The royal family of Japan has joined Instagram, but don't expect any unguarded selfies from its official account, which launched on Monday. This is the ancient monarchy's cautious foray into social media.
The first 19 posts feature professionally staged images and videos of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako performing royal duties during recent public appearances.
However, the Imperial Household Agency (IHA) account, made public a week ago but remained private until Monday, has amassed over 160,000 followers.
With over two millennia of mythological roots, the Japanese monarchy is deeply ingrained in national culture, and open criticism of the emperor is still frowned upon.
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An IHA spokesperson confirmed to AFP that the institution wants to use social media to pique young people's curiosity about the imperial family's activities.
However, as might be expected, the Instagram photos shared under the username kunaicho_jp do not include behind-the-scenes footage.
Moderated comments accompany strictly factual captions that detail the emperor's daily activities, including meetings with foreign dignitaries and admiring bonsai trees.
The account has not tried Instagram Stories and doesn't follow other users.
"The IHA is on Instagram! I thought it was an April Fools' prank!" one X user wrote in reaction to the launch.
"When I heard the IHA created an Instagram account, I quickly checked it out. But of course the emperor wouldn't post 'today's lunch (heart emoji)' or anything like that," wrote another.
Some commenters highlighted the royals' decision to switch from X, the former Twitter, to the more "civilized" Instagram.
Following the historic abdication of his immensely popular father, Naruhito took the throne in a ceremony steeped in tradition in 2019.
Britain's royal family is one of the monarchies that have established social media accounts; they have recently become the subject of a flurry of rumors and conspiracy theories.
Online rumors about the whereabouts of Catherine, Princess of Wales, were stoked by the palace's manipulation of a family photo that it made public. Catherine later disclosed that she had been diagnosed with cancer.
