Last Friday and Saturday, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko traveled to the Hyōgo Prefecture to take part in commemoration events for the 20th anniversary of the Great Hanshin earthquake (in 1995, Southern Hyōgo Prefecture was severely devastated by a magnitude 7.2  earthquake which destroyed major parts of the cities of Kobe,  Awaji, Takarazuka and Osaka and claimed the lives of 6,500 people). On Friday, the Imperial couple visited Hyōgo Emergency Medical Center in Kobe City. Empress Michiko’s petite saucer hat was made of the same finely patterned black and white check as her suit. This hat was trimmed with a half-black-half-checked bow and small white blossoms- trims I thought fell rather flat

Designer: likely Akio Hirata
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new

On Saturday, the Imperial couple attended a formal remembrance service. Empress Michiko repeated her dove grey rimmed saucer hat with dark grey puffed bow for this event. I really like the dimension and contrast this bow lends to this hat.

Designer: likely Akio Hirata
Previously Worn: April 11, 2014; December 6, 2013; December 2, 2013

Photos from Sankei, Sankei and Asahi

Empress Michiko of Japan has a very distinctive personal millinery style, seen below in a parade of hats we saw her wear in 2014. Click on each hat to take you to the original post with larger views and detailed information:

1.  2.  3.  4.  5. 

 6.  7.  8.  9.  10. 

11.  12.  13.  14.  

15.  16.  17.  18.  19.  

20. 21.  22.  23.  24.  

25.  26.  27.  28.  29. 

Do any of these hats make your list of Favourite Royal Hats of 2014?

Please click on each photo to link back to the original post with additional information and photo sources

This morning, Empress Michiko of Japan began her journey to Belgium to attend the funeral of Queen Fabiola tomorrow. She wore a pale grey rimmed saucer hat trimmed with a charcoal puffed bow. The scale of this hat is an excellent proportion for the Empress and I thought the mix of pale and dark grey hit just the right tone to set off on this somber trip. The choice of this hat today might be predictable, but it is a very good one.

Designer: unconfirmed. Likely Akio Hirata
Previously Worn: December 6, 2013; December 2, 2013

The Emperor and Empress have only attended the funeral of one other foreign monarch (King Baudouin in 1993). The Imperial Family of Japan blog speaks about the close relationship between the Imperial Couple and the late King and Queen of Belgium at this post.

Photos from Mainichi and Asahi

Emperor Akihito and Empress Mishiko have been in Hiroshima over the past two days. Yesterday, they visited Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park to lay a floral remembrance at the Atomic Bomb Victims Memorial. Interestingly, the Empress repeated the same cream petite saucer hat that she wore while in Nagasaki in October (and visited the other atomic bomb memorial in Japan). This hat, trimmed with cream and black folded bows, hits just the right note for this kind of memorial engagement. I thought the Empress’ electric blue scarf added a wonderful hit of colour to the outfit, balancing out the black and white hound’s tooth pattern on her skirt and on her hat.

Designer: I suspect Akio Hirata
Previously Worn: October 12, 2014;  November 29, 2013

Photo from Asahi Shimbun