Category Archives: Japan

Mikasa Princess Attends Self Defence Awards

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Princess Akiko of Mikasa attended the 13th annual People’s Self-Defense Officials Awards today in Tokyo to honor distinguished service in the Self-Defence Forces of Japan. For this event, she wore a new cloche style hat in grey felt with sharply upturned brim on one side. Cloche hats are not usually associated with dramatic shapes and the treatment of this brim sets this hat apart. While I would have preferred a more exciting colour, the shape of this piece works well on Akiko and her bobbed hairstyle.

Princess Akiko, October 6, 2015 | Royal Hats

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

Photo from Sankei

Imperial Royals Comings and Goings

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Prince Masahito and Princess Hanako of Hitachiwere in Wakayama yesterday to watch part of the 70th Japanese National Sports Festival. For the event, Princess Hanako topped her elegant beige and white suit with a white hat. The hat featured a flat brim with rolled edge and low, domed crown and appeared to be trimmed with a monochrome band (or bow?) around the base of the crown. It’s a more simple hat than we usually see on Princess Hanko but it paired very well with her suit.

Princess Hanako, September 29, 2015 | Royal Hats

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

Princess Mako, who has returned from graduate studies in the UK, visited the Imperial Palace to report her homecoming to her gandparents. For this visit, the young princess repeated a white bumper hat with domed crown. While the hat looks like a pillbox, close inspection reveals that it has a wide, tightly upfolded brim that creates a sort of cuff around the hat. While this piece is a lovely contrast with her dark hair, I continue to hold out hope that we’ll see some millinery experimentation from the young Akishino princesses before their royal lives come to an end.

Princess Mako, September 29, 2015 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: April 18, 2015; December 23, 2014

Photos from Sankei and Tokyo Shimbun

Imperial Royals Visit Wakayama

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Last Friday, the Imperial Emperor and Empress embarked on a three day trip to Wakayama to attend the 70th Japanese National Sports Festival. Empress Michiko kicked off the trip in a new cream saucer hat trimmed with a stylized arrow in the same geometric print as her blouse. I thought the arrow trim, which creates a much bolder overall look we usually see on the Empress’ millinery, was a new idea until I saw this similar hat, worn back in 2006.

Empress Michiko, September 25, 2015 | Royal Hats Empress Michiko, September 25, 2015 | Royal Hats

Designer: I suspect Akio Hirata
Previously Worn: Uncertain. It has not been worn before in this form but I wonder if it is a reworked version of this hat. 

On Saturday, the royal couple opened the Sports Festival. For this event, Empress Michiko repeated her large rimmed white saucer had with folded slate blue bow.

Empress Michiko, September 26, 2015 | Royal Hats

Empress Michiko, September 26, 2015 | Royal HatsDesigner: Likely Akio Hirata
Previously Worn: May 17, 2015; May 26, 2013

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko concluded their visit yesterday with a visit to a Fruit Tree Experiment Station. For this final event, the Empress wore a smaller domed saucer hat trimmed with a two tone grey and green silk twist.

Empress Michiko, September 27, 2015 | Royal Hats

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

The photos from this weekend’s trip shed some light on the subtle differences between the Empress’ saucer hats. The saucers are flat, rimmed and domed- not great differences, perhaps, but ones that lend different impressions to this style of hat. What do you think of this trio of royal saucers?

Photos from Sankei, Sankei, Sankei, Sankei and Asahi

Takamado Princess Visits Hokkaido

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Earlier this week, Princess Hisako of Takamado undertook a series of engagements in Hokkaido region. On Tuesday, she attended the general meeting of Japanese Red Cross Society, of which she is Vice Honorary Presiden,  in Obihiro. For this meeting she matched her pale blue matelassé suit with a bowler hat in the same hue. The hat looks to be embroidered with a garden motif, complete with tiny applied silk flowers. We did not catch a good look at this hat on its last outing– this photo shows it is much more detailed than first imagined.

Princess Hisako, September 8, 2015 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: May 13, 2015

Yesterday, Princess Hisako spent time in a Red Cross sponsored nursery in Obihiro. For this visit, she topped her printed suit with a simple cream hat. The hat, with straight crown sides and a rounded top, featured a small, upturned brim. The hat was trimmed with bands of black silk and the same printed fabric as the Princess’ suit. The simple hat complimented the patterned suit brilliantly, making for a smart ensemble.

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

Photo from Yomiuri and Hokkaido News

Takamado Princess Remembers Kanto Earthquake

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A memorial service for the victims of 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake took place in Tokyo yesterday. Princess Hisako of Takamado attended the event, wearing her simple simple black bumper hat with tightly upfolded brim, black net veil and small bow at the back. With her streamlined dove grey dress, I thought her elegant ensemble hit just the right note for the occasion (no surprise as she wore the same thing to this event last year).

Princess Hisako, September 1, 2015 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: June 8, 2005; September 1, 2014; June 8, 2014; June 15, 2014; November 21, 2013; November 28, 2012

Photo from Sankei