Princess Aiko makes her official debut in duck hunting, hosting ambassadors from 12 nations at the Shinhama Imperial Wild Duck Preserve in Chiba Prefecture. The event, held on February 14, serves as a platform for cultural exchange, where Aiko impresses attendees by catching and releasing ducks using traditional hand-held nets.
Aiko, joined by her cousin Princess Kako, engages the foreign diplomats with insights on the history and culture of their nations, stating, “This has been a very valuable experience that will help broaden my outlook.” The preserve is notably sentimental, as it marks the location where her father, Emperor Naruhito, proposed to her mother, Empress Masako, in 1992, intertwining personal history with the royal family’s public duties.
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