{
  "id": 10587204,
  "title": "Emperor, empress share lighthearted moment in 'Totoro' Cat Bus",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/emperor-empress-share-lighthearted-moment-in-totoro-cat-bus",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-29T02:30:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Mainichi",
    "slug": "the-mainichi",
    "url": "https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20260929/p2g/00m/0na/013000c"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako were photographed sharing a playful moment inside the Cat Bus from the beloved animated film, My Neighbor Totoro, during their recent visit to Ghibli Park in central Japan, according to a photo released by the Imperial Household Agency on Monday. The imperial couple spent two days in Aichi Prefecture, the home of Ghibli Park, from September 20, partly to participate in the opening ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The image captures the smiling emperor and empress inside the life-sized Cat Bus, which was taken by an aide using a smartphone given to them by the emperor. Another photograph depicts the couple in a setup recreating a famous train scene from the animated film Spirited Away, where visitors can sit beside a character resembling No Face, a mysterious spirit portrayed as a black-clad figure with a blank white mask.",
  "summary": "TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako were captured sharing a lighthearted moment inside the Cat Bus from the popular film \"My Neighbor",
  "key_points": [
    "Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako shared playful moment in Cat Bus.",
    "Cat Bus from My Neighbor Totoro featured during Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games visit.",
    "Photo released by Imperial Household Agency on September 20."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The imperial couple's playful photo opportunity at Ghibli Park humanizes their public image, showcasing a lighthearted side to the usually formal emperor and empress.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}