Japan’s Princess Aiko to make first solo visit abroad

Japan’s Princess Aiko is set to undertake her first solo official visit abroad.

The daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will visit Laos in November.

The 23-year-old will visit the country to mark 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two Asian countries.

The Imperial Household has said details on the visit are still being worked out. She is expected to meet Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith.

While this is not Aiko’s first trip abroad, it is the first one she will undertake by herself. She previously visited the Netherlands in 2006 with her parents and studied at Eton College in England in 2018.

Princess Aiko is the only daughter of the Emperor and Empress; however, she is not in the line of succession. Japan does not allow women to reign in their own right, and as such, women are barred from the line of succession. They must also renounce their royal titles and leave the Imperial Household upon marriage to a commoner.