ESL Blogs

I will introduce the Japanese Empress Masako, who became the empress a month ago. She spent her childhood in Russia, the U.S and Japan because her father was a diplomat. She spent her teens in the U,S because her father became the Japanese Minister in the U.S. Therefore, she can speak English fluently, and speak Russian, French and German as well. She is very intelligent, and she graduated from Department of Economics, Harvard University with honors. After that, she entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. I think the job was perfect for her, because she can speak many languages and has an international way of thinking. 

She met the new Japanese emperor Naruhito for the first time at a reception party for the king of Spain in 1986, and he asked her to marry him 5 years later. However she was worried about his romantic advances towards her because she had a lot of passion for her job at the time. She hesitated to become the empress and wanted to keep working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Naruhito persuaded her that she can still promote international goodwill like a diplomat if they married, and said to her that he would protect her from any difficulties. She believed him and they got married in 1993. 

After the marriage, she found it difficult to adjust and she was often absent from public service as a crown princess, This was because she couldn't be active in the Imperial House Of Japan. Members of the Imperial House of Japan are asked for modesty. It also distressed her that she didn't have children until 8 years after she married Naruhito, despite the expectations of Japanese citizen that she would have children soon after marriage. However she adjusted to it little by little. 

Naruhito became the Japanese emperor and Masako became the empress a month ago, A few days ago, the U.S President Trump and his wife Melania came to Japan as state guests. Masako talked with them fluently in English at the Imperial Palace and amazed them. I think she can promote international goodwill as the empress more than any member of Imperial Household of Japan.