Princess Aiko Turns 20: A Photo Retrospective

Crown Princess Masako holds Princess Aiko after leaving the Imperial Household Hospital. (© Reuters)

Princess Aiko at her chakko-no-gi on November 11, 2006. (© Reuters; pool photo)

Crown Princess Masako and Princess Aiko are pleased to encounter a dog during a walk in the Meiji Shrine Outer Garden on November 21, 2002. (© Jiji)

Crown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako, and Princess Aiko take Mari and Pippi for a walk on the Akasaka Estate on November 4, 2008. (Courtesy Imperial Household Agency; © Reuters)

Princess Aiko holding Yuri, adopted as a rescue dog at the age of two months, on the way to the Imperial Stock Farm in May 2009. (© Jiji)

Yuri joins a family photo in November 2011. (Courtesy Imperial Household Agency; © Reuters)

Princess Aiko and Yuri enjoying the scenery in November 2020. (Courtesy Imperial Household Agency; © Reuters)

(Left) Crown Princess Masako helps Aiko to practice writing her name in hiragana in January 2005. (Courtesy Imperial Household Agency; © Reuters); (right) Princess Aiko’s calligraphy entry with the kanji for “dog” in the IHA staff culture and art festival in December 2008. (Courtesy Imperial Household Agency; © Jiji)

Princess Aiko’s calligraphy entry with the kanji for “father” (left) and “mother” in the IHA staff culture and art festival in December 2012. (Courtesy Imperial Household Agency; © Jiji)

Princess Aiko’s calligraphy entry of the phrase “bright city” in the IHA staff culture and art festival in December 2013. (© Jiji)

Princess Aiko gets creative with some red paint in November 2005. (Courtesy Imperial Household Agency; © Reuters)

Princess Aiko’s IHA staff culture and art festival entries: (left) An “art room monster” in December 2010 (© Jiji; pool photo); (right) a miniature market stall in 2013. (© Jiji; pool photo)

Crown Prince Naruhito (second from right on stage) and Princess Aiko (fourth from the stage at bottom left) perform together at a Gakushūin concert in April 2013. (© Jiji; pool photo)