Princess on the mend

Source: Agencies  |   2008-12-10  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

JAPAN'S Crown Princess Masako said yesterday that her health is improving and she is feeling more able to take part in social activities.

Her father-in-law, Emperor Akihito, is also suffering from stress and inflammation of the stomach, the Imperial Household Agency said yesterday. Akihito, who turns 75 later this month, had surgery for prostate cancer in 2003.

Masako, who married Crown Prince Naruhito in 1993, has skipped much of her duties in the last five years, mostly because of stress-related symptoms and depression.

"My performance still is not at its best, but I'm beginning to feel I'm now able to do more things, little by little," she said in a statement for her 45th birthday yesterday.

Royal doctors said Masako has made "steady progress" over the last two years, and is starting to resume public appearances, including welcoming Spanish King Juan Carlos and his wife, Queen Sofia, last month - her first participation in an official event in five years.

Public expectations for Masako, a former diplomat and Harvard graduate, were high from the moment she became engaged to Naruhito, with many hoping she would be a role model for the modern Japanese woman.