Grok-generated Deepfake Images of Sign Language Literate Imperial Princess Kako Circulate Online

By Barrier Free Japan

January 18 2026

TOKYO – The South China Morning Post reported on January 13th that Grok-generated deepfake images of Japan’s Princess Kako, the niece of Emperor Naruhito, in a bikini circulating online have renewed scrutiny on Elon Musk’s X chatbot.

Since the AI assistant started allowing users to manipulate any posted image, a nudification trend has gained traction online, with people asking Grok to generate sexualised deepfakes using prompts such as “put her in a tiny bikini” or even “undress her”.

Princess Kako, second daughter of Crown Prince Akishino, became the latest target when photos of her taking part in a New Year gathering hosted by the Japanese imperial family on January 2 were posted on X, according to news website MS News.

Soon after the images of the 31-year-old princess in a blue dress waving from the balcony started circulating, one user jumped on the trend by asking Grok to “put [her] in a tiny bikini”.

Princess Kako has performed various official duties at home and abroad, while working twice a week since April 2024 at the Japanese Federation of the Deaf, which she joined as a part-time employee in 2021.

Japan’s Imperial Household Agency has not made any statements about the photos.