A snapshot of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko widely shared on Twitter has raised questions about the propriety of posting informal pictures of the imperial couple online.
Taken by an ordinary citizen, the photograph captured the imperial couple smiling to the camera at JR Oyama Station in Tochigi Prefecture on May 22.
這張照片是5月22日在櫪木縣JR小田站由一名平民所拍攝,捕捉到天皇伉儷對著鏡頭微笑。
The couple stopped there to transfer to the Shinkansen bullet train on their way back to Tokyo after an overnight trip in the prefecture.
天皇伉儷之所以在此暫停,是因為兩人在該縣旅遊過夜後,要轉搭新幹線子彈列車返回東京。
Cheers erupted among the crowd at the station, including commuting students, when the couple showed up on the concourse. Many people quickly snapped pictures with their smartphones and digital cameras.
當天皇伉儷現身車站穿堂時,包括通勤學生在內的群衆爆出歡呼聲。許多人立刻用智慧型手機或數位相機拍照。
"The emperor was at Oyama Station. I was able to take the best shot," the photographer tweeted along with the picture, which has been retweeted more than 2,700 times.
「天皇現身小田站。我拍到最佳照片,」拍攝者將照片發到推特時還寫下圖說,照片被轉推超過2700次。
Online feedback has been mixed.
網路上對此舉的反應不一。
Some people praised the image, saying:"The photo taken by a high school girl captured natural smiles(of the imperial couple)." But there has also been a fair share of negative comments:"I cannot possibly do or won’t do such a thing."