The Emperor's New Feed
The Japanese imperial family, the last of the world's ancient monarchies to do so, have joined Instagram (@kunaicho_jp). It is a move that speaks to the inescapable reality of our times - that to remain relevant, to be seen and heard, one must partake in the grand spectacle of social media.
There is a certain irony to it, a quiet humor that borders on the absurd. Here is an institution that for centuries has been shrouded in mystery, in sacred rituals and divine mythos, now reduced to squares on a screen, to be scrolled past and double-tapped by idle thumbs. But such is the way of the world now, and even the most staunchly traditional among us must adapt or risk fading into obscurity.
The imperial family's Instagram presence is, at first glance, unremarkable. It is a carefully curated feed, a sanitized glimpse into a world of formal ceremonies and stately duties. There are no candid shots, no behind-the-scenes glimpses, no humanizing moments of vulnerability or humor. It is, in a word, safe.
And perhaps that is the point. For an institution that has survived for millennia on the strength of its mystery, on the careful cultivation of an image of untouchable otherness, to suddenly bare itself to the harsh scrutiny of the digital age would be a risk indeed. One misstep, one unguarded moment captured and amplified by the unforgiving lens of social media, could undo centuries of carefully maintained distance.
But there is another lens through which to view this digital debut, one that speaks to a more fundamental shift in the nature of power and influence in our hyperconnected age. For if the imperial family, in all its timeless grandeur, must now bend the knee to the altar of Instagram, what does that say about the true center of power in our world?
Are the tech giants, with their vast networks and unparalleled ability to shape the thoughts and behaviors of billions, the new monarchy? Do they, in their sleek Silicon Valley towers, now wield a power more vast and intimate than any emperor or king of old? It is a question that hangs heavy in the air, a specter that looms over every carefully crafted post and every strategically timed share.
There is no easy answer, no neat resolution to this strange convergence of old power and new. But one thing is clear: the rules of the game have changed, and those who wish to remain players must learn to navigate a landscape where likes and followers are the new measures of success, where authenticity and relatability are the coins of the realm.
The Japanese imperial family, in their measured, cautious way, are taking their first steps into this unfamiliar terrain. Only time will tell if their approach - distant, controlled, unwaveringly on-brand - will be enough to secure their relevance in a world where the very nature of what it means to be relevant is rapidly shifting beneath our feet.
But for now, the emperor has an Instagram handle, and the world watches with bated breath to see what he will do with it. It is a strange new chapter in an ancient story, a tale of power and influence in a digital age where the lines between the real and the virtual, the sacred and the profane, are increasingly blurred. And we are all, in our own way, a part of this unfolding narrative, this grand reckoning between the old world and the new.