Photo/Illutration Lumber from a Japanese black pine planted in 1971 is used at the venue for the national tree planting festival in Oda, Shimane Prefecture, on May 30. (Pool)

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended an annual tree planting festival remotely, due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus, the first time they participated in one of four key national events online.

The imperial couple, who were both at the Akasaka Estate in Tokyo, attended the 71st edition of the event held on May 30 in Kitanohara, the northern foot of Mount Sanbesan in Oda, Shimane Prefecture.

“I hope to see people work together to realize a cycle of planting, growing and using trees in wide areas of the country,” Naruhito said in his address at the event.

Video of Naruhito planting a Japanese cedar sapling and Masako planting a sapling of a “yama-zakura” wild cherry tree was streamed live during this year’s festival, which was themed on recycling forest resources.

A Japanese black pine planted at the same venue in 1971 by Emperor Hirohito (1901-1989), posthumously known as Emperor Showa, was also harvested during the event. Naruhito cut branches of the tree at the tree planting festival in 1991, when he was crown prince.

The festival was postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The organizer initially planned to invite some 4,000 people to the event, but the number was reduced to about 1,000.

The tree planting festival is one of four key national events that the emperor and empress attend.

Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko took part in the National Sports Festival and the National Convention for the Development of an Abundantly Productive Sea during the Heisei Era (1989-2019). Naruhito has attended the other event, the National Cultural Festival, since he was crown prince.

Naruhito sees these festivals as an important opportunity to visit areas across Japan and interact with local residents as the symbol of the state, according to his close aide.

But the events were all canceled last year due to the pandemic. Naruhito and Masako went online to attend this year’s tree planting festival amid the continued spread of the coronavirus.

At the event, the emperor and empress plant saplings of trees associated with the venue.

Since Naruhito and Masako couldn’t visit in person, they planted saplings brought in beforehand to the Akasaka Estate from Shimane and live footage capturing the scene was shown at the venue on the day of the event.

The organizer drew on the experience from the 1968 tree planting festival, held in Akita Prefecture, according to sources.

Hirohito chose not to attend that event in person due to an earthquake hitting the area right before the festival. Instead, saplings he planted at the Imperial Palace were sent to the venue.

The Imperial Household Agency will decide on whether Naruhito and Masako will attend the other three national events, depending on the status of the pandemic.

The culture event will be held twice this year--in Miyazaki Prefecture in July and in Wakayama Prefecture in October--as it was postponed last year. The agency is considering having the imperial couple take part remotely for both occasions, an official said.

The agency is also planning to have them participate remotely for the sports festival to be held in Mie Prefecture and the healthy oceans event in Miyagi Prefecture, according to the official.

(This article was written by Masashi Shimizu and Tatsuro Sugiura.)

Related News