Photo/Illutration Princess Akiko receives an explanation from Kazuyuki Tsuruma, a professor emeritus at Gakushuin University, at a special exhibition held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China at the Ueno Royal Museum in Tokyo in January. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

While much of the lives of Japan’s imperial family take place behind closed doors, members occasionally dish details to a select few on their personal interests, such as which manga and anime they adore.

In January, Kazuyuki Tsuruma, a professor emeritus at Gakushuin University, accompanied Princess Akiko to brief her on exhibits associated with ancient China at a special exhibition at the Ueno Royal Museum in Tokyo.

He told reporters that Akiko, 41, is a die-hard fan of “Kingdom,” a manga series set in China’s Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods (770 to 221 B.C.).

Akiko, the eldest daughter of the late Prince Tomohito, has read all 67 volumes of the popular manga and seen all live-action feature film adaptations, according to Tsuruma, a longtime acquaintance of the princess.

“Kingdom” tells the story of Shin, who aspires to become the world’s greatest general, and Sei, who later becomes the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, as the two struggle to bring peace to war-ravaged China and unify the country.

Akiko had told Tsuruma that she was brought to tears when General Ohki (Wang Yi) of the Qin Dynasty, her favorite character, dies in the epic work.

The princess appeared thrilled when she met Yasuhisa Hara, the creator of “Kingdom,” in person, according to Tsuruma.

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During an autumn garden party held at the Akasaka Imperial Garden in Tokyo in October 2013, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko mingle with baseball great Shigeo Nagashima, manga artist Tetsuya Chiba and other guests. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Akiko is far from the only member who is a fan of a manga series.

During an autumn garden party held at the Akasaka Imperial Garden in Tokyo in 2013, Emperor Naruhito, then crown prince, told cartoonist Tetsuya Chiba that he had read the boxing manga “Ashita no Joe” (Tomorrow’s Joe), Chiba’s representative work.

When Chiba asked him if members of the imperial family read manga, Naruhito said, “All of us do.”

Naruhito told Chiba he would read manga to relax when he was exhausted from performing official duties and that he could learn about medicine and history from cartoons.

“Japan’s manga and animation have earned global recognition thanks to you artists who have cultivated them into cultural assets Japan can be proud of,” he was quoted as saying at the time.

Naruhito, 63, was also known as an avid reader of “Thermae Romae,” a manga about a bathhouse architect in ancient Rome who travels through time to modern-day Japan.

The emperor was apparently so hooked on the popular comic series that he recommended it to those he became acquainted with through water-related issues, from damage control to resources utilization, which he studies as his life’s work.

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Princess Kako stands against the backdrop of an illustration featuring Conan Edogawa dressed as an airline captain and Ran Mori as a cabin attendant--characters from the “Detective Conan” manga series-- at Tottori Airport in Tottori in September. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Naruhito’s mother, Empress Emerita Michiko, hummed a well-known song from “Star of the Giants,” a baseball anime show adapted from a manga series created by Chiba, when she met with the cartoonist on a different occasion as crown princess.

Michiko, now 89, told Chiba that Naruhito and her other children used to read the manga as they sang the anime song.

In a later interview, Chiba said he was surprised to learn that even members of the imperial family also read manga.

Princess Kako, 28, also said during an official duty that she had read popular manga titles such as “Detective Conan” and “Magic Kaito,” which features a high school student who loves magic tricks.

Another day, the second daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito had a lively conversation with children about “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba,” a successful manga series with animated TV and feature film adaptations.

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