Japan's imperial family just returned to Tokyo after a few days at the Nasu Imperial Villa, one of the historic royal residences and a regular summer retreat. During one of their traditional outings, a visit to the area's popular animal park that the emperor and empress make almost every summer, one of the country's tabloids caught the photos everyone's now talking about. Princess Aiko, the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, was joined by a childhood friend she's clearly at ease around.
Meet the mysterious "H," the young man who belongs to the imperial family's inner circle.
Princess Aiko's future remains uncertain: she may keep her imperial status after marriage, but she still has no path to the throne. (Anadolu via Getty Images)
The photos ran in the weekly magazine Josei Jishin, published by Kobunsha and aimed at "working single women." It occupies a unique spot in **** an's media landscape: while the mainstream press avoids any hint of speculation, repeating whatever line the Imperial Household Agency hands down, Jishin has built its reputation on digging up details that never make it into official channels. This is the same outlet that broke the story of Princess Mako's romance with Kei Komuro, and now it's running these photos of the emperor's only child without, deliberately, reading anything romantic into them.
The photos show Aiko and H chatting during a family outing, in a relaxed, protocol-free setting.

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