Emperor Naruhito has a grin the world rarely gets to see. In a photograph shared by the Imperial Household Agency, he is beaming from inside the giant Nekobus at Ghibli Park, the Catbus from “My Neighbor Totoro,” with Empress Masako glowing right beside him.
The photos date to Sunday, September 20, 2026. That day the imperial couple visited Ghibli Park at the Ai-Chikyuhaku Memorial Park in Aichi Prefecture, during their two-day trip to the prefecture, September 19 and 20, for events connected to the Asian Games. A theme park stop gave the official visit a rare, playful note.
The Catbus Grin
The standout image shows the couple tucked inside the plush, room-sized Catbus in the Grand Warehouse (Ghibli no Oosouko). The great cat’s yellow eyes glow above the windows where they sit, its destination board reads the park name in Japanese, and small mouse creatures with pink eyes perch along the roof. Both royals look like kids who just landed the best seat on the best ride.
A second photograph shows the couple with Kaonashi, the masked No-Face from “Spirited Away,” another of Studio Ghibli’s most beloved creations.
A Family With Culture in Its Heart
The outing fits a pattern. Japan’s imperial family keeps showing up for the arts: just days earlier, the imperial family toured Edo-period masterpieces returned from London at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, with Princess Aiko joining her parents.
Royals elsewhere share the habit. Prince Daniel of Sweden recently reopened Queen Christina’s treasure room at the Prado, proof that a love of museums runs in royal blood, and German culture is lighting up New York this October with its own festival season.
Why It Landed
What makes these photos special is their lightness. The imperial couple is usually photographed at ceremonies and state occasions, all poise and protocol. Seeing them squeeze into a cartoon cat’s belly and laugh is the kind of human moment that travels around the world in hours, and a sweet reminder that joy needs no translation.
Photo: @kunaicho_jp
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