Page 9 - AHATA

A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 2 april 2024

Japan's royal family makes formal debut on Instagram as world's

oldest monarchy tries to draw youth

By MARI YAMAGUCHI lar during their time. But
Associated Press currently, the royal family's
TOKYO (AP) — Japan's im- fans largely belong to older
perial family made an Ins- generations.
tagram debut with a bar- Palace officials had been
rage of posts on Monday, considering using social
hoping to shake off their media to get more people
reclusive image and reach interested in the family and
out to younger people on their activities. Last year,
social media. the agency set up a team
The Imperial Household of experts to study the ef-
Agency, a government fects of using social media
agency in charge of the on the imperial family.
family's affairs, posted 60 The agency had become
photos and five videos cautious after the Em-
showing Emperor Naruhi- peror's niece Mako Ko-
to and Empress Masako's muro and her commoner
public appearances over husband faced a severe
the past three months. backlash on social media
The agency said they and in tabloids following
wanted the public to have concerns over her mother-
a better understanding of in-law's financial situation,
the family's official duties causing her marriage to be
and that Instagram was The part of the instagram page of Japan's Imperial Household Agency is seen on a mobile phone delayed. She also declined
chosen because of its pop- Monday, April 1, 2024, in Tokyo. Associated Press to receive a dowry as the
ularity among youth. public did not fully cele-
By Monday evening, their dressing well-wishers during "It's good that they seem to perial family's social media brate her union.
verified account Kuna- his Feb. 23 birthday cel- be a bit closer to us." debut comes 15 years after The former princess said,
icho_jp had more than ebrations garnered over Yukino Yoshiura, also a stu- Britain's royal family joined at the time, she suffered
270,000 followers. 21,000 views in less than dent, said she was excited X, formerly Twitter, in 2009. psychological trauma be-
The first photo published a day. So far, the images to see more posts about "I actually assumed they cause of the media bash-
was of the imperial cou- are limited to the family's Princess Aiko. "Aiko-sama already had one. So I am ing, including those online.
ple sitting on a sofa with official duties and do not is close to our age and just surprised it's just now that Experts say social media
their 22-year-old daugh- include private or candid graduated from university, they are making one," said could help bring the royal
ter Princess Aiko, all smil- moments. The agency said so I'm very happy to be Daniela Kuthy, an Ameri- family closer to the people
ing as they marked New it was considering add- able to see her images," can student. She said the and give the agency the
Year's Day. Other postings ing activities of other royal she said while calling the content seemed "very PR- ability to control the nar-
also included the Imperial members. princess with the respectful clean," but that wasn't nec- rative and respond to dis-
couple's meetings with for- "It's nice we get to see a bit honorific "sama." essarily a negative thing. information, but concerns
eign dignitaries, including of their activities because However, both said they Naruhito's father, Emperor over how the world's oldest
Brunei Crown Prince Haji Al- we hardly know what they didn't plan on following the Emeritus Akihito — who ab- monarchy can be friendly
Muhtadee Billah his wife. are doing," said Koki Yoneu- royal family's Instagram ac- dicated the throne in 2019 without losing its nobility or
A video of Naruhito ad- ra, a 21-year-old student. count. The Japanese im- — and his wife were popu- avoid blowups remain.q

Gunmen in Ecuador kill 9, injure 10

others in attack in coastal city of

Guayaquil as violence surges

neighborhood of Guasmo. ing in as many days. On arrested on Saturday morn-
According to police, the Friday, five people who ing, according to police.
armed group entered a had been kidnapped were The killings in Manabi "re-
pedestrian street in a grey killed execution style in the mind us that the battle
Chevrolet Spark, where coastal province of Manabi continues," said Ecuador's
a group of people were by an armed gang. Police President Daniel Noboa on
practicing sports. The gun- said there were signs the the social media network
Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa shakes hands with a farmer men got out of the vehicle victims were tourists mis- X, formerly Twitter, on Sat-
during his visit to Poalo, Ecuador, Thursday, March 21, 2024,
where he met with dairy farmers and handed out 400 land titles. and proceeded to shoot takenly caught up in a lo- urday.
Associated Press people. "So far, the result is cal drug-trafficking dispute. "Narcoterrorism and its al-
nine people dead and 10 They didn't elaborate. lies are looking for spaces
injured," police Col. Ramiro In that incident, an armed to scare us, but they will
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — the latest in a string of vio- Arequipa told journalists group had kidnapped a not succeed," Noboa said.
Gunmen attacked a group lent incidents in the South around midday on Sunday. total of 11 people. Police His post contained a video
of people in Ecuador 's American country. No group immediately said the other six, including of a man handcuffed and
coastal city of Guayaquil The attack took place claimed responsibility for five minors, were rescued bent over, being led away
killing nine and injuring 10 around 7 p.m. local time the attack. and handed over to their forcefully by an armed po-
others, police said Sunday, Saturday in the southern It was the second mass kill- families. Two suspects were lice officer.q