Princess Aiko, the only child of Japan's imperial heir, celebrated her second birthday Monday.

Aiko, the daughter of Crown Prince Naruhito and his wife, Masako, has grown quickly over the past year and is picking up new words, Imperial Household Agency spokesman Mitsuhiro Saito said. He said the palace doctor said she was in good health and described her as a ``bright, lively'' child.

Television broadcasts Monday aired shots of the toddler princess playing with her parents and reported she was now able to say ``papa'' and ``mama'' clearly.

She will visit her grandparents, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, at the Imperial Palace compound to mark her birthday, possibly followed by a private party at home, Saito said.

Aiko is the royal heir's only child. Her birth two years ago generated an intense debate over whether Japan's men-only succession law should be changed to allow her to one day follow in her father's footsteps.

Japan has not had a reigning empress in 200 years and only nine in the 1,500-year history of Japan's Chrysanthemum Throne.

Under Japan's postwar constitution, the royal family has no official political power and acts in a largely symbolic role.

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