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Princess Aiko, the only child of the Japanese Crown Princely couple, returned to school Monday after missing several days last week because of anxieties brought on by bullies.
Aiko was brought to Gakushuin school by her mother, Crown Princess Masako in time for the fourth period classes, according to the Imperial Household Agency.
Last week, the Agency said that the 8 year-old royal felt stomach pains due to being “treated harshly” by the boys in her second grade class. It was a rare moment for the IHA to reveal anything private about the Imperial family.
On Friday, the Japanese Imperial Household held a press conference about the state of Crown Princess Masako’s mental health. She has been suffering from a stress induced illness since late 2003, and her doctors say while she is still recovering, the Princess is still prone to slipping back to her problems.
 Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images According to Grand Master Issei Nomura of the Imperial Household Agency, the doctors say “more time is required before she can further expand the range of her activities.”
“She is much better than when we first examined her five and a half years ago,” the doctors’ assessments say, pointing to Crown Prince Naruhito and their daughter, Princess Aiko, as playing a major role in her recovery. Whenever Masako does feel stressed, “she is able to recover from it relatively quickly.”
However, the Crown Princess’ condition seesaws and she is still not able to carry out many official engagements, let alone official overseas trips.
The doctors suggest she needs to find her “life’s work” in order to get “increased confidence.”
The last engagement Masako did was last month, when she took part in a memorial service for the 1995 Kobe earthquake victims.
As the world mourns for Haiti, Japan has also been remembering another devastating earthquake, which took place in Kobe back in 1995. The Crown Princely couple – Naruhito and Masako – took part in the commemoration events today. 
They were among the thousands who turned out to remember the 6,400 people who lost their lives that day. The Crown Prince and Princess were at a ceremony where they laid bouquets of flowers at a memorial. Naruhito gave a short speech.
“I hope that the knowledge and wisdom learned…will be passed on to future generations regardless of national borders,” he said.
Naruhito also mentioned the recent massive earthquake in Haiti, where an estimated 50,000 people are said to have died.
“I express my sincere condolences to those who perished and my sympathy to their bereaved families and those who suffered damage,” he said.
“I hope for swift progress on reconstruction and recovery from the disaster.”
As for Masako, this was her first overnight official visit outside of Tokyo since 2008. She is still in recovery from a stress-inducing disorder.
On the day she turned 46 years-old, Japan’s Crown Princess Masako released a statement promising that she will continue to fight a stress-induced adjustment disorder she has been battling for nearly six years.
 AP Photo/The Imperial Household Agency of Japan “I would like to continue my efforts to recover, with the help of people around me,” Masako said in the statement. “Under the guidance of my doctor, I have been doing my best, step by step, to regain my health, mentally and physically.”
Since being diagnosed with the mental illness, the wife of Crown Prince Naruhito has rarely been seen doing any official duties. Her last appearance was during Emperor Akihito’s ascension anniversary.
“I am deeply grateful that their majesties have always been looking after me carefully, and I also appreciate the encouragement and support I receive from the Crown Prince every day,” Masako said.
During the Crown Princess’s birthday, there is usually a statement released by a team of doctors giving updates of her conditon. But this year, it was not released. “It has taken longer (than usual) to prepare the statement because we have been trying to give explanations in an easy-to-understand manner,” an official said.
Japan’s Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako were in Yokohama this past Sunday. The couple went to a greenery event at the local zoo. 
It was the first time Masako was seen on an official duty outside of Tokyo in 15 months.
At this greenery event, Naruhito and his wife both planted cherry trees.
The Crown Prince mentioned in his address the role greenery plays in efforts to curb global warming and improve the metropolitan environment.
“I hope everyone involved in various activities throughout the nation will deepen mutual exchanges and renew their feeling of protecting and nurturing greenery,” he said.
The Crown Princess, who is being treated for an stress induced adjustment disorder, has rarely been seen doing any engagements for over five years. But lately, she has been re-emerging into public life.
The last time she was officially out of Tokyo was in January 2008, where she went to Nagano for the opening of winter sports and festivities.
In her first public solo visit since 2006, Crown Princess Masako went to a Tokyo department store to see an exhibition. This visit may be the start of more engagements done by the Princess, who’s been suffering from a stress induced illness since 2003. 
Appearing fresh and upbeat, Masako received a tour of the exhibition – which showcases inventions made by housewives.
Smiling and laughing, the 45 year old Masako saw gadgets ranging from butter knives to devices to help disabled people write.
The Crown Princess, who married Crown Princes Naruhito in 1993, has been largely absent from public duties for over five years.
Pressures to deliver a male heir and adjusting to royal life were part of her breakdown.
Recently, however Masako has taking on more royal duties. In November, she greeted visiting royals from Spain and the United Kingdom.
In January, she played a large role in greeting well-wishers for New Year’s celebrations.
Her husband, Naruhito, has been very supportive of Masako, and has asked for the public the understand his wife’s situation.
On a day she was supposed to celebrate her 45th birthday, Japan’s Crown Princess Masako, will be sitting out the celebrations, as she is suffering from both a cold and a fever. 
Instead, the future Empress released a few statements to mark her birthday.
The Crown Princess, who suffers from a stress-induced illness, expressed happiness at having been able to attend a ceremony to welcome King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain in November, which marked her first official appearance in five years.
‘‘It was my first attendance at such a ceremony in a while, and I am delighted and truly grateful that I was able to take part in the ceremony with the support of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko,’’ the Crown Princess said.
Masako did not completely address her stress-induced illness, but she did address her lack of royal appearances over the years.
“I am not able to fully perform all of my duties,” she said.
“But I feel I have been able to do many things little by little. I would like to continue my efforts under the direction of my doctors.”
‘‘I was worried sometimes that it wouldn’t be possible for me to complete all the preparations for the Crown Prince’s trips abroad and for our move, but I’m relieved that I could manage thanks to the help of all the people around me including agency officials.’’
The Crown Princess was referring to her husband, Crown Prince Naruhito’s official trips this summer to Brazil, Spain and Tonga as well as the family’s move to temporary housing due to refurbishment of their residence.
Meanwhile, a team of doctors serving the Crown Prince’s household, who are looking after the Crown Princess, said in a separate statement that Masako is trying hard, working on many nonpublic duties and dedicating herself to raising her 7-year-old daughter, Princess Aiko, who also had to cancel her recent birthday celebrations due to a fever.
But ‘‘the situation remains that she feels heartache for being unable to fulfill her duties as she would like,’’ the statement said. ‘‘The biggest reason behind her distress is that she is going through unpredictable ups and downs in her physical and mental state.’’
Noting that some believe her treatment has dragged on too long and that the agency should be more forthcoming about the prospects for the treatment, the statement said, ‘‘The fact that the treatment is taking a long time shows that the stress she has endured is substantial and we believe that alleviating her stress requires time.’’
Also mentioned in her statement, was Masako thanking Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko for their support.
King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain are on a week long tour of Japan this week. They arrived yesterday, and this morning were received by the Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.
Making a surprise appearance in the greeting ceremony was Crown Princess Masako, who made her first official appearance in five years. The princess was last seen when then-Mexican president Vicente Fox traveled to Japan in 2003.
Masako withdrew from public life after that, battling a stressed-induced illness. Recent speculation that the Crown Princess may not actually be suffering from an illness perhaps is related to her showing up for the welcoming ceremony.
Juan Carlos and Sofia will be traveling throughout Japan this week. They will also stop by the ancient capital of Kyoto.
Its been five years since Crown Princess Masako of Japan has been seen doing any official royal duties. She has not accompanied her husband, Naruhito, on any official foreign visits, and she has not taken part in simple royal tasks. Her last outing on Saturday to the photo exhibition, ‘Empress and her children” at Takashimaya department store in Tokyo was the first time Masako was seen in public in months. 
This is because the Crown Princess is said to be suffering from depression, due to stress brought on by being a member of the Imperial family.
But, the princess has reportedly been seen shopping and dining at ritzy stores and restaurants. She is doing these, while she should be performing her duties. Stories like that has led to national sympathy for Masako to wane, and increasingly, some are wondering whether the crown princess is really ill at all.
This has led to a crisis of legitimacy for the Imperial family, a family once seen as dieties before World War II.
“Royal families around the world can no longer take for granted their legitimacy,” a palace source said last week. “In the 125th generation [of the present Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko], legitimacy is earned through hard work and humility. But we worry about the 126th generation.”
That worry will highlighted when Japan receives two royal visits towards the end of the year. The first will be from Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, next week. That will be followed by a November visit from the King and Queen of Spain.
Masako is expected to be present for the British visit, but not for the Spanish. “What logical explanation can we give for that?” a palace insider asks. “That the British are healthy but the Spanish make her ill?”
Such growing discontent towards Masako has led to the inevitable yet controversial question: Should the Imperial family divorce Masako, and set her free?
In May a magazine ran an article by Kanji Nishio, a right-wing academic and champion of the Imperial Family. He urged that Princess Masako’s family “take her back” – a euphemism for divorce – because of the damage that she is doing to the Imperial Family. “The members of the Imperial Family are the passengers of the ship named the Imperial System, but not its owners,” he wrote. “If one individual gets seasick and cannot stay on board, then there is no alternative but to disembark.”
“Nishio has started a debate that people with common sense want to participate in,” Tomoko Seo, an editor at the magazine, said. “People are frustrated and angry with Masako for making many private outings, although she cannot carry out official duties.”
This past July, Masako’s husband Crown Prince Naruhito issued a statement, saying his wife was doing all that she can to recover from her illness. This week to mark her 74th birthday, Empress Michiko said she was standing by her daughter-in-law, though she did not go into detail about her sickness.
Crown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako and their daughter Princess Aiko waved to well-wishers as they travelled for a summer retreat. 
The family made a stop at at Nasushiobara station, Nasushiobara, north of Tokyo. The imperial family has a summer villa in the Japanese highlands.
This is one of the rare times Crown Princess Masako has been seen in public. She has been suffering from a stress-induced illness for several years, and has made little public appearances. Her husband, Naruhito, insists that his wife is doing all she can to overcome her illness.
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