A screenshot of the official Instagram account of the Imperial Household Agency.
On April 1, the Imperial Household Agency launched its official Instagram account, quickly amassing over 160,000 followers by 2 pm. Vice Grand Steward Buichiro Kuroda addressed the press, stating, "We hope that a broad audience, including the younger generation, will engage with our updates about the imperial family. We will continue to further our efforts in this aspect."
The official Instagram account, named "宮内庁/Imperial Household Agency," with the ID "kunaicho_jp," was made public at midnight on April 1. It features photos and videos of Their Majesties Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako. They capture moments from events like the visit of the general public to the palace for His Majesty's birthday in February. Photos also show their reception for foreign dignitaries in March and other activities.
For now, the account will primarily highlight the activities of Their Majesties. In the future, the agency plans to consider including content about other imperial family members.
宮内庁が1日から運用を始めた交流サイト(SNS)「インスタグラム」の公式アカウントのフォロワーが、同日午後2時現在で16万人を超えた。宮内庁の黒田武一郎次長は同日の定例記者会見で、「若年層を含む幅広い層の多くの方に、皇室に関する発信をご覧いただきたい。引き続き、努力を重ねていきたい」と述べた。
インスタグラムの公式アカウント名は「宮内庁/Imperial Household Agency」、IDは「kunaicho_jp」で、1日午前0時から公開。2月の天皇誕生日の一般参賀や、3月の外国賓客の接遇など、天皇、皇后両陛下のご活動の様子が写真や動画とともに投稿されている。
当面は、両陛下のご活動を中心に投稿。ほかの皇族方のご活動の発信についても今後、検討する。