New Year's Ceremony Held at Imperial Palace
Tokyo, Jan. 1 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako received New Year's greetings from other Imperial Family members and the country's leaders, including Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, in a ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Imperial Family members, including Crown Prince Akishino, the younger brother of the Emperor, and his wife, Crown Princess Kiko, delivered statements to celebrate the start of the New Year to the Emperor and Empress, followed by similar greetings by Ishiba, his cabinet ministers and the heads of both chambers of the Diet, Japan's parliament.
Then, Emperor Naruhito gave an address.
On Thursday, the Imperial Family will greet the public at the Imperial Palace, a New Year's event that will be held for the first time in two years, after the 2024 event was canceled due to the powerful earthquake that hit the Noto Peninsula in central Japan on Jan. 1 that year. With no advance registration required for this year's event, the palace will be open to anyone who wishes to enter, just as it was before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prince Hisahito, the son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, who turned 18 to become an adult member of the Imperial family last year, is set to start attending events at the palace after a coming-of-age ceremony to be held for him following his high school graduation this spring. He therefore did not join the New Year's ceremony Wednesday and will not appear at Thursday's greeting event.
(2025/01/01-11:59)
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