Tag Archives: Princess Yoko

Catching Up With the Mikasa Princesses

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Princess Yoko and Princess Akiko of Mikasa were busy over the weekend with a number of engagements. On Saturday, Princess Yoko of Mikasa officially opened the 2014 Tokyo Motor Festival. For this event, she topped her grey pant suit (something we don’t often see on a Japanese royal princess) with a grey wool fedora hat. I want so badly to love this hat but I’m afraid the overly exaggerated pinches on this fedora make it look like someone sat on it – never a good look for a royal hat.

Princess Yoko, October 11, 2014 | Royal Hats

Princess Yoko, October 11, 2014 | Royal Hats

On Sunday, Princess Yoko attended the 40th anniversary of the Nagai Disabled Sports Center in Osaka. Her hat, a small black bowler with curled brim, was embellished with looks like a flat bow in the same teal green as the trim on her dress. I’m afraid the ensemble is a little too Charlie-Chaplin-meets-air-hostess for me to like it although it is nice to see a member of the Imperial family in even tiny flashes of vibrant colour.

Princess Yoko, October 12, 2014 | Royal Hats

Also on Sunday, Yoko’s sister Princess Akiko attended the 12th annual Road Race in Okayama (she’s seated at the right in the photo below). She wore what looks to be a black large scale fedora hat for this event. While it’s impossible to evaluate this hat with such a poor view, it seems like a chic and very fun choice, doesn’t it?

Princess Akiko, October 12, 2014 | Royal Hats

Photos from Sankei; Asahi and Mynavi

Imperial Family Attends Spring Garden Party

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Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko hosted a Spring Imperial Garden Party at Akasaka Gyoen Imperial Garden yesterday. The Empress, shown leading the Imperial Family to the party below, wore a pale blue saucer hat trimmed with a large bow. When it comes to Michiko’s saucer hats, I think bigger is better and any departure away from her preferred grey ensembles is a winner for me. 

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Princess Kiko and Princess Mako of Akishino (The Emperor and Empress’ daughter-in-law and granddaughter) wore a pair of traditionally shaped hats. Princess Kiko’s hat in fresh green included several coordinating bands around the crown while Princess Mako’s white bowler was trimmed with a band of yellow ribbon studded with yellow flowers.

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Three of the Takamado Princesses, seen at the top left in the photo below, were also in attendance. Princess Hisako wore a jaunty beige-cream bowler with squared crown and large spray of flowers and feathers on the side. I thought this hat came to life with this embellishment and while the colour was a little bland, made it a fun hat. Princess Hisako’s eldest daughter, Princesses Tsuguko, wore a navy pillbox with pork pie indented crown. The photo above shows a rather twee bow on the back of this hat- an embellishment I think this hat would be better without. Tsuguko’s younger sister, Princess Noriko, wore a pale butter yellow hat with what looks to be a mass of ribbon blooms at the back (see the photo above for a better look). While the shape and colour of this hat were rather nondescript, the ribbon flowers made it come to life and Noriko gave it some additional personality by wearing it at a a slight angle.

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Princess Akiko and Princess Yoko (nieces of Emperor Akihito), rounded up this Imperial group. Princess Yoko, seen in blue in the center of the photo above, wore a white hat trimmed with blue puffs (carnations? pompoms?) to match her suit. Princess Akiko, seen below at the right, wore a dove grey pillbox.

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The hats yesterday were all rather predictable but together, made up a lovely bouquet of millinery in classic spring colours. Are there any hats that stood out to you as your favourite?

Imperial Royal Family, April 17, 2014 | Royal Hats

Photos from Getty as shown and Asahi Shimbun via Getty

Imperial Family Host Lectures

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The annual Ceremony of New Year’s Lectures was held today at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo (members of the Imperial family attended expert lectures in the fields of human, social and natural sciences). While Empress Michiko did not wear a hat, Princess Kiko wore a beautiful navy pillbox. I can not find record of Kiko wearing this hat previously so can only guess that it is new.

Princess Kiko, Jan 10, 2014 | The Royal Hats BlogCloseup photos of the other royal ladies do not appear to have been released. Princess Hanako was in forest green velvet with a coordinating hat that looks to be trimmed with a large green feather. I believe it is Princess Hisako in the vibrant turquoise hat and suit. The other hats appear to be de rigueur unadorned pillboxes in soft pastel colours.

Imperial Royal Family, Jan 10, 2014 | The Royal Hats Blog

The Imperial ladies were all in court dress (long gowns and hats) for this event. I suspect this is traditional dress- does anyone know exactly why?

Photos from The Imperial Family of Japan

Catching Up with the Japanese Empress

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Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan hosted an autumn garden party at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo yesterday. Empress Michiko wore a new petite white saucer hat trimmed with origami ribbon blossoms and hand painted flower stems.

Empress Michiko, Oct. 31, 2013 | The Royal Hats Blog

Princess Kiko, Princess Hanako of Hitachi, Princess Yoko of Mikasa and Princesses Tsuguko and Noriko of Takamado also were in attendance (from left to right below).

Empress Michiko, Oct. 31, 2013 | The Royal Hats Blog Empress Michiko, Oct. 31, 2013 | The Royal Hats Blog

On Monday (October 28), The Emperor and Empress visited Kumamoto prefecture. Our cries for Empress Michiko to wear more colour must have been heard because she wore cerulean blue!  Her hat, another one of her petite saucers, was adorned only with a very simple bow but I’m not complaining because the colour was just lovely on the Empress. Happy claps!

Empress Michiko, Oct. 28, 2013 | The Royal Hats Blog

Photos from FNN News, Imperial Family of Japan, and Kyodo via The Japan Times