TOKYO - JAPAN'S Crown Princess, suffering from a stress-induced mental illness and unable to perform most of her royal duties fully, is under fire from tabloids for slacking off by wining and dining with family and friends.

Headlines such as: 'A full private life: Official duties only twice, but over 50 outings', have even prompted the government to launch a rare campaign against 'false' reports.

The often feisty weeklies have closely tracked Princess Masako, a 44-year-old Harvard-educated former diplomat, and her struggle with illness which many royal watchers say was brought on by the stress of adapting to the rigid palace life.

The latest round of bashing by the tabloids gathered steam after reports that the Princess and her husband, Crown Prince Naruhito, dined with friends at a three-star French restaurant in December, staying out until past midnight.

The Imperial Household Agency has set up a section on its website dedicated to 'correcting' what it called erroneous reports.

Yesterday, the agency posted a protest against one magazine for reporting that Princess Masako had cut short New Year's rituals at the Imperial Palace and instead had lunch with her parents.

'Although she is said to be under treatment, some people around the Emperor and Empress, who performed strenuous duties all day, are raising doubts,' wrote another weekly, referring to what it called 'The New Year's Incident'.

The tabloids have compared the Princess with Empress Michiko, her 73-year-old mother-in-law, who is often portrayed as putting official duties above anything else, even sacrificing her health.

The government announced last week that the Empress was suffering from dizzy spells and intestinal bleeding after a string of New Year duties that included a lengthy reception for diplomats and a formal poetry reading.

Princess Masako had once hoped to use her diplomatic skills as a 'royal envoy' and many Japanese had hoped she would help modernise the staid royal household when she married Crown Prince Naruhito in 1993.

Palace watchers say pressure to bear a male heir was a factor that led to her illness.

The royal couple have a daughter, six-year-old Princess Aiko, who cannot ascend the males-only throne under the current law.

Plans to revise the law were shelved after Princess Masako's royal sister-in-law gave birth in 2006 to Prince Hisahito, the first male heir born to the imperial family in more than 40 years.

REUTERS