Crown Princess Masako also`'deeply hurt` by arguments: official

TOKYO, Dec. 12 Kyodo - Crown Princess Masako must have been ''deeply hurt'' by some arguments, one of which claims ''the Imperial Household itself is the cause of her illness,'' Grand Master Issei Nomura of the Imperial Household Agency said Friday.
Nomura made the remarks in a press conference in response to Thursday's remark
made by Shingo Haketa, chief of the agency, that Emperor Akihito and Empress
Michiko appeared to be ''deeply hurt'' by such arguments.
''The crown princess considers the tradition and official duties of the
Imperial Household important and has been concentrating on her treatments so
that she can fully conduct her duties,'' Nomura said.
The 45-year-old crown princess has been diagnosed as suffering adjustment
disorder and has been skipping most of her official duties for five years due
to mental and physical distress.
As for health management of the crown prince and crown princess, which also had
been brought up by Haketa, Nomura promised that a team of physicians at the
Crown Prince's Palace will take full responsibility for conducting regular
health checkups on them.
Haketa had said, ''The emperor and empress had strong uncertainties that (the
crown prince who) did not undergo regular checkups for quite a long time,''
calling for the team of physicians to take the responsibility.
Nomura said the contents of such exams may need review, pointing out that the
crown prince had been checked regularly before a polyp was discovered in his
duodenum during a checkup in March last year.
''I felt like the contents of the checkups can be attributed (to not finding
the polyp earlier),'' he said.
In the meantime, the schedule for Crown Princess Masako's health exam, which
had been scheduled for June, was delayed but she is rescheduled to take it this
month, Nomura said.
She has not received checkups since March last year because of the delay,
according to Nomura.
==Kyodo