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Many people might wonder how the Japanese imperial family spend their private time because the majority of us don't have any contact with them at all. One opportunity is at school events held by Gakushuin school and university which are open to ordinary people. In an annual event for Gakushin alumni held in September, Crown Prince Naruhito talked about his life when he was a student at Gakushuin.
“When I was in primary school, students at Gakushuin University let me ride on a glider displayed on campus,” recalls the crown prince. “Another time, during a sports competition, I won a prize. It was an instant curry pack.”
Surprisingly, Naruhito talked about his first and last “part-time job” experience which nobody knew about. “I worked as a part-time assistant for the university's entrance examinations. I distributed question and answer papers to candidates and checked their IDs and faces. Since I have never taken entrance examinations, I remember noticing how the serious expressions on their faces at the venue. Although I've forgotten how much it was, the university paid me for the work.”
Shuichi Kanda, a journalist specializing in imperial family matters, says, “I've never heard any story about imperial family members working part-time. Crown Prince Naruhito's life was something similar to other ordinary students. I think that's because Gakushuin, which gets a lot of famous names, treated him the same as other students.”
Naruhito also talked about his college life, saying, “When I was a member of the university's music society, I was tossed into a pond after a concert. It was a kind of ritual. One of my senior students loaned me a sweatsuit and I went home in that.” (Translated by Taro Fujimoto)
© Japan Today
17 Comments
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lipscombe
this is like a news story from The Onion. there should be a comedy section
rondh69
I wanna hear about Princess Masako's college days...
WaDisruptor
I wish he would have been more honest and said something like, "After drinking massive amounts of beer I was tossed in a pond ...".
doombird
Wow, he's just like all the rest of us ordinary folks! Except for never having anything to do with us when he can help it! And it's so nice to know that his school treated him just like other students -- except for that whole thing about entrance exams, or probably anything the other students had to do, actually. What a swell, down-to-earth guy! This article is great.
PASHA_51
Very interesting. Royal members must open up as folks are keen to hear their persoanl life stories. You feel really excited to read such stories and may help the folks and may prompt other royal members to utter a bit instead of satying aside and aloof. They must be keen to meet commoners and visit KFC, McDonalds and Pitza Hut in Ginza or Shinju-ku areas.
timorborder
What a laugh! Imagine cramming for the entry exams and being met by a guy whose face you remember but you cannot place. Half way through the exam, the other shoe drops and the whole world goes blank.
Dogdog
I had a friend who went to college with her and tried to chat her up. She wasn't having any of it...
neverknow2
The was the most exciting story I have ever heard! Whats an amazing life that has been lived!
thepro
“Another time, during a sports competition, I won a prize. It was an instant curry pack.”
"ha ha ha, I really got a taste of how the little people live"
kjunluc2
****I'll bet he was a real hell rake.
Well, he can't help what life handed him anymore than I can. I've never had a fortune and never wanted fame so I'm glad I'm me instead of him. But, I think his pappy and mammy are good people.
Too bad Hiro couldn't do a hitch in McHale's navy.
DenshaDeGO
And we all really care
romulus3
how sad its his greatest personal achievement. everything else has been grandfathered in.
franknbeans
Haha. It is probably hanging on his wall as a trophy. What sport, I wonder?
flammenwerfer
boy he lived large at school, tearing it up!
realist
I feel sorry for the Crown Prince. He has had a sad life, different from the rest of us. Very little freedom, and terrible pressure to produce a male heir, then his dear wife gets bullied by the Imperial Household Gestapo. He seems to be a very nice guy, and I wish him well. He will one day make a good Emperor for Japan.
ultradodgy
I'm buying curry stocks this morning... I predict a bull run...
shuuu
Instant curry packs and music societies? Lame. He aspires to the imperial throne and that's the best he's got? I feel sorry for his wife.
Crown Prince: "So, did I ever tell you about the time I won the instant curry sports prize?"
Crown Princess: "Jesus Christ, not again ..."
Crown Prince: "How about that one time I worked part-time checking student IDs. Man, that was crazy."
Crown Princess: "Please kill me now."