Japanese emperor's daughter says being an adult royal still 'rather tense', marriage far off

Japanese Princess Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, speaks during her first news conference after she made her debut as a new adult member of the imperial family, in Tokyo, Japan March 17, 2022. The Imperial Household Agency of Japan/Handout via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) - Princess Aiko, the only child of Japanese Emperor Naruhito, said on Thursday that taking part in rituals as an adult member of the imperial family remained "rather tense" for her, and marriage is still far in the future.

Japan's imperial family became the centre of global attention last year when Aiko's 30-year-old cousin Mako defied widespread opposition to marry her college sweetheart after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to the stresses of her tumultuous engagement.