Graduating princess

Wow; Mom's looking OLD.

Congratulations!!

Great photo.

@WA4TKG

How silly of the rest of us! Here we are thinking we should be celebrating a young woman's achievements when there's a woman we can be criticizing instead! Thank you for pointing out something so irrelevant! And even better, it's for superficial reasons, woo!

I think all three of them look lovely on this happy day for them!

Congratulations. May the pride in the moment of this GRAND accomplishment be remembered forever...

does this mean a new holiday?

And to think the Princess was so little a couple of years ago.... I sure hope the rule is revised so the first born of the Imperial family can be appointed as Emperor/Empress.

And on that note, they should also allow the Imperial family to grow a little more bigger (may be restore a couple of lineages),

Proud parents, just like anyone else.

Conratulation, Royal family !

Proud parents indeed. Pity they didn't include their dog in the photo, he's part of the family too.

Harry - Remember, he was in the "official" photo released a couple of months ago !

and yet ... they all look like they are going to a funeral?

Wow, seems like yesterday when Ai chan was born! a few more years and she'll be a university student. Time sure does fly. I wish her all the best.

@bass4funk

....yesterday when Ai chan was.....

"Ai chan"!?!??.... She is not a pop singer of some idol, she is a member of the Imperial Family, that is why people refer to her as "Aiko sama".

You may not share the same feeling toward the Imperial house as the Japanese, but at least respect it.

Daniel,

Respect what, exactly? That your leaders have told you one family is better than any other? Get out... Just as bass said,mit seem like just yesterday she was a little girl. Time sure flies.

'and yet ... they all look like they are going to a funeral?'

To be fair, most parents don't turn up for graduation ceremonies in Slipknot or Che Guevara t-shirts.

Congratulations, Princess Aiko!

Ugh, I'm getting old fast. It seems like it was only yesterday..., okay last month that she was in diapers and now she's on to high school. Where does the time go?

Congrats Princess Aiko.

She is almost as tall as her mum, maybe next year.The photo will be much better with many parents and her friends in the background. Congratulations on your achievement, Princess Aiko.

Just wondering if she was ever bullied going to school like all most every other child in Japan goes through?

Oops, forgot for a moment that she is royalty not an ordinary person.

forgot for a moment that she is royalty not an ordinary person.

Perhaps you also forgot you can look things up on the internet?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1255767/Japans-Princess-Aiko-8-misses-school-bullied-violent-boys.html

She has great supportive parents from all that I can see. This is what is important. I wish her great happiness as a junior high school student.

Does anyone not graduate from elementary school? I fail to see how in any way this is an achievement worthy of congratulations.

I fail to see how in any way this is an achievement worthy of congratulations.

I do not know where you are from, but as far as I know congratulations for occasions such as the birth of a child, graduations, birthdays and the like is one mark of manners and civility. I fail to see anything wrong with being happy for a child getting older and reaching milestones.

Congratulations to the Princess on graduating. May you sucseed in all your life's endeavours

Good for her. After she left school because of "overly rambunctious boys", I wondered if she would ever return and finish.

I think some are being a bit churlish. I just hope she has a more natural life unlike the one which damaged her mother. I dislike the idea of royalty but she didn't choose it. Best of luck, Aiko.

Congratulations Princess Aiko. May your future studies be interesting. Have a great, Happy Summer!

Time for the rebellious phase then.

anbinh

She is almost as tall as her mum, maybe next year.The photo will be much better with many parents and her friends in the background. Congratulations on your achievement, Princess Aiko.

I think she is taller than her father that's why he is on the other side of the banner to hide is actual height if she is next to him he is shorter and that wouldn't look good RIght?

She looks exactly like her parents.

She attended Gakushuin where children of upper of upper calss are only accepted. These children do not know how to bully.

Instead of Aiko nai-shin-no-sama, people say Aiko-sama. Now she will be in Chu-tou-bu. Gakushuin students are children of top upper class. They don't know bullying custom of low low class people.

Congratulations! and best of luck to her in the future!

Congratulations to the princess, however, I got the impression that she was attending a "normal" school, I would have thought that she was going to a private one with a different uniform...

She was always at Gakushuin....the graduation banner also says Gakushuin.

These children do not know how to bully.

Sadly, this 'skill set' is not reserved for just the 'lower classes'.

@joiceRojo: Gakushuin is a private school since 1947. It was crlated for emperor related children and noble (kazoku) children, Girls uniforms are about same. Materials of uniforms differ though Gakushuin is a normal private school and different is that girls were instructed not to speak with media when one of classmate stop attending class in High school. (meaning she is going to marry to a prince status boy). Famous Alumini? Big mouth politician Taro Aso. Another one, Yoko Ono. Her father's family is decendents of an Emperor. She was in a kindergarten with Emperor.

Well, she won't have to worry about any bullying boys. 學習院 separates the boys and girls from middle school on. Won't be on the same campus. I think the only thing that changes about her uniform is that there will be less color. It may be a good think if she going to Gakushuin's 女子 中 division since studies have shown that girls get short changed when taught in a mixed class. Congratulations to Princess Toshi.

You may not share the same feeling toward the Imperial house as the Japanese, but at least respect it.

I never said, she was. I was saying that in a kind and an affectionate term. And please, don't lecture me about respect. You are taking this a little too seriously. There was no disrespect whatsoever.

You may not share the same feeling toward the Imperial house as the Japanese, but at least respect it.

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You can tell this to Japanese but don't force none-Japanese people to behave like many Japanese. Aiko chan is very affectionate comment by none Japanese people. How many foreigners remember the stories and Japanese headache about Crown Prince system all over in Japan when she was born?

Ka_chan is correct. Gakushuin, kindergarten is coed but 1st grade and up, separate class rooms. Then since Jr HS, different schools in different area. Thus Yoko Ono was in the kindergarten with Emperor Akihito. Later she graduated Gakushuin,

So separate that Emperor found Empress at a tennis Court and fell in love and married. If you are a man, don't envy their life. We used to gossip only Japanese man marry with love is Crown Prince during Mitchie Boom era.