Category Archives: Japan

Imperial Royals At Floral Events

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Last Thursday, Princess Nobuko of Mikasa officially opened the 2017 International Roses & Gardening Show in Saitama Prefecture. For this event, she wore a white straw hat with straight sided crown and rolled brim, wrapped in a swath of pale blue tulle. I often straddle the fence when it comes to such frothy hats but this one, paired with he blue and green floral dress, seems wonderfully appropriate for this event.

Princess Nobuko, May 11, 2017 | Royal Hats

Princess Nobuko, May 11, 2017 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new

Last Saturday, Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko and Princess Hanako visited the 50th anniversary exhibition of the Japanese Ikebana Art Association in Tokyo. Princess Hanako, who is Honorary President of the Association, wore a cream hat with rounded crown and mushroom brim that looked to be made of crin (or some type of transparent material). The hat is embellished with what appears to be green shoots (or vines?) and tiny leaves placed around the brim. I can only hope Hanako wears this again soon so we can have a better look. I’m intrigued.

Princess Hanako, May 13, 2017 | Royal Hats

Princess Hanako, May 13, 2017 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new
Photos  from Mainichi and JNN News

Catching Up With The Imperial Royals

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The Imperial royals have been busy over the past week, leaving us several hats to catch up. On April 20, Princess Akiko repeated her white cloche with upturned brim on a visit to the Mie Prefecture Museum. This design is a larger scale than many of Akiko’s other hats and works well on her.

Princess Akiko, April 20, 2017 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: July 22, 2015
Last Tuesday, April 26, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko commemorated the 100th anniversary of RIKEN, Japan’s largest research institute. The Empress repeated a pale blue saucer hat with raised rim around the back and a large, stacked, circular origami bow.
Empress Michiko, April 26, 2017 | Royal Hats
Empress Michiko, April 26, 2017 | Royal Hats
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: October 29, 2016; October 11, 2014; May 16, 2012
On Wednesday, April 27, Prince Masahito and Princess Hanako of Hitachi attended the 35th Ueno Royal Museum Grand Prize award ceremony in Tokyo. Princess Hanako repeated her sage green silk covered hat with cloche shaped crown  and mushroom brim with lace overlay.
Princess Hanako, April 27, 2017 | Royal Hats
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: November 13, 2015; August 5, 2015; June 26, 2015; May 19, 2015
And finally, On Thursday, April 28, the Emperor and Empress presented the 11th Midori Academic Prize in Tokyo. Empress Michiko repeated her white saucer hat we first saw her wear during the Imperial couple’s tour of Vietnam in March this year. Like much of the Empress’ millinery, this hat is all about subtlety- a gently raised rim, transparent lattice underbrim, flat bow in ombre grey silk and monochrome silk anemone blossoms and leaves. On its own, the piece falls a little flat tonally but combined with Michiko’s ombre silk suit, it really works.
  Empress Michiko, April 28, 2017 | Royal Hats
Empress Michiko, April 28, 2017 | Royal Hats Empress Michiko, April 28, 2017 | Royal Hats
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: March 3, 2017
Thoughts about this quartet of Imperial royal hats?
Photos from Line News, Asahi; Sankei; and The Asahi Shimbun via Getty

Wrapping Up Imperial Royal Tour

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In the midst of a busy schedule of royal events over the past two weeks, I completely forgot to wrap up the Imperial visit to Thailand. My apologies!

On Sunday, March 5, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko arrived in Thailand (see their departure from Vietnam earlier that day at this post). The Empress disembarked the flight in a new grey saucer hat with flat bow across the front, trimmed with a dotted black net tulle veil. The addition of the net veil is a trimming departure for the empress, one that gives a bit of textural contrast to the hat.

Empress Michiko, Mar 5, 2017 | Royal Hats

Empress Michiko, Mar 5, 2017 | Royal Hats  Empress Michiko, Mar 5, 2017 | Royal Hats

After a quick 24-hour visit, the Imperial couple departed on Monday, March 6 to return home. For their departure, Empress Michiko wore her ninth new hat of the tour. The pale grey rimmed saucer hat is trimmed with a double looped half bow in the same darker grey silk as her dress. This design is not a departure from anything else we’ve seen on the Empress, although the balance between the saucer brim and the side bow is particularly pretty in this piece.

Empress Michiko, Mar 6, 2017 | Royal Hats

The royal couple arrived home on the evening of Monday, March 6. The Empress disembarked the Japan airways jet in a repeated saucer hat in the same tiny black and white check as her coat, trimmed with a large curved bow.

Empress Michiko, Mar 6, 2017 | Royal Hats

Empress Michiko, Mar 6, 2017 | Royal Hats  Empress Michiko, Mar 6, 2017 | Royal Hats

Empress Michiko, Mar 6, 2017 | Royal Hats

Designer: Designer: unknown
Previously Worn:March 18, 2016; January 19, 2015

Most of the extended Imperial royal family greeted the Emperor and Empress at the airport. Crown Princess Masako wore a new black (or navy?) hat with upfolded velvet brim, edged in braid trim. Some of you may recall that she wore a green version of this same for the Emperor and Empress’ departure.

 Crown Princess Masako, Mar 6, 2017 | Royal Hats

Crown Princess Masako, Mar 6, 2017 | Royal Hats

Princess Kiko,  Princess Kako both wore variations on bowler hats while Princess Mako repeated a navy cloche with upturned, short trim trimmed with a bow on the side. 

Imperial Royal Family, Mar 6, 2017 | Royal Hats

Imperial Royal Family, Mar 6, 2017 | Royal Hats

Princess Hanako repeated a white cloche variation with short mushroom brim and wide grey ruched hatband. Princess Nobuko looked to be wearing a large navy saucer hat (worn at a wonderfully jaunty angle) while her daughters Princess Akiko wore a grey trilby with navy hatband and Princess Yoko sported a white design with short brim and tall crown. Princess Tsuguko of Takamado looked to be wearing her navy indented pillbox with back bow and Princess Ayako topped her camel coat with a matching hat that appears to be trimmed in a Lady Amherst pheasant feather.

Imperial Royal Family, Mar 6, 2017 | Royal Hats

Several of you have commented about the tradition for extended Imperial family members to greet the Emperor and Empress at their departure and arrivals home- it is a lovely tradition and one that allows us to see lots of hats! Which designs here stand out most to you?

The Imperial Household Agency announced last week that the gruelling pace of this tour caused sickness for the Empress, who has now suspended engagements in order to recover. We wish her the very best in her return to health.

Imperial Visit to Vietnam Part 2

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Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko continued their visit to Vietnam over the weekend in the former Vietnamese imperial city of Hue. As they toured the former imperial citadel on Saturday, Empress wore a new saucer hat. In pale grey, the large scaled saucer features a slightly raised rim and is trimmed in a double bow in the same fabric as Michiko’s suit and striped tunic. The striped bow ties beautifully with the tunic, which extends beyond Michiko’s black jacket in a style we don’t often see on her but one that looks so sharp.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Empress Michiko, Mar 4, 2017 | Royal Hats

Embed from Getty Images
Designer: unknown. Likely Akio Hirata
Previously Worn: this hat is new

Also on Saturday, the emperor and empress visited the gardens and memorial house of Vietnam’s nationalist Phan Boi Chau (1867-1940) who campaigned for a strong relationship with Japan to gain Vietnam’s independence. For this visit, Empress Michiko wore a gently sloped white saucer hat with a white transparent lattice underbrim and a curling ribbon in the slate blue/grey accent as is on her suit. The curling ribbon is backed in a high sheen silk which gives the piece a bit of sparkle in the sunlight.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Empress Michiko, Mar 4, 2017 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown. Likely Akio Hirata
Previously Worn: this hat is new

Yesterday, the royal couple departed Vietnam for Thailand. Empress Michiko wore a white rimmed saucer trimmed with a folded bow in the same grey silk as her suit and a sprinkling of white silk blossoms. The light, delicate feel of the hat compliments her graphic suit really well.

Empress Michiko, Mar 4, 2017 | Royal Hats

Embed from Getty Images
Designer: unknown. Likely Akio Hirata
Previously Worn: this hat is new
These three designs, combined with the four we saw last week, made for seven new hats on the Empress during this Vietnamese visit. None of the shapes or colours are a great surprise although there are some lovely details and great millinery workmanship here to admire. Which of these six new hats in Vietnam stands out to you most?
Tomorrow, we’ll look at the two hats Empress Michiko wore today in Thailand.
Photos from Getty as indicated; Kyodo News, Hoang Dinh Nam and Kyodo News via Getty

New Hats For Empress in Vietnam

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The landmark visit of the Japanese emperor and empress to Vietnam this week has included four new hats so far for Empress Michiko (see the first one, worn for her arrival, here). On Wednesday, she topped a white suit with a petite new design. The hat features a central saucer with slightly raised edges, and a delicate, transparent lattice underbrim. We’ve seen a few of these lattice underbrims on Michiko’s newer hats- it can’t be easy for her milliners to come up with subtle touches to rev up a saucer hat and this underbrim is a really lovely addition. The hat is trimmed in a knotted silk bow in the same palest celery green as the collar on Michiko’s suit, and five silk leaves. The leaves have a slight seaweed vibe but give a much needed hit of colour to the hat.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images   Embed from Getty Images  Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Likely Akio Hirata
Previously Worn: this hat is new
Today, the Empress wore a twin to this hat with the same raised edge saucer shape and transparent lattice underbrim. The trimming sets these two pieces apart- this second hat is embellished with a flat bow in two-toned grey silk, a grey silk anemone blossom and grey leaves. The floral motif gives this piece some life and movement, even despite its monochrome colour scheme, and works really well with the lattice underbrim and withe the ombre colour effect on Michiko’s suit.
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
Designer: Likely Akio Hirata
Previously Worn: this hat is new
As the royal couple departed Hanoi for the former Vietnamese imperial city of Hue today, Empress Michiko donned another new ensemble. Her mushroom greige rimmed saucer hat is trimmed with a double origami bow, each bow in the same fabric as the skirt and jacket of the empress’ suit. Empress Michiko is nothing if not subtle and this ensemble fits this very well. It’s not terrible exciting but I can see it becoming a serviceable, working outfit repeated easily in the future.
Embed from Getty Images

 

Embed from Getty Images
Designer: Likely Akio Hirata
Previously Worn: this hat is new
I must confess- I imagine the Empress’ millinery closet to be a giant toast rack contraption inserted with row upon row of hundreds of similar saucer hats. The three designs we see here are all in keeping with her very specific millinery style (almost indistinguishable from previously worn hats) with subtle touches between them. Which hat stands out to you here, most?
Photos from Getty as indicated