By TOMOKO SAITO/ Staff Writer
December 18, 2019 at 14:20 JST
ICHIKAWA, Chiba Prefecture--Princesses Mako and Kako gave ambassadors to Japan a glimpse of Japan's wild side on Dec. 17 by hosting a traditional duck netting event here.
The two daughters of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko, decked out in stylish hunting attire, were presiding over the annual winter social gathering at Shinhama Kamoba (Shinhama Imperial Wild Duck Preserve) for the first time together.
The preserve, managed by the Imperial Household Agency, was where Emperor Naruhito, then crown prince, proposed marriage to Masako Owada during a walk there in 1992. She is now Japan's empress.
The princesses also joined their guests in chasing the birds, and the group ended the day with a haul of 208 ducks.
The ducks were later released after a marker was attached to their legs for research on their flying patterns.
Duck netting, a tradition of the imperial family, requires "hunters" to scoop up the birds in large nets.
Ambassadors and their spouses from 17 countries, among them Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands, attended.
According to the Imperial Household Agency, thousands of wild ducks and other birds flock to the preserve during their winter migration.
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Princess Mako, left, and Princess Kako arrive at Shinhama Kamoba (Shinhama Imperial Wild Duck Preserve), managed by the Imperial Household Agency, in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, on Dec. 17. (Tatsuya Shimada)
