Princess Aiko tours Osaka Expo, following in father’s footsteps

Visitors to the Osaka Expo on May 8 were waiting for a special guest.

S/ Visitors / Princess Aiko! Princess Aiko!

It’s Princess Aiko, the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.

She listened to explanations at the Grand Ring overlooking the expo venue.

When told that part of the materials to build the Grand Ring came from Fukushima Prefecture, the princess said that is a great idea from the standpoint of reconstruction of the area that was devastated by the 2011 disasters.

This is Aiko’s second solo trip to regional Japan and her first since last October.

On April 12, the emperor, empress, Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko attended the expo’s opening ceremony.

S/ Emperor Naruhito / When I was 10 years old, I visited the expo venue several times. I felt the interactions with people of the world and still remember being amazed by the latest technology at the time.

The first world exposition held in Asia took place in Osaka Prefecture 55 years ago.

Then Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako attended the opening ceremony.

Then Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko were also there.

Naruhito, who was in grade school, visited the expo.

He rode on the Sirius, an airplane that flew across the North Pacific, and saw items like robots that were state of the art at the time as well as a rock from the moon.

For Naruhito, the Osaka Expo was his first interaction with the world.

Fifty-five years later, his daughter made her first visit to a world expo.

At the Japan Pavilion, she saw a device that can cultivate algae with small amounts of water and light.

At the Electric Power Pavilion, she experienced playing a game.

S/ Princess Aiko / Is it red and blue?

S/ Official / It’s both.

She also stopped by a pavilion operated by the Japanese Red Cross Society where she works.

Aiko saw exhibits on Red Cross activities in conflict and disaster areas and told officials that she was reminded of the importance and nobility of the mission of the organization.

She visited the Singapore Pavilion and other facilities on May 9.