Japanese Imperial Family Today

  U.S. President Joe Biden, who arrived in Japan on May 22, visited the Imperial Palace on the morning of May 23 to meet with His Majesty the Emperor.   Shortly before 10:00 a.m., President Biden entered the Imperial Palace through the Main Gate in a convoy of approximately 20 vehicles, led by motorcycle and police cars, and proceeded through the Nijubashi Bridge to the residence of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress.   Shortly after 10:00 a.m., Mr. Biden arrived at the porte-cochere of the Imperial Palace. At the entrance of the Palace, His Majesty the Emperor of Japan greeted the President with a beaming smile. When Mr. Biden got out of the car, wearing a mask, he walked up to His Majesty, who greeted him with a "Hello" and a smile while gesturing with his hands. After 10:30, His Majesty guided Mr. Biden to the porte-cochere while talking with him, and waved him off. They exchanged words in English, and were happy to see each other again.   According to t

    On May 11, a unique book compiling a series of interviews with Crown Prince Akishino over the course of several years was released in Japan. The book, with the slogan "Before being a member of the Imperial Family, one is a human being," written on its obi sash, has caused a stir in various quarters.   This book is "Akishino no Miya" (Shogakukan). Journalist Keiji Emori, former Mainichi Shimbun reporter on the Imperial Household, conducted a total of 37 face-to-face interviews with Akishino over a period of 4 years and 7 months from June 2017 to January 2020. The interviews began the month after the news broke that Akishino no Mako, Akishino's eldest daughter, was inofficially engaged to Kei Komuro, and the book describes Akishino's true feelings as a father from then until their marriage in October of last year.   According to the book, Akishino's discomfort with the Komuro family was triggered by the Komuro mother and son's response t

  His Majesty the Emperor will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden on May 23 at 10:00 a.m. at the Imperial Palace. The Imperial Household Agency announced on May 20. The meeting is expected to be one-on-one and last about 30 minutes. Mr. Biden is scheduled to visit Japan on May 22, following his visit to South Korea for the Quad Summit, a framework for cooperation among the four countries of Japan, the U.S., Australia, and India. His Majesty will greet President Biden at the porte-cochere and see him off when he leaves.   According to IHA, His Majesty met with Mr. Biden, then Vice President of the United States, at his residence in December 2013 when he was Crown Prince. In terms of meetings with U.S. presidents, in May 2019, soon after His Majesty's accession to the throne, he and the Empress met with then U.S. President Trump and his wife, who were visiting Japan as state guests. Since President Biden is not a guest of honor this time, they will be no dinner meeting, only

    Three years have passed since the current HM the Emperor’s accession to the throne in 2019. As part of the Imperial Family's move following the accession, the Emperor and his family moved to the Imperial Palace in September last year, and late last month, the Emperor Emeritus and his wife began living at the Sento Palace in Akasaka Imperial Palace, where he spent his days as Crown Prince.   Meanwhile, the residence of Prince Akishino's family, the younger brother of the Emperor and heir to the throne, is still under renovation, and it has been announced that the renovation will be completed in the fall. The total cost of the renovation of Akishino's residence is approximately 3.3 billion yen (about 26 million USD), and the current temporary residence of the Akishino family until its completion was newly built at a cost of 980 million yen (about 7.7 million USD), so the total construction cost for the family's new life will be about 4.3 billion yen (about 34 mi

  Her Majesty the Empress Masako visited the Meiji Jingu Hall in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, on May 19 to attend the National Red Cross Convention. It was the first time in nearly two years and nine months since the August 2019 Florence Nightingale Medal ceremony that the Empress had attended an official function outside the Imperial Palace and Akasaka Imperial Palace on her own.   The convention was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the new coronavirus disaster, and was held for the first time in three years. The Empress is the Honorary President of the Japanese Red Cross Society. Honorary Vice Presidents Princess Kiko Akishino, Princess Nobuko Mikasa, and Princess Hisako Takamado were also in attendance.   At the ceremony, the Empress handed certificates and other awards to 13 representatives of the Order of Merit, which is awarded to individuals and organizations that have contributed to Red Cross activities. After the ceremony, the Empress reportedly expressed her appreciation fo

  On May 15, His Majesty the Emperor and Empress attended the 50th anniversary of the reversion of Okinawa to Japan, held simultaneously in Okinawa and Tokyo, from his palace online. The full text follows.   (The mother article is here .)   On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the reversion of Okinawa to Japan, I am very pleased that the commemorative ceremony is being held today, connecting Okinawa and Tokyo online.   Okinawa, which was the scene of tragic ground fighting in World War II and remained out of Japanese control for 27 years after the war, was returned to the mainland 50 years ago today, based on the friendship and trust between the United States and Japan. In Okinawa, where many precious lives were lost in the World War, I have heard that the people of Okinawa have deepened their belief in "Nuchidotakara" (Life is Treasure), and I am deeply moved to attend this ceremony while thinking about the history of the Okinawan people who have continue

  Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress attended the ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the reversion of Okinawa to Japan online from the Imperial Palace on March 15. In his speech, the Emperor recognized that " various challenges still remain in Okinawa. ”  (The full text of his speech is here .) His Majesty said, "I have heard that in Okinawa, where many precious lives were lost in the war, people deepened their belief in 'Nuchidotakara' (life is treasure), and I am deeply moved to attend this ceremony while thinking about the history of the Okinawan people who have continued to suffer after the war," referring to the severe situation Okinawa was in after the war ended.   “Nuchidotakara" was also introduced as a phrase used by His Majesty during his first visit to Okinawa in 1987, when he was 27 years old, as a "poignant cry" for peace from the people of the prefecture. The phrase was introduced as an expression of the peo