15 fevereiro, 2007 - Published 17:20 GMT

Japão protesta contra biografia da princesa Masako

Princess Masako was a beautiful diplomat who spoke several languages and travelled the world before her marriage to Japan's Crown Prince in 1993. But after she joined the imperial family, she began to suffer from a stress-related illness. Many blame her ill-health on the pressure to produce a male heir. These days she's seen in public only rarely and carries out few official duties.

Ben Hills is an Australian investigative journalist who says he interviewed more than sixty Japanese, American and English sources for his unauthorised biography of the troubled princess. These included her former colleagues and those of her husband, many of whom, the author says, had never given interviews before. But Japan's government says the book contains disrespectful descriptions and distortions of the facts. The complaints are made in letters of protest sent to the author and his publisher. The government says it cannot ignore what it calls the book's false characterisation of the imperial family.

The Foreign Ministry says the author and his publisher have told them they see no particular problems with the book and want to consider what response to make. A Japanese edition is due to be published in a few weeks' time.

Chris Hogg, BBC News, Tokyo

diplomat
diplomata

the imperial family
a família imperial

a male heir
um herdeiro masculino

sources
fontes

unauthorised
não autorizada

former colleagues
ex-colegas

disrespectful
desrespeitosas

distortions of the facts
distorções de fatos

false characterisation
caracterização falsa

consider what response to make
refletir sobre sua resposta