Imperial Household Agency's YouTube channel surpasses 100,000 subscribers
The Imperial Household Agency was given the Silver Creator Award for reaching 100,000 subscribers on its official YouTube channel for public outreach, a surprising milestone for a monarchy that has traditionally shunned social media.
'YouTube has multigenerational viewership. So we decided that it was an effective way to convey what the imperial family does to an even larger audience,' a spokesperson from the Imperial Household Agency told The Japan Times after it received the award on Thursday.
Launched on April 1, the channel surpassed 100,000 subscribers within its first week. As of Monday, the number of subscribers had risen to around 138,000.
The channel has a variety of content, including videos of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attending ritual ceremonies, meeting with foreign dignitaries, visiting the victims of natural disasters and speaking at news conferences.
The latest post featured members of the imperial family greeting guests at a spring garden party at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo on April 22.
Comments are turned off on all posts over concerns that some viewers may share misinformation or write hateful messages.
'For the comment (section) to become flooded is, well, not what we want. And of course, we are worried that such a thing would happen,' the spokesperson said.
The imperial family's YouTube debut came a year after the Imperial Household Agency created an Instagram account that now has nearly 2 million followers.
In addition to its social media outreach, the agency is hosting a free quiz game event in the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace until 2027.
In its budget for fiscal 2025, which began in April, the agency was allocated ¥27 million ($187,000) for public relations expenses, including costs for filming content.
The agency's Public Relations Office was established in 2023 following excessive media scrutiny against then-Princess Mako, the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, who left the imperial family after marrying a commoner in October 2021.
Tabloids and internet trolls spread misinformation about the financial disputes surrounding the mother of the groom, a scandal which provoked backlash against the imperial family.
Instead of issuing a rebuttal on its website, the Imperial Household Agency remained silent, sparking criticism over its media strategy, or lack thereof.
Crown Prince Akishino said at a news conference in November that while he welcomes the Imperial Household Agency's use of social media, it is still difficult for the agency to cope with "bullying-like" messages targeting his family.
'It's nearly been a year since the Imperial Household Agency started its Instagram. Before, there was only a website, but by using Instagram, we've been able to share the movements of the emperor and empress in a timely manner, which I think is a great improvement,' he said.
However, he added that in today's society, where anyone can send out information both good and bad, it is difficult to grasp just how many malicious messages would be posted and read by the public.
In such a situation, it is unknown how society would react if the Imperial Household Agency protested certain messages, making it difficult for the agency to respond to negative messages.
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