World stage beckons as Princess Aiko turns 20

Japanese Princess Aiko made a brief appearance posing for photographers inside the Imperial Palace grounds on Sunday.

Aiko turned 20 on Wednesday and is the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako. She will be joining the rest of her family taking part in official duties while she continues studying Japanese literature. She is not eligible to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne as only male heirs are allowed to reign.

Under Japanese law, she also has to leave her family if she marries a commoner, just like her older cousin, Mako. As a child, Aiko was known to be a big fan of Japanese traditional sumo wrestling and memorized the names of all the wrestlers and is an animal lover.