Princess Kako of Japan has gone viral after a video showed her sleeping on an economy flight during her visit to Brazil. The 30-year-old royal, niece of Emperor Naruhito, was on an 11-day tour across eight cities.
Princess Kako visited four places in one day, which left her visibly tired. In the video, she is seen resting against the window soon after sitting down.
People online praised her for being simple and hardworking. Some admired her humble choice to fly economy while others felt private videos like this should not be shared.
“Videos like this should not be shared. Princess Kako is a hardworking and humble role model. We should protect her, not expose her,” the South China Morning Post quoted a user as saying.
“She looked like a porcelain doll. It is completely understandable to feel tired with such a packed schedule,” SCMP quoted another user as saying.
Who is Princess Kako?
Princess Kako of Japan became more active in public life after her sister, Princess Mako, moved to New York. She left the royal family in 2021 to marry her college love.
Princess Kako’s younger brother is next in line to the throne as women are still not allowed to rule in Japan.
The princess is known for winning hearts with her modesty and dedication. During a recent trip, the Japanese princess wore porcelain earrings made using traditional methods. Soon after, sales of those earrings rose 50 times in just a few days.
Her fashion choice gained huge praise online. One person wrote, “Her outfits are never boring. Princess Kako truly shows the charming, lively and stylish side of royalty.”
Known for her beauty, grace and honesty, Princess Kako now travels abroad alone to represent the royal family. She once said she handled all duties with sincerity though she admitted to having a short temper.
A former figure skater and a district champion in 2007, Princess Kako later studied performing arts and psychology at the University of Leeds in the UK. Fluent in sign language, she also supports charity work.
Princess Kako has become a fashion icon in Japan, often wearing colourful and bold outfits instead of the royal family’s usual simple clothes. Her camellia-printed dress in Brazil gained over 5 lakh likes online.
A blue top she wore in Greece went viral. It was sold out in Japan within two days, boosting the brand’s popularity.