Japan's Royal Family Makes Formal Debut On Instagram
HuffPost
The Japanese imperial family's social media debut comes 15 years after Britain’s royal family joined Twitter in 2009.
TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s imperial family made an Instagram debut with a barrage of posts on Monday, hoping to shake off their reclusive image and reach out to younger people on social media.
The Imperial Household Agency, a government agency in charge of the family’s affairs, posted 60 photos and five videos showing Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako’s public appearances over the past three months.
The agency said they wanted the public to have a better understanding of the family’s official duties and that Instagram was chosen because of its popularity among youth.
By Monday evening, their verified account Kunaicho_jp had more than 270,000 followers.
The first photo published was of the imperial couple sitting on a sofa with their 22-year-old daughter Princess Aiko, all smiling as they marked New Year’s Day.