Emperor and Empress of Japan take the public bullet train

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan have received praise from royal fans for travelling via public transport. 

The Japanese royals were travelling to the Gifu Prefecture on Monday to attend the national cultural festivals - and were filmed walking through Tokyo Station. 

In a video that has racked up more than 10 million views on social media, the Emperor and Empress were spotted waving to members of the public as they made their way to the Shinkansen - the Japanese bullet train. 

One onlooker wrote on X/Twitter: 'When I got off the Shinkansen, Tokyo Station was in a terrible state, and I wondered if there was some kind of incident, but it turned out that the Emperor was traveling by Shinkansen... 

'It was a great experience...' 

Another said: 'I got off at Gifu-Hashima Station, and there was a high level of security at the station. I heard that the Emperor and Empress were there, so the station was very lively.'

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Masako, 60, looked elegant in a tan suit and matching clutch bag, perfectly complementing her husband, 64. 

However, the appearance baffled Brits, with one writing: 'Imagine Charles & Camilla getting off at London Euston';

'Couldn’t see Charles running down the concourse at Euston because the train has changed platform and there’s another 1000 people sprinting with you.' 

Others took to social media to praise the royals for making the two-hour journey via public transport, instead of opting for the Imperial train. 

They wrote: 'I'm really proud that we live in a country where the Emperor can walk safely among the people with a big smile on his face;

'It's amazing, the Imperial Family has such an aura.'

The couple travelled the two-hour journey via bullet train from Tokyo to Gifu-Hashima Station to attend the opening ceremony of the 39th National Cultural Festival and the 24th National Arts and Culture Festival for Persons with Disabilities. 

At the start of the ceremony, the couple offered prayers for the victims of the January 1 earthquake and recent floods in Noto. 

On Tuesday, they will visit the Gifu-Kakamigahara Air and Space Museum before returning to Tokyo in the evening. 

The Imperial royals are often said to opt for the Shinkansen, also using it last month with their daughter Princess Aiko for an autumn retreat at Nasu Imperial Villa. 

In July, the Japanese royals made headlines for their state visit to the UK, where they were welcomed by King Charles and Queen Camilla. 

During their visit, they attended a state banquet and saw the red carpet rolled out for them, before being bid a fond farewell by the king and queen.