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Princess Aiko, daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, greets members of the media on the occasion of her coming-of-age

By Mariko Oi

BBC News

Princess Aiko, the only child of Japan's Emperor Naruhito, will begin work at the Japanese Red Cross Society in April after graduating from university.

While details of her new role are unclear, she will continue official duties with the imperial family.

The 22-year-old princess is not in line of succession as Japanese law allows only men to ascend to the throne.

Japan has the oldest continuing hereditary monarchy in the world.

In a statement, Princess Aiko said that she has "always had an interest" in the Red Cross, while her new employer added that it wants "to thoroughly make preparations so that the princess can work at ease".

The organisation has close ties with the imperial family, with previous empresses serving as honorary presidents.

In October, Princess Aiko visited the society with her parents to observe an exhibition on its relief activities following the 1923 Tokyo earthquake. In recent years, she has also expressed her sympathies to victims and survivors of natural disasters in Japan.