Princess Masako

"It is the opinion of the palace doctors that it would be difficult for her to return to her duties this year," an Imperial Household Agency official said Sept. 6.

Masako appeared in public briefly for the first time in four months Sept. 4, waving to photographers and well-wishers from the back of a limousine taking her and Crown Prince Naruhito from their residence to the nearby Imperial Palace, where she met with her in-laws, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.

Although the tabloid media have reported that Masako has lost weight and was "visibly ill," she appeared to be in relatively good spirits and looked little changed from before her seclusion began.

The Japan Times Weekly: Sept. 11, 2004
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