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Happy birthday

46 Comments

Prince Akishino, right, poses for a photo with his wife Princess Kiko and their children, Princess Mako (2nd R), Princess Kako, (top) and Prince Hisahito in the Akasaka Imperial Palace compound in this handout photo. Akishino, second son of Emperor Akihito, turns 45 today.

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Princess Kiko, I believe, is either a Harvard or Yale grad, and grew up mostly in the US and EU. Boy, talk about culture-shock, no wonder she is often ill.

apple407. I think you meant Princess Masako?

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However, the plants behind them look more interesting.

No, Islandview, the plants behind them are actually more interesting than the people in front of them. They should have moved them to the side to get a good photo.

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Princess Kiko, I believe, is either a Harvard or Yale grad, and grew up mostly in the US and EU. Boy, talk about culture-shock, no wonder she is often ill.

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They live pretty well, these "royals"...

Do all "royals" live pretty well in this world?

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Nice looking family, leave them alone.

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The little boy has already developed a beer belly. They live pretty well, these "royals"...

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Dont forget the outfit he is wearing. I think my Dad donated it to St. Vincent De Paul about 25 years ago. Dont know how Akishino ended up with it.

Nice one, DentShop. Good thing I wasn't drinking anything when I read that. It would've all come out my nose.

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Cmon let's be honest, Kiko was pressed back into service to have a son, when it became obvious the lack of male heir was going to cause a constitutional crisis. If she really was so hard bent on birthing an emporer she would have done so well before she was 40.

Of course, that all could have been avoided if masako had a male heir....

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Exciting !!!!!

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Under the little chap's sweater is no doubt a Kamen Riders OOOs Henshin Belt (DX OOOs Driver).

It's a pretty cool item.

OOOs is pronounced oh-zu, if you need to ask for one at Toys-R-Us.

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Father and daughters look normal, son looks bummed, wife looks scary.

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not very adventurous when naming the kids were they?..Mako,Kako and Kiko??

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Two questions -- Can he possibly get a grown-up haircut? Does the Pricess ever get photographed without that phony smile?

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Cool names.... they sound African.

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Prince akishino is dyeing his hair!!!

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This is a nice family portrait. They look so very Japanese. However, the plants behind them look more interesting.

@DC2020--- I too wondered why the little Prince's sweater is poking out like that? Is he hiding some snacks?

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Nice picture and the two girls have black hair.

Keeping it real!

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That wife has the creepiest fake smile ever...

It's not only the fake smile that is creepy about her. There are a number of rumours that she is behind the bullying of the current Crown Princess Masako. Kiko obviously wants to be the mother of the future tenno; at any costs.

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love the picture, so clean from the lunatic Japanese girls fashion's, so plain and so beautiful. long live Emperor!

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The little guy at the top of the slide had better enjoy life as much as he can because in the not so distant future it wont be much fun I suspect

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Nice family. Daughters are cute.

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Yes, lovely picture. It would look quite good on a family magazine wedged in the middle at the conbini next to er.... manga and you know, those nice skin mags with some 18 year old who was brought up "the other way"

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Princess Mako's legs appears to be missing for some reason. Apart from that I actually like this picture. Sure it isn't breath taking beautiful or anything like that but it's a good family photo. I like to think that the family is as down to earth as this photo portraits them as.

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Nice portrait no matter what the haters say. However, what's little Prince Hisahito smuggling under his sweater? A game boy and some snacks for later?

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Guess who the most important person in the picture is!

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But why doesn't Princess Mako have any legs?

Wow, no legs.

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I think it's a lovely family photo.

But why doesn't Princess Mako have any legs?

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What a very sad picture. Lifeless and dull. Kiko sama`s smile is always so sad and false-looking. For a picture taken in the grounds of the Asakusa Palace, it is totally without imagination. Surely they could have taken this picture with a nicer backdrop? It looks like my back garden at home.

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This photo almost looks like it could have been taken 25 years ago.

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That wife has the creepiest fake smile ever...

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cute daughters

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Probably disinfected before the picture was taken.

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thats the cleanest kids slide I have ever seen. its cleaner than my kitchen.

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It all looks so plain and boring. No colour. And the slide, who has such a boring slide? They must have some money saved to buy better things.

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was this photo taken in the 1970's?

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With the stash he looks like a 1970s Japanese dude.

Dont forget the outfit he is wearing. I think my Dad donated it to St. Vincent De Paul about 25 years ago. Dont know how Akishino ended up with it.

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With the stash he looks like a 1970s Japanese dude.

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nice picture..cute little prince..

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I have never liked Princess Kiko's fake smile and I always will.

Shouldn't that be, "and I never will"?

Or maybe he meant "I have always liked...." Hard to tell.

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Is having a first name ending in O a pre-requisite in this family?

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I have never liked Princess Kiko's fake smile and I always will.

I was about to say the same..:) But I guess she's also a smart woman. She planned her life well. Started off by being in the same school as the Prince and sharing the same hobby to get hitched, got married to him and even be oblivious to some rumours about him, bore him a male heir to the throne. Well, she did it all, doesn't she. All with a smile and soft-spoken and gentle personality she trained herself to be...:)

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I have never liked Princess Kiko's fake smile and I always will.

Shouldn't that be, "and I never will"?

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the Prince is actually a great guy, very down to Earth and modest. maybe because he did a PhD abroad, and he really likes research. Princess Kiko always has the same smile, I can just pity her for having to obey the stupid protocol

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Nice picture and the two girls have black hair.

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I have never liked Princess Kiko's fake smile and I always will.

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Wow, unlike the other royals, they look like normal people!

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