Japan's Crown Princess Masako entered hospital to give birth to a possible, and long-awaited, heir to the world's oldest monarchy.
A smiling Princess Masako (37)waved to applauding neighbours as she and her husband, Crown Prince Naruhito, were driven yesterday from their royal residence to the hospital in the main palace compound in central Tokyo.
If the baby is a boy, he will be second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne and the first male born in the imperial family since 1965, when Prince Naruhito's younger brother, Prince Akishino, was born. Both of Prince Akishino's children are girls. The birth of a girl would be certain to intensify debate on whether to change the law to allow a female to ascend the throne and avert a potential succession crisis.
"There are no labour pains, but there are signs of birth," a court official, Mr Hirobumi Oka, told a brief news conference at the Imperial Household Agency.
The news of an imminent birth quickly brought dozens of people to the gates of the Imperial Palace and national broadcaster NHK started running features on the prince and princess.
The royal birth will be a rare bit of bright news in a nation whose economic outlook seems to be dimming daily. There is rising unemployment and deflation after a decade of stagnation. Some of the royal fans gathered near the palace were holding dogs, traditionally associated with safe childbirth.