Numerous hats have appeared on Imperial royal heads over the past month. Let’s catch up!
May 9: Princess Kako reported her upcoming official visit to Greece to the mausoleums of Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun at Musashi Imperial Graveyard in Hachiōji, Tokyo. She will visit Greece May 25 – June 1.
— Prisma 😷 (@ImperialJPNfan) May 10, 2024
📸 https://t.co/KrY8q9uOKq
📸 https://t.co/HhLYoe9gpd pic.twitter.com/4Vomf1tdVo
May 15: Princess Akiko of Mikasa attended the Aoi Festival at Kamigamo Shrine in Kyoto.
上賀茂神社の境内をそぞろ歩く。
— SoraMame📘📒 (@Sora_Mame_Momo) May 15, 2024
・龍🐉っぽい柵
・アルパカ🦙っぽい卓
高貴なテントがあるなぁと思ったら、社頭の儀に彬子女王が参列されていた。
彬子女王のお辞儀は本当に美しかった… pic.twitter.com/01dzGlXNEn
May 15: Empress Masako, Crown Princess Kiko, Princess Hitachi (Hanako), Princess Tomohito (Nobuko) of Mikasa and Princess Takamado (Hisako) attended the 2024 National Red Cross Convention at Meiji Jingu Kaikan in Tokyo.
— Prisma 😷 (@ImperialJPNfan) May 17, 2024
📹 https://t.co/plhMZHy2bx
📹 https://t.co/6jbIhPlo3m pic.twitter.com/SmWZyZENpV
Empress Masako at the Reiwa 6 (2024) National Red Cross Convention at Meiji Jingu Kaikan in Shibuya, Tokyo on May 15.
— Prisma 😷 (@ImperialJPNfan) May 17, 2024
📸 https://t.co/aByLkKtMZU
📸 https://t.co/pBITeCEmXZ pic.twitter.com/0k8h7TKtEs
Crown Princess Akishino (Kiko) at the Reiwa 6 (2024) National Red Cross Convention at Meiji Jingu Kaikan in Shibuya, Tokyo on May 15.
— Prisma 😷 (@ImperialJPNfan) May 17, 2024
📸 https://t.co/NldPhIXa7r
📸 https://t.co/CHr6EM52sO pic.twitter.com/DYZHd9mEsK
Princess Hitachi (Hanako) at the Reiwa 6 (2024) National Red Cross Convention at Meiji Jingu Kaikan in Shibuya, Tokyo on May 15.
— Prisma 😷 (@ImperialJPNfan) May 17, 2024
📸 https://t.co/unsQe7HwvG
📸 https://t.co/2ApuRG7Ikq pic.twitter.com/rC85WnfTWj
Princess Tomohito (Nobuko) of Mikasa at the Reiwa 6 (2024) National Red Cross Convention at Meiji Jingu Kaikan in Shibuya, Tokyo on May 15.
— Prisma 😷 (@ImperialJPNfan) May 17, 2024
📸 https://t.co/unsQe7GYG8
📸 https://t.co/r7TPQAdi6k pic.twitter.com/O6WlngT0y6
Princess Takamado (Hisako) at the Reiwa 6 (2024) National Red Cross Convention at Meiji Jingu Kaikan in Shibuya, Tokyo on May 15.
— Prisma 😷 (@ImperialJPNfan) May 17, 2024
📸 https://t.co/unsQe7GYG8
📸 https://t.co/YD6zIe38kR pic.twitter.com/sIlruDI63Z
May 24: Princess Kako made the customary visit to the Imperial Palace Sanctuaries before traveling abroad.
— Prisma 😷 (@ImperialJPNfan) May 25, 2024
📸 https://t.co/tH7feKwriJ
📸 https://t.co/3r1cABpFJr
📸 https://t.co/ypAKT94gHG pic.twitter.com/eOwoZ4kcJs
May 26: Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended the 74th National Tree Planting Festival ceremony in Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture. They planted 6 seedlings and sowed 4 types of seeds.
— Prisma 😷 (@ImperialJPNfan) May 27, 2024
📸 https://t.co/LlR9vIOWBb
📸 https://t.co/t7M2qwiT3x
📸 https://t.co/2Xy8VAsOYg pic.twitter.com/ngzc30PR9M
May 27: Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko attended the memorial service at Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery in Chiyoda, Tokyo. 301 remains from Russia, Iwo Jima and other locations were interred.
— Prisma 😷 (@ImperialJPNfan) May 28, 2024
📸 https://t.co/X5ay4aUAuf
📸 https://t.co/BQRfpm2ilp pic.twitter.com/wjnkV9tfcb
May 31: Princess Takamado (Hisako) attended a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of Japan accepting Polish orphans from Siberia at Fukudenkai in Tokyo. 765 children were rescued between 1920-1922.
— Prisma 😷 (@ImperialJPNfan) June 4, 2024
📹 https://t.co/I20MYEaIR6
📸 https://t.co/8fjn2OeELQ pic.twitter.com/qftlLb4ESY
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako harvested bamboo shoots at Goryo Bokujo (Imperial Stock Farm) in Tochigi Prefecture in May 2024.
— Prisma 😷 (@ImperialJPNfan) June 8, 2024
📸 https://t.co/LU7PHWVUEc
📸 https://t.co/W5vztWJeQg pic.twitter.com/LYGRfqKmTn
June 1: Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko attended the 35th National Greenery Protection Gathering in Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture.
— Prisma 😷 (@ImperialJPNfan) June 5, 2024
📸 https://t.co/kWepGft537
📸 https://t.co/RtMQxEtsxX
📹 https://t.co/xYWAsZ6vPZ pic.twitter.com/kuEWNs92Xo
June 1: Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako privately attended the 150th anniversary ceremony of Kasumi Kaikan, an association of former kazoku (aristocratic families) held at Tokyo Kaikan.
— Prisma 😷 (@ImperialJPNfan) June 5, 2024
The Imperial family are honorary members of the association.
📸 https://t.co/Np3k0HiTJz pic.twitter.com/ldEUztwdVA
June 3: Princess Kako visited the Imperial Palace Sanctuaries to report the completion of her official visit to Greece. She entered the palace before 10am.
— Prisma 😷 (@ImperialJPNfan) June 6, 2024
📹 https://t.co/wHjwzvZvCq
📸 https://t.co/fDqMrFFhu7 pic.twitter.com/ScOWxVo4QJ
June 7: Princess Takamado (Hisako) attended the 2024 Marine Rescue Japan Commendation Ceremony at Kaiun Club in Chiyoda, Tokyo.
本日は、#公益社団法人 #日本水難救済会の#令和6年度名誉総裁表彰式典 に
— 日本海事広報協会（公式） (@kaijipr) June 7, 2024
取材で行ってまいりました！
名誉総裁である高円宮妃殿下もご臨席され、
妃殿下から、水難救助に功績のあった6団体と1名に表彰状等が授与されました。
受賞者の皆様、この度は誠におめでとうございました👏 pic.twitter.com/gDIzgsLFop
June 7: Princess Kako visited the mausoleums of Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun at Musashi Imperial Graveyard in Hachioji, Tokyo. She reported the completion of her official visit to Greece.
— Prisma 😷 (@ImperialJPNfan) June 8, 2024
📸 https://t.co/xcOJChgzFE
📸 https://t.co/2HmoK1GwVw
📸 https://t.co/qev0qxhJtV pic.twitter.com/9oQeRvgSdv
June 8: Imperial family and relatives attended the 10th anniversary memorial service for Prince Katsura's death at Toshimagaoka Imperial Cemetery in Tokyo. Images from Asahi. pic.twitter.com/Ab0q0RqTQm
— Royal Hats (@RoyalHats) June 14, 2024
June 8: Imperial family and relatives attended the 10th anniversary memorial service for Prince Katsura's death at Toshimagaoka Imperial Cemetery in Tokyo. Images from Asahi. pic.twitter.com/DJoVRCIFVx
— Royal Hats (@RoyalHats) June 14, 2024
FNN gallery: Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended the 80th Japan Art Academy Awards ceremony at the Japan Art Academy in Ueno, Tokyo on June 10. They met award recipients and learned about their works afterward.https://t.co/pUdlUJSQvD
— Prisma 😷 (@ImperialJPNfan) June 10, 2024
Which hats here stood out most for you?
Royal Hats 
Lovely to also see these ladies at the June 8 Memorial
https://x.com/ImperialJPNfan/status/1801917567214239816
You have to love and admire the Japanese Imperial family for continuing to regularly wear hats! Most are pretty standard for their wearers and their simplicity reflects the traditional conservativism of the household, along with making them easy to be working hats, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t well made (as has been noted repeatedly in the past).
Even with all of that, there were a few standouts for me:
– Nobuko’s bumper pillbox at the Red Cross convention; the veiling and draped fabric are wonderful!
– Masako’s white and pale mint green ensemble on May 26; the outfit really helps elevate this simple hat to another level of elegance.
– Hisako’s disc hat on May 31 with the fabric (organdie?) trim is, no surprise, my favorite in this post, despite the color scheme; the details in her outfit and jewelry just make it that much better.
– Kiko’s wide brim hat on June 1 featuring the cherry blossom trim is so lovely on her; I wish she would wear more wide brims.
Finally, while they won’t win any fashion prizes, the farming outfits worn by the Emperor and Empress to harvest bamboo shoots are just fun for this former country boy to see haha.
Princess Takamado’s white hat that she wore on May 31st!