Japan’s royal family is now on Instagram — but do not expect any candid selfies from its official account, which went live yesterday in a cautious social media debut for the ancient monarchy.
The first 19 posts are formally staged photographs and videos of Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako carrying out royal duties at recent public appearances.
Nonetheless, more than 160,000 users have followed the Imperial Household Agency (IHA) account.
Photo: AP
The Japanese monarchy has mythological origins stretching back more than two millennia, and any public criticism of the emperor remains taboo in the country.
By joining social media, the institution hopes to spark interest among younger generations about what the imperial family does, an IHA spokesperson said.
Perhaps predictably, the posts under the Instagram handle kunaicho_jp contain no behind-the-scenes juice.
Strictly factual captions explain what the emperor did on what day, from meeting foreign dignitaries to admiring bonsai trees, with comments moderated.
The account does not follow any other users, and has so far not ventured into Instagram Stories.
“The IHA is on Instagram! I thought it was an April Fools’ prank!” one person wrote on X in reaction to the launch.
“When I heard the IHA created an Instagram account, I quickly checked it out. But of course the emperor wouldn’t post ‘today’s lunch (heart emoji)’ or anything like that,” another wrote.
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