(L-R) Crown Prince Naruhito, Princess Aiko and Princess Masako
Posted: 12 May 2010 0026 hrs
By Channel NewsAsia's Japan Bureau Chief Michiyo Ishida
TOKYO : A 26-year-old unemployed man in Japan has been arrested for threatening to kill Princess Aiko - the daughter of Crown Prince Naruhito and Princess Masako.
Kengo Inami had posted a message on a popular internet forum, threatening to kill the princess with a hammer.
He is reported to have told investigators that he enjoyed the reactions of those who accessed the forum.
The incident comes at a time when the princess is making headlines of her own.
The daughter of Japan's crown prince and princess is still missing classes, two months after she stopped going to school because of bullying.
The shy eight-year-old attends Gakushuin Primary in Tokyo.
It was in March that the Imperial Household Agency held an unprecedented news conference saying that Princess Aiko cannot attend classes regularly due to worries and stomach pains. It's believed to be due to some aggressive boys in her school.
Princess Aiko has entered third grade, with the start of the new academic year in April.
According to the Imperial Household, she has missed some classes, as she's not able to attend a full day of school.
Since the term began, she has also stayed away from school for three days because of a cold.
"I think there is basically no problem with Princess Aiko. She is just a student of an elementary school. Sometimes we don't want to go to school for a period of time. It's quite natural especially if something is going on in the classroom," said Daisaburo Hashizume, Professor of Sociology at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.
Professor Hashizume, who has written about the imperial family, said the situation has been made worse by media reports.
And even though Gakushuin is a private school, founded to educate children of aristocrats, it is now open to all.
"She has a special position in the royalty. Just imagine when you're born a member of the royal family and attend regular elementary school. The family itself is a very unique one," said Professor Hashizume.
The birth of Prince Hisahito in 2006 to Princess Aiko's uncle, took some pressure off her family.
The baby boy is now third in line to the throne.
Before that, the government had deliberated changing the Imperial Household Law to allow women to ascend to the throne.
The debate generated huge public interest, and some critics believe the issue could be raised again in the future.
That could add more pressure on the princess and her mother Masako, who is still recovering from what's been called an adjustment disorder. - CNA /ls
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