THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
January 2, 2020 at 17:55 JST
Emperor Naruhito, accompanied by Empress Masako, delivers his New Year’s greetings at the Imperial Palace on Jan. 2. (Hiroyuki Yamamoto)
Emperor Naruhito expressed his hopes for a peaceful, disaster-free year in Japan in his address to tens of thousands of well-wishers who gathered at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Jan. 2.
“I am concerned about many victims who are still struggling to rebuild their lives after they were hit by heavy rains and typhoons from last year,” he said. “I am hoping that this year will turn out to be a peaceful and good year with no disasters.”
The occasion marked the first time for Naruhito, who was enthroned on May 1, to share his New Year’s greetings with the public as emperor.
The emperor and Empress Masako appeared on a veranda on the palace five times that day, along with Crown Prince Fumihito, Crown Princess Kiko and other members of the imperial family.
Naruhito’s parents, Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko, also made three appearances in the morning.
It was the first time for Naruhito and Akihito to be seen together on an official occasion since Naruhito’s ascension.
An estimated 69,000 people from the public turned up for the New Year’s greetings, according to the Imperial Household Agency.
The figure was a sharp drop from the estimated 155,000 last year, the final year Akihito was emperor and Michiko empress.
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