Japan Princess Has Media Aflutter
The first clue was the low heels that Crown Princess Masako wore to the National Bonsai Exhibition in February. Then she caught a cold, or so the Imperial Household Agency announced.
That did it.
To Japan’s tabloid press, the combination was a sure-fire sign of the joyous news all Japan had been waiting for: After nearly four years of marriage to Crown Prince and future Emperor Naruhito, Masako was pregnant!
“A Coming Stork X-Day!” trumpeted the Weekly Woman magazine, despite vehement denials. But the Royal Pregnancy Watch is just the latest frenzy that has plagued Masako, 33.
Why hasn’t she had a child? What’s causing her skin rash? Is she miserable? Why has she dropped from view?
The ponderings reached such a roar that last year the crown couple appealed for restraint. “A stork needs a quiet environment,” Naruhito said.