Japan’s royal family makes formal debut on Instagram

Japan's royal family is now on Instagram -- but don't expect any candid selfies from its official account, which went live yesterday in a cautious social media debut for the ancient monarchy.

The first 19 posts are formally staged photos and videos of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako carrying out royal duties at recent public appearances.

Nonetheless, more than 160,000 users have followed the Imperial Household Agency (IHA) account, which was announced a week ago but set to private until yesterday.

The Japanese monarchy has mythological origins stretching back more than two millennia, and any public criticism of the emperor remains taboo in the country.

By joining social media, the institution hopes to spark interest among younger generations. But, perhaps predictably, the posts under the Instagram handle kunaicho_jp contain no behind-the-scenes juice.

      Strictly factual captions explain what the emperor did on what day.