When Princess Aiko visited the city of Niigata on her own last September, hundreds of people thronged Niigata Station in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the princess, shouting “Aiko-sama,” with the honorific added to her name, as is typical for addressing royal family members.
A local broadcaster described the phenomenon as “Princess Aiko fever,” a condition not limited to Niigata. Wherever she goes, people crowd the streets to take a video of the 24-year-old princess, often described as a woman of integrity and warmth who is close to the people.
Princess Aiko’s popularity is triggering expectations that one day she could become the reigning emperor of Japan like her father, Emperor Naruhito. As a symbol of the state and the unity of the people, Japanese emperors do not have political authority, and it is mostly a ceremonial role.
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