Photo/Illutration Royal family members including Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attend a garden party at the Akasaka Imperial Garden in Tokyo’s Minato Ward on May 11. (Sayuri Ide)

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended a spring garden party with about 1,000 guests at the Akasaka Imperial Garden in the Moto-Akasaka district of Tokyo’s Minato Ward on May 11.

It marked the first imperial garden party since the Reiwa Era started in 2019.

Among the guests were gold medalists at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics held in 2021 and Akira Yoshino, who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019.

Only around half the usual number of guests were invited to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Food and alcoholic drinks were not served.

Guests were advised to wear masks near the path in the garden where royal family members mingled with them.

Despite the inclement weather that brought intermittent rain, royal family members exchanged words with guests.

Naruhito acknowledged the efforts and achievements of Shingo Kunieda, who retired earlier this year after winning a gold medal in the men’s wheelchair tennis singles competition at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.

“You have worked hard in the development of wheelchair tennis and parasports,” he told Kunieda.

Kunieda replied, “I was able to demonstrate the wonders of wheelchair tennis, and I feel like I have accomplished my mission.”

Naruhito congratulated Mima Ito, who won a historic gold medal for Japan in the table tennis mixed doubles event at the Tokyo Olympics along with partner Jun Mizutani.

“(Winning gold) was quite spectacular,” he told her.

Masako gave warm words to Ito as well: “Please take care of your health.”

(This article was written by Akiko Tada and Nobuaki Tanaka.)

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