The Japanese royal family has joined Instagram, which is a big deal because they’re the oldest monarchy in the world. Emperor Naruhito, who became emperor five years ago, wants to make sure the royal family stays up to date with modern times. This move comes 15 years after the British royal family started using social media. It was only a matter of time before the Japanese royal family joined in, since young people today spend a lot of time on their phones.

But if you were hoping to see more personal stuff from the imperial family, you might be disappointed. The @kunaicho_jp account has been active for 48 hours, but the posts are all formal and planned. They show Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, and their daughter Princess Aiko at official events, visiting museums, and meeting other royals. There’s no personal stuff or thoughts shared.

The royal family’s Instagram account has a consistent look, with lots of beige and grey colors. The captions are all in Japanese and just give a summary of what’s happening in the photos. They’ve also turned off the comments, which is something a lot of companies do to protect their brand. The Japanese royal family wants to keep a conservative and safe image, so they’re being careful about what gets posted and what people can say.

In the past, the royal family used traditional media like newspapers, TV, and magazines to talk to the public. They wanted to show a positive image, but also keep their distance. With Instagram, they’re doing the same thing. They want to control how they’re seen and not get too close to the public. So don’t expect a lot of personal stuff or constant updates from them on social media.

Original news source: Bonsai and bowing: Japan’s royal family join Instagram (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into small groups.
2. Assign each group a different aspect of the article (e.g. the Japanese royal family joining Instagram, the reasons behind it, the nature of their posts, etc.).
3. Give the groups a few minutes to discuss and summarize their assigned aspect.
4. Have each group present their summary to the class.
5. As a class, compile the different summaries to create a comprehensive news summary of the article.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions:
1. Ask the class to individually think about their opinion on the Japanese royal family joining Instagram.
2. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
3. Have the students discuss their opinions and reasons behind them.
4. In their pairs or groups, have the students create a list of questions related to the topic.
5. Each pair or group will then conduct an opinion poll by asking these questions to other students in the class.
6. After gathering the responses, have the class share and discuss the different opinions and reasons.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Select a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g. monarchy, social media, conservative, etc.).
2. Divide the class into small groups.
3. Give each group a set of vocabulary words.
4. In their groups, the students must take turns drawing pictures to represent the vocabulary words while their group members try to guess the word.
5. The group that guesses the most words correctly wins.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into two groups.
2. Assign one group to come up with the pros of the Japanese royal family joining Instagram and the other group to come up with the cons.
3. Give the groups a few minutes to brainstorm and discuss their ideas.
4. Have each group present their points to the class, taking turns to share one pro or con at a time.
5. After both groups have presented, facilitate a class discussion where students can respond to and debate the different points raised.

– Future Predictions
Instructions:
1. Ask the class to individually think about and write down their predictions for how the Japanese royal family’s use of Instagram might evolve in the future.
2. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
3. In their pairs or groups, have the students share and discuss their predictions, explaining their reasoning.
4. After the discussion, have each pair or group present their most interesting prediction to the class.
5. Facilitate a class discussion where students can respond to and discuss the different predictions and possibilities.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Why is it a big deal that the Japanese royal family has joined Instagram?
2. How long has Emperor Naruhito been the emperor?
3. Why did the Japanese royal family join Instagram?
4. Are the posts on the royal family’s Instagram account personal or formal?
5. What do the captions on the Instagram posts contain?
6. Why did the royal family turn off the comments on their Instagram posts?
7. How did the royal family communicate with the public in the past?
8. What is the royal family’s goal with using Instagram?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The Japanese (1)______ family has joined (2)______, which is a big deal because they’re the oldest monarchy in the world. Emperor (3)______, who became emperor five years ago, wants to make sure the royal family (4)______ up to date with modern times. This move comes 15 years after the British royal family started using social media. It was only a matter of time before the Japanese royal family joined in, since young people today spend a lot of time on their phones.

But if you were hoping to see more (5)______ stuff from the imperial family, you might be disappointed. The @kunaicho_jp (6)______ has been active for 48 hours, but the (7)______ are all formal and planned. They show Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, and their daughter Princess Aiko at official (8)______, visiting museums, and meeting other royals. There’s no personal stuff or thoughts shared.

The royal (9)______’s Instagram account has a consistent look, with lots of (10)______ and grey colors. The captions are all in (11)______ and just give a summary of what’s happening in the photos. They’ve also turned off the comments, which is something a lot of companies do to protect their brand. The Japanese royal family wants to keep a conservative and safe (12)______, so they’re being careful about what gets posted and what people can say.

In the past, the royal family used traditional (13)______ like newspapers, TV, and (14)______ to talk to the (15)______. They wanted to show a positive image, but also keep their distance. With Instagram, they’re doing the same thing. They want to (16)______ how they’re seen and not get too close to the public. So don’t expect a lot of personal stuff or constant updates from them on social media.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is Instagram and why do people use it?
2. How do you think the Japanese royal family feels about joining Instagram?
3. Do you think it’s important for the royal family to stay up to date with modern times? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if you were a member of the royal family and had to share your personal life on social media?
5. Do you like the formal and planned posts from the royal family on Instagram? Why or why not?
6. How do you think the royal family’s Instagram account helps to protect their brand?
7. What do you think the royal family’s goal is in using Instagram?
8. How do you think the royal family’s use of social media is different from their use of traditional media?
9. Do you think it’s important for public figures, like the royal family, to control how they are seen on social media? Why or why not?
10. How do you think the public feels about not being able to comment on the royal family’s Instagram posts?
11. What do you think the royal family’s conservative and safe image means?
12. Do you think it’s necessary for the royal family to keep their distance from the public? Why or why not?
13. How do you think the royal family’s use of social media affects their popularity?
14. Would you like to see more personal posts from the royal family on Instagram? Why or why not?
15. How do you think the royal family’s use of Instagram will change in the future?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. monarchy
2. emperor
3. modern
4. social media
5. disappointed
6. formal
7. planned
8. museums
9. captions
10. conservative
11. brand
12. traditional
13. public
14. positive
15. updates

Meanings:
(A) The image or reputation of a particular product or person
(B) Preferring to maintain existing traditions and cautious about change
(C) Places where historical, artistic, or cultural objects are displayed
(D) Relating to the customs, beliefs, or activities that have been part of a society for a long time
(E) The male ruler of an empire
(F) Showing or causing feelings of happiness and good feelings about something
(G) Following established rules or customs, especially in a social context
(H) Short pieces of text that explain or describe something, usually accompanying an image
(I) Websites and applications that allow users to create and share content or to participate in social networking
(J) The general people who are not members of a specific group or organization
(K) A system of government where a country is ruled by a king or queen
(L) Related to the present or recent times
(M) Arranged or decided in advance
(N) The latest information or news about something
(O) Feeling sad or unhappy because something was not as good as expected
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why is the Japanese royal family joining Instagram a big deal?
(a) They want to share personal stuff with the public.
(b) They want to compete with the British royal family.
(c) They want to become more modern.
(d) They are the oldest monarchy in the world.

2. How long has the @kunaicho_jp Instagram account been active?
(a) 5 years
(b) 48 hours
(c) 15 years
(d) 10 years

3. What kind of posts can you expect to see on the royal family’s Instagram account?
(a) Formal and planned posts
(b) Personal stuff and thoughts
(c) Funny and entertaining posts
(d) Random and spontaneous posts

4. What do the captions on the royal family’s Instagram account provide?
(a) A summary of what’s happening in the photos
(b) Personal anecdotes and stories
(c) Jokes and funny comments
(d) Quotes from famous people

5. Why have the comments been turned off on the royal family’s Instagram account?
(a) To encourage more engagement
(b) To protect their brand
(c) To avoid negative comments
(d) To show a more personal side

6. How did the royal family communicate with the public in the past?
(a) Through social media platforms like Instagram
(b) Through personal letters and emails
(c) Through public events and speeches
(d) Through traditional media like newspapers and TV

7. What is the royal family’s goal with their Instagram account?
(a) To share personal thoughts and experiences with the public
(b) To become closer to the public and share constant updates
(c) To control how they are seen and maintain a conservative image
(d) To compete with other royal families on social media

8. What can you expect in terms of personal updates from the royal family on social media?
(a) Daily updates and personal stories
(b) Personal photos and behind-the-scenes moments
(c) Not a lot of personal stuff or constant updates
(d) Personal thoughts and opinions on current events

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The Instagram account has an inconsistent look with various colors, and the captions are all in English, providing detailed descriptions of the photos.
2. The Japanese royal family wants to maintain a conservative and safe image, so they are cautious about what they post and what people can say.
3. The @kunaicho_jp Instagram account has been active for 48 hours, but the posts are all spontaneous and candid, showing the royal family at informal events and interacting with the public.
4. In the past, the royal family used traditional media to communicate with the public, and now they are doing the same with Instagram, aiming to control how they are perceived and maintain a certain distance from the public.
5. The British royal family stopped using social media 15 years ago, so it was only a matter of time before the Japanese royal family stood out.
6. The Japanese royal family has recently quit Instagram, making them the youngest monarchy in the world to do so.
7. The comments on the royal family’s Instagram account have been turned off to protect their brand, which is a common practice for many companies.
8. Emperor Naruhito, who has been emperor for five years, wants to ensure that the royal family keeps up with the modern times.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. Why is it a big deal that the Japanese royal family joined Instagram?
2. How long has the British royal family been using social media?
3. What kind of posts can you expect to see on the Japanese royal family’s Instagram account?
4. Why did the royal family turn off the comments on their Instagram posts?
5. How did the royal family communicate with the public before using social media?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why is it a big deal that the Japanese royal family has joined Instagram?
It’s a big deal because they’re the oldest monarchy in the world and they’re known for being traditional. So, for them to join a social media platform like Instagram is a big change.

2. How long has Emperor Naruhito been the emperor?
Emperor Naruhito has been the emperor for five years.

3. Why did the Japanese royal family join Instagram?
They joined Instagram to stay up to date with modern times and to connect with young people who spend a lot of time on their phones.

4. Are the posts on the royal family’s Instagram account personal or formal?
The posts on the royal family’s Instagram account are formal.

5. What do the captions on the Instagram posts contain?
The captions on the Instagram posts contain a summary of what’s happening in the photos.

6. Why did the royal family turn off the comments on their Instagram posts?
The royal family turned off the comments on their Instagram posts to protect their brand and to control how they’re seen by the public.

7. How did the royal family communicate with the public in the past?
In the past, the royal family communicated with the public through traditional media like newspapers, TV, and magazines.

8. What is the royal family’s goal with using Instagram?
The royal family’s goal with using Instagram is to show a positive image, but also keep their distance from the public. They want to control how they’re seen and not get too close to the public.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) royal
(2) Instagram
(3) Naruhito
(4) stays
(5) personal
(6) account
(7) posts
(8) events
(9) family
(10) beige
(11) Japanese
(12) image
(13) media
(14) magazines
(15) public
(16) control
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. monarchy
Answer: (K) A system of government where a country is ruled by a king or queen

2. emperor
Answer: (E) The male ruler of an empire

3. modern
Answer: (L) Related to the present or recent times

4. social media
Answer: (I) Websites and applications that allow users to create and share content or to participate in social networking

5. disappointed
Answer: (O) Feeling sad or unhappy because something was not as good as expected

6. formal
Answer: (G) Following established rules or customs, especially in a social context

7. planned
Answer: (M) Arranged or decided in advance

8. museums
Answer: (C) Places where historical, artistic, or cultural objects are displayed

9. captions
Answer: (H) Short pieces of text that explain or describe something, usually accompanying an image

10. conservative
Answer: (B) Preferring to maintain existing traditions and cautious about change

11. brand
Answer: (A) The image or reputation of a particular product or person

12. traditional
Answer: (D) Relating to the customs, beliefs, or activities that have been part of a society for a long time

13. public
Answer: (J) The general people who are not members of a specific group or organization

14. positive
Answer: (F) Showing or causing feelings of happiness and good feelings about something

15. updates
Answer: (N) The latest information or news about something
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why is the Japanese royal family joining Instagram a big deal?
Answer: (d) They are the oldest monarchy in the world.

2. How long has the @kunaicho_jp Instagram account been active?
Answer: (b) 48 hours

3. What kind of posts can you expect to see on the royal family’s Instagram account?
Answer: (a) Formal and planned posts

4. What do the captions on the royal family’s Instagram account provide?
Answer: (a) A summary of what’s happening in the photos

5. Why have the comments been turned off on the royal family’s Instagram account?
Answer: (b) To protect their brand

6. How did the royal family communicate with the public in the past?
Answer: (d) Through traditional media like newspapers and TV

7. What is the royal family’s goal with their Instagram account?
Answer: (c) To control how they are seen and maintain a conservative image

8. What can you expect in terms of personal updates from the royal family on social media?
Answer: (c) Not a lot of personal stuff or constant updates
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The Instagram account has an inconsistent look with various colors, and the captions are all in English, providing detailed descriptions of the photos. (Answer: False)
2. The Japanese royal family wants to maintain a conservative and safe image, so they are cautious about what they post and what people can say. (Answer: True)
3. The @kunaicho_jp Instagram account has been active for 48 hours, but the posts are all spontaneous and candid, showing the royal family at informal events and interacting with the public. (Answer: False)
4. In the past, the royal family used traditional media to communicate with the public, and now they are doing the same with Instagram, aiming to control how they are perceived and maintain a certain distance from the public. (Answer: True)
5. The British royal family stopped using social media 15 years ago, so it was only a matter of time before the Japanese royal family stood out. (Answer: False)
6. The Japanese royal family has recently quit Instagram, making them the youngest monarchy in the world to do so. (Answer: False)
7. The comments on the royal family’s Instagram account have been turned off to protect their brand, which is a common practice for many companies. (Answer: True)
8. Emperor Naruhito, who has been emperor for five years, wants to ensure that the royal family keeps up with the modern times. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧