Category Archives: Japan

Japanese Imperial Couple Visit Kyoto and Osaka

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With our focus on Ascot, we missed two hats worn by Empress Michiko of Japan this week. On June 21, 2013, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan arrived in Kyoto to visit the Myōshin-ji Buddhist Temple. This temple is significant as it stands on the grounds of the former palace of the late Emperor Hanazono of Japan. The Empress wore a petite white pillbox style hat trimmed with grey fabric in an origami-style fold. This hat, which she wore in July 2009 during a visit to Canada, is another one of Michiko’s signature mini-hats.

On June 23, 2013 the Imperial couple traveled to Osaka where they visited the Osaka Prefecture Environmental Learning Center Eco Museum of Osaka and toured a manufacturing company. For these events, Empress Michiko wore an elegant dove grey saucer style hat embellished with a two-tone grey bow. She first wore this hat in October last year at the Emporer’s Cup at the Tokyo Racecourse; I like larger hats on the Empress and this one is particularly elegant although I would love to see Michiko in a little more colour.

Photos taken from Ann News Footage and Ann News Footage

Swedish Royal Wedding: The Other Royal Guests

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 And last but certainly not least, we have royals from Britain, Luxembourg and Japan. I was hoping this category would include a certain Serene Highness from Monaco but Princess Charlene came to this wedding without a headpiece or tiara anywhere in sight (she didn’t wear a single piece of jewelery for that matter). Never mind as there were some new and wonderful tiaras on the three remaining major royals at this wedding.

The Countess of Wessex wore the Five Aquamarine Tiara (also known as the Canadian Aquamarine Tiara). She unveiled this last year at the Luxembourg Royal wedding and her repeat today suggests it may become a more regular tiara for her. It is a lovely tiara, although mounted a little higher up on the base than looks best, in my opinion. Perhaps with some more voluminous hair, this could be a great tiara for Sophie. The aquamarines certainly are a great colour for her.

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Princess Stéphanie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, wore the Topaz or Citrine and Pearl Bandeau Tiara for the first time. This tiara, presumably on-loan from her mother-in-law Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, appears to be a private piece acquired for the Grand Duchess when she was first married. No matter the history, this tiara had potential to fall flat as a pancake but Princess Stéphanie propped it up with a marvellous up-do and showed the gems off to great success. If she’s going to wear beige, this is how to do it.

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Princess Hisako of Takamado wore a beautiful diamond tiara of unknown name and origin that we can only assume is the tiara in the vast Japanese Royal collection allocated for her use. It’s a beautiful floral tiara the perfect size for this petite princess… I would like it very much without the awkward bangs and a slightly softer hairstyle.

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Photos from Getty as indicated

Japanese Royals Welcome French President

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Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan officially welcomed the president of France, Mr. François Hollande, and his partner, Ms. Valerie Trierweiler, to Tokyo this morning. The Empress wore a new grey disc hat covered in charcoal grey silk with a flat bow and a pale lavender rosette.

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Photo from Getty as indicated

Japanese Royals Mark Anniversary of Peace Treaty

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The other major royal hat we missed during coverage of the Dutch Inauguration was Sunday, April 28, when Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended a ceremony in Tokyo marking the anniversary of the San Francisco Peace Treaty signed in 1952. The Empress chose one of her characteristic small saucer hats, this one in white with a grey and white striped bow (Michiko also wore this hat in November 2009 for Akihito’s 20th anniversary of accession to the throne) . The choice of a white hat and dress to celebrate a peace treaty was certainly appropriate and I liked this hat more than I like many of her other ones. Michiko’s hats are often very small or look like flat plates on her head. but I thought shape and scale of this one was better suited to her. What do you think?

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Photos from AFP and AFP via Getty