Japanese Imperial Family Today

  （The  parent article is here .)  Her Imperial Highness Princess Aiko Toshinomiya, the eldest daughter of Her Majesty the Emperor and Empress, held her first press conference on the occasion of her coming of age on March 17, and has received praise from all quarters.   Shosuke Tanihara, host of the TV show "Mezamashi TV" and actor, who introduced the press conference, said, "He put his feelings into his own words, and I can already feel, how should I put it, the strength of his will. It was a very splendid press conference, wasn't it?" "It was soft and warm, but I also felt a strong core of strength, which I guess he inherited from his father and mother," he said, describing his own impression of the press conference. She also said, "She was not so rigid in her speech as to make no mistakes word for word, and although there were some restatements, I could sense that she was trying to convey her feelings directly to the audience.   Chi...

    The full text of the press conference by Her Imperial Highness Princess Toshinomiya Aiko, the eldest daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, is as follows:   （ See parent article here . ）   Thoughts and Aspirations as an Adult Member of the Imperial Family   Press: How do you feel about your coming of age? Please tell us how you feel about your official duties and events as an adult member of the Imperial Family, as well as your future activities and aspirations.   Princess Aiko: Before I begin, I am deeply saddened to hear that some of you lost your lives in last night's earthquake. I would like to express my deepest sympathies to the bereaved families and those who have been affected by the disaster.   Now, I will answer your questions. I am very happy to have reached the age of 20 on December 1 of last year. Looking back over the fulfilling days, which seem to have passed so quickly and yet feel so long, I re...

    Click here to read the full text of press conference.   Her Imperial Highnesses Princess Toshinomiya Aiko, the only daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, attended a press conference on the occasion of her coming of age on March 17. Princess Aiko expressed her aspirations as an adult member of the Imperial Family, saying, "I will do my best in my duties, cherishing each and every one of them.”   Princess Aiko became an adult member of the Imperial Family on her 20th birthday last December. On the afternoon of the 17th, she held her first press conference at her residence, the Imperial Palace, as she had settled down for the spring break from her university studies.   At the beginning of her speech, Princess Aiko mentioned the earthquake that occurred late in the evening of the 16th, and said that she was "heartbroken" for the victims of the earthquake and expressed her "heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved families and those wh...

The Imperial Household Agency announced on March 10 that Her Imperial Highness Toshinomiya Aiko, eldest daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, will hold a press conference on the occasion of her coming of age on the afternoon of March 17 at the Imperial Palace, where she resides. According to her aides, Aiko is currently reviewing the events leading up to her coming of age and making preparations.   Aiko reached the age of majority last December and attended a series of events at the Imperial Palace and other locations. Regarding the timing of the press conference, which was held away from her birthday, IHA said that since Princess Aiko was busy with her academic work, taking classes online at Gakushuin University due to the new coronavirus disaster, she prioritized her studies and decided that "it would be most appropriate for her to calmly consider her answers while feeling that she has reached the age of majority.” 

    On the 1st, His Majesty the Emperor, together with Her Majesty the Empress Masako, attended the New Year's Celebration Ceremony at the Imperial Palace to receive New Year's wishes from the Imperial Family and the heads of the three-party system.  Her Imperial Highness Princess Toshinomiya Aiko, the only daughter of Their Majesties, who turned 20 last December, also attended the ceremony for the first time. She entered following Their Majesties, wearing a robe décolleté and medals, in the Matsunoma room of the palace. This was Aiko's first official duty after her coming-of-age ceremony. The ceremony began around 10 a.m. Their Majesties were congratulated by the heads of the three branches of government, following the members of the Imperial Family. In the Matsu-no-ma, His Majesty was greeted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Speaker of the House of Councillors, to which His Majesty responded, "At the beginning of the New Year, I pray for t...

    (The main article is here.) On the occasion of Her Majesty the Empress Masako's 58th birthday, the Imperial Household Agency released the following doctors' opinions on her physical condition.

    (The main article is here.) On the occasion of her 58th birthday on December 9, Her Majesty the Empress Masako announced her impressions through the Imperial Household Agency.

On December 9, the Imperial Household Agency released a video of Her Majesty Empress Masako as she celebrated her 58th birthday. Masako has been attending major regional events online this year. In the video, she chatted with the Emperor of Japan while looking at traditional crafts associated with the various places she visited. Just before 3:00 p.m. that day, Empress Masako left the Imperial Palace where she resides with Her Majesty and waved with a radiant smile to the congratulatory voices. After this, Their Majesties bade farewell to the 100 or so people who had gathered, including neighbors, and then visited the residence of the Emperor and Empress to greet them on their birthday. On the 9th, Empress Masako also released her thoughts in writing through the Imperial Household Agency. Full text of her birthday impression is here. She expressed her relief that her eldest daughter, Aiko, had completed her adulthood, and also expressed her feelings as a mother, saying, "I am...

  On the 20th, His Majesty the Emperor Naruhito and his family entered the Imperial Palace from the ceremonial palace where they had temporally been staying, as the work of moving into the palace was completed.   The Imperial Palace was under renovation until June this year after the Emperor and Empress moved to the Sento Temporary Palace (Minato-ku, Tokyo) in March last year.   The family moved from the Akasaka Palace to the Imperial Palace on the 6th of this month, but they were living in the ceremonial palace while their belongings were being moved in.   According to the Imperial Household Agency, His Majesty, who saw the work being done, instructed that the work be avoided to be done at night and early in the morning to avoid close quarters and to prevent the staff from getting tired, and the work was extended for five days longer than originally planned. His Majesty's family entered the Imperial Palace at around 8 p.m. on the 20th.   During ...

    Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress and their eldest daughter, Toshinomiya Aiko, moved from Akasaka Palace to the Imperial Palace on the 6th. The Emperor and his family officially became residents of the Imperial Palace with the replacement of the Emperor with His Majesty Prince Ritsui.   At around 2:30 p.m. on the afternoon of the 6th, His Majesty departed the Akasaka Palace with the Empress and Princess Aiko, accompanied by attendants holding the sword and the imperial seal that will be handed down with the throne. As they left the main gate, they rolled down their car windows and smiled and waved to people along the road. In consideration of the new coronavirus, the family will not stay at the imperial residence in the provinces, but will stay at the Imperial Palace during the moving process. This was made possible at the suggestion of His Majesty the Emperor himself.   His Majesty the Emperor, at the age of 61, has lived in the Akasaka Imperia...

The following is the full text of the words of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan on the occasion of the 71st National Arbor Day held in Shimane Prefecture on March 30. (Read the parent article here )     It is my pleasure to join you in planting trees on the occasion of the 71st National Tree Planting Festival.   Due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, we are now forced to face various restrictions in our daily lives, such as significant limitations in human interaction. Under these circumstances, I would like to express my deepest respect and gratitude again to those who are making great efforts to combat infectious diseases throughout Japan.   For the first time in its long history, this year's National Arbor Day will be held online, connecting the site at Sanbe-san in Shimane Prefecture's Ota City with the Akasaka Imperial Palace here in Tokyo. I regret that I will not be able to visit Shimane Prefecture and meet with you in person, but I ...

  Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress attended the 71st National Tree-Planting Festival (sponsored by the National Land Afforestation Promotion Organization and Shimane Prefecture), which was held mainly in the northern field of Mount Sanbe, a national park in Sanbe Town, Ota City on the 30th. Their Majesties attended the event online from Akasaka Imperial Palace in Moto-Akasaka, Tokyo due to the coronavirus disaster.   Large monitors were installed at the ceremony site and at the Akasaka Imperial　Palace. His Majesty said, "I hope that the 'green cycle' of planting, growing, using, and planting again will be widely realized," and went on to cut the 17-meter-long Japanese black pine, which Emperor Showa planted at the previous Shimane Convention, with a saw.   This was followed by the "hand-planting" of cedar and rhododendron by Their Majesties, and the "hand-mowing" of enoki and walnut trees.  His Majesty said, "I regret that I wil...