Japan

Emperor of Japan thankful for "perseverance and strength of the people"

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23rd February 2021
Emperor Naruhito of Japan has said that he is thankful for the “perseverance and strength of the [Japanese] people” during the pandemic. He made the remarks on the occasion of his 61st birthday on 23 February. The Emperor also thanked the medical professionals for all of their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. He held a press conference last Friday in Tokyo ahead of his…
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Japan

Emperor Naruhito attends environmental conference

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18th December 2020
Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended the Global Environmental Action International Conference in Tokyo this week. The conference is held every two years, and this year focused on how to have environmental conservation while maintaining economic…
Japan

No public new year celebration in Japan in 2021

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2nd December 2020
Japan’s Imperial Family will be ringing in the new year privately this year. The Imperial Household has decided to cancel Emperor Naruhito’s New Year’s event at the palace, due to a rise in coronavirus cases.  The news of this latest cancellation came as Japan recorded a record high of 1,700 COVID-19 cases. This annual event was scheduled for January 2 and usually draws tens…
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Japan

Japan's Princess Aiko turns 19

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1st December 2020
Japan’s Princess Aiko is celebrating her 19th birthday today. She is the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako. To celebrate, the Imperial Household Agency released a video of the teenage royal in the gardens of the Akasaka Estate in Tokyo alongside her…
Japan

Crown Prince of Japan formally declared as heir to the throne

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10th November 2020
Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino has formally been declared as the first in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne in the traditional rituals in Tokyo on Sunday. The ceremonies had been delayed for seven months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Emperor Naruhito’s younger brother vowed to fufill his duties to Japan in the 15-minute Rikkoshi no Rei rite which consists of imperial succession…
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Japan

Princess Mako turns 29

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23rd October 2020
Japan’s Princess Mako of Akishino is celebrating her 29th birthday today; she is the niece of Emperor Naruhito and eldest granddaughter of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko. A video was released by the Imperial Household Agency of Mako and her…
Japan

Japan to hold proclamation ceremonies for Crown Prince in November

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13th October 2020
Japan is set to hold its proclamation ceremonies for Crown Prince Fumihito on 8 November even as the country continues to battle COVID-19. There had been much debate on when the ceremonies would take place due to the pandemic, but the government decided they could take place in November after being postponed from April. The new Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga, said last week…
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