JAPAN: What Is Life Like for the Crown Princess of Japan?

by Vanity Fair
December 11, 2009, 5:40 PM


Following her 46th birthday this week, Japan's troubled Crown Princess Masako vowed to continue efforts to overcome her stress disorder. "Under the guidance of my doctor, I have been doing my best, step-by-step, to regain my health, mentally and physically," the Princess announced in an official statement. Before marrying into the Japanese royal family, in 1993, the Princess, then Masako Owada, was a decidedly modern career woman. Since wedding Crown Prince Naruhito, she's had difficulty adjusting to the rigid, conservative lifestyle enforced by the Japanese Imperial Household. According to some reports, in an effort to have the Princess focus her attentions on conceiving a male heir, court officials have limited her travel and restricted phone use. She gave birth to a daughter, Princess Toshi, in 2001 and in recent months has made more public appearances, which supporters interpret as a sign of improvement.