By TATSURO SUGIURA/ Staff Writer
September 6, 2021 at 18:41 JST
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako enter the renovated Imperial Palace with Princess Aiko on Sept. 6. (Pool)
Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and Princess Aiko moved out of their longtime residence, the Akasaka Imperial Residence, on Sept. 6.
They are moving into the renovated Imperial Palace and, once the move is finished, they will start living there as of Sept. 15. But in the meantime, they will stay in another part of the palace.
According to the Imperial Household Agency, their bedding and other possessions will be brought to the palace because it was not originally designed to function as a residence.
In an announcement made through the agency, the emperor and the empress stated, “We feel humble in moving to the Imperial Palace, which has been the foundation for past emperors to fulfill their duties.”
The emperor’s family was initially considering staying at Nasu Imperial Villa in Tochigi Prefecture during the move.
But Naruhito proposed staying at the palace, considering that the public has been asked not to cross prefectural borders amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and that there is a risk that the virus could spread among staff and the local population. So, they will remain in Tokyo.
On the afternoon of Sept. 6, the emperor’s family left Akasaka by car.
They changed their residence to coincide with the emperor’s enthronement.
The Imperial Residence has been under renovation since Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko moved to the Sento Temporary Imperial Palace in March last year.
The emperor’s family was supposed to move into the new residence by spring 2021, but the renovation was delayed due to the pandemic.
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