the Empress typically wears? Hers are so charming, but the rest of the women wear much heavier, and less interesting ones.
As has been shared here numerous times before, the Empress’ signature hats are a combined result of the ideas of the late Japanese millinery Akio Hirata and the Empress’ health issues- she gets severe headaches (to the extent she has hot worn tiaras in years) and this style was developed to be light and comfortably wearable for her. I shared this hat from the past because it shows how the milliner took her style in the 1980s and gently transitioned it into one that worked for her health.
Lovely hat on a lovely lady!
Love the larger hat on the beautiful young Empress. They both always look so elegant.
They were very beautiful then, as they are now.
My word, the Empress looks flawless here! It’s unmistakably her, of course, although I do like the larger hat. Would love to see more retrospectives of the Japanese imperials.
I’ll do my best, Jake. Unfortunately, there are much fewer archive photos of them available than the other royals.
When I was a very little girl, my older sister had a pen pal in Tokyo. I well remember her excitement on receiving information and photos of the current Emperor and Empress’s wedding. They were considered a glamorous charming couple. It would seem they retained this glamour and charm for the rest of their lives.
It is true, that while the Empress’s hat is larger, it is still placed at the same angle on her head as the saucer styles she wears nowadays. Delightful pictures.
Very handsome couple!!!
Very elegant as usual…love seeing this photograph of a young Empress and her husband.
While it’s a bigger titfer than we see now, its unmistakable; the forward perch, the delicate colours and those cape/kimono sleeves. I like the fact she has such a distinctive look that she has settled on, it works for her so well.