The Imperial Household Agency announced that Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, will attend the naming and launching ceremony of an ocean research vessel on March 19.

The ceremony for the Arctic Research Vessel, which belongs to the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, will be held in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture.

It will be Princess Aiko’s first solo official duty since October 2024, when she visited Saga Prefecture for the National Sports Festival.

The naming and launching ceremony was attended by Kuroda Sayako, former princess and daughter of Emperor Emeritus Akihito in 2002, and Princess Kako in 2015.