Japan

The Crown Prince of Japan calls for wider use of sign language

Shining a spotlight on disadvantaged people has always been important for royalty. Japan’s Crown Prince and Crown Princess have attended the 70th National Congress of the Deaf, people with hearing disabilities and those working for welfare services with these issues. More than 2.000 people attended the important congress which is an annual event in Japan. This year the congress is marking…
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Asian RoyalsJapan

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako remotely take part in poignant anniversary of Okinawa returning to Japan

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have taken part remotely in the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Okinawa Prefecture returning under Japanese control. The celebrations are bittersweet, as many residents are still feeling the burden of the US occupation. The prefecture currently houses about 70% of the US military bases in Japan, which creates a lot of noise pollution, as well…
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Japan

Japan's Crown Princely Couple to complete their investiture rituals

The Imperial Household Agency has announced that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Japan will complete the rituals for their investiture on 26 April in a shrine ceremony.  The couple is currently on a tour of three of Japan’s most important prefectures, Mie, Nara and Kyoto; they left on 20 and will finish their visit on 23 April.  The 26th will mark the end of their investiture…
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Japan

Prince Hisahito attends high school entrance ceremony

Prince Hisahito of Japan has attended the entrance ceremony for his high school in the presence of his parents.  The 15-year-old Prince was one of the many students at the ceremony, which took place on Saturday, 9 April, in the school’s gymnasium.  Parents of the students were allowed to be present for the event, which meant that Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko sat amongst…
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