On Sunday, January 18, 2015, Their Imperial Majesties Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan arrived at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo to attend Day Eight of the Grand Sumo New Year Tournament.
On Saturday, Their Imperial Majesties attended a memorial service marking the 20th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake held at the Hyogo Prefecture Guest House in Kobe, Japan. According to Reuters, hundreds of people “…gathered to pay their respects and light bamboo lanterns in the park for more than 6,400 people who lost their lives in the 7.3 magnitude earthquake.”
On Friday, January 2, 2015, Their Imperial Majesties Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan accompanied by Their Imperial Highnesses Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako of Japan, Their Imperial Highnesses Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko of Japan along with other members of the Imperial family appeared on the balcony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in celebration of the Shogatsu (Japanese New Year).
During his speech to his people beloved emperor noted that “…at the start of this year, I wish for happiness and tranquility of people in the world and our country…” according to Reuters.
On Thursday, January 1, 2015, Their Imperial Majesties Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan accompanied by His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan, Their Imperial Highnesses Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko of Japan, and other members of the imperial family of Japan hosted the 2015 New Year Greeting Ceremony held at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
Here is Emperor Akihito’s 2015 New Year message in full:
“Last year many lives were lost to natural disasters such as heavy snow, torrential rains, and the volcanic eruption of Mt. Ontake, and my thoughts go out to those who lost their loved ones and their homes in those disasters.
This is the fourth winter since the Great East Japan Earthquake, and it pains me to think that there are still so many people who cannot return to the places they used to live because of radioactive contamination and so many who face the prospect of a cold, harsh winter in temporary housing. These conditions have made me reflect on the importance of people becoming concerned about and involved in disaster prevention in their respective regions and being prepared to protect their own localities.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, which cost many people their lives. Those who died on the battlefields, those who died in the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, those who died in the air raids on Tokyo and other cities-so many people lost their lives in this war. I think it is most important for us to take this opportunity to study and learn from the history of this war, starting with the Manchurian Incident of 1931, as we consider the future direction of our country.
It is my sincere hope that the new year will bring happiness to the people of our country and the people around the world.”
On Thursday, December 11, 2014, His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan arrived at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (TMAM) to view the exhibition, Arte a Firenze da Botticelli a Bronzino: Verso una Maniera Moderna.
According to the official website for the TMAM the exhibition:
“…trace[s] the development of Florentine art from the 15th to the 16th century through works from the collection of the world-famed Uffizi Gallery, Florence’s oldest art museum, founded to house the art collections of the Medici family.
The Uffizi Gallery is renowned for its excellent collection of works by Sandro Botticelli, one of the greatest painters of the Italian Renaissance. Through paintings by Botticelli—including his famed Pallas and the Centaur—and works by Andrea del Sarto, Rosso Fiorentino, Agnolo Bronzino, and other leading figures of 16th-century Florentine art, some 80 pieces in all, this exhibition will convey the essence of the astonishingly rich and varied Florentine Renaissance.”
Arte a Firenze da Botticelli a Bronzino: Verso una Maniera Moderna will be open to the public until December 14, 2014.
Click here to watch another video if the one above does not work for you. 🙂
On Thursday, December 4, 2014, Their Imperial Majesties Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan began their two-day visit to Hiroshima.
Today, Their Imperial Majesties placed “…flowers at the cenotaph for victims of the 1945 atomic bomb at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park…” as well as visited a nursing home.
On Monday, November 10, 2014, Their Imperial Highnesses Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako of Japan attended the opening ceremony of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development in Nagoya in the Aichi Prefecture, Japan.The theme of this year’s three-day conference, Learning Today for a Sustainable Future.
During today’s opening ceremony Crown Prince Naruhito gave a speech in which he noted:
“On our earth today, along with economic growth and increasing populations, we are also witnessing the advancing change of climate, loss of biodiversity, depletion of natural resources, increases in poverty and other problems. For our children and theirs, we have three important tasks: protecting the Earth’s environment, which is the wellspring for ensuring lives abundant with blessings, treasuring the Earth’s limited resources, and achieving sustainable development.”
On November 9, 2014, Their Imperial Highnesses Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako of Japan arrived in the Aichi Prefecture for a two-day visit.
Tomorrow, Crown Prince Naruhito will attend the opening of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural (UNESCO) 2014 World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development.Held under the theme, Learning Today for a Sustainable Future, the conference will “…celebrate [the] achievements made and identify lessons learnt, while setting the stage for the future of ESD through the Global Action Program…” according to the official website for UNESCO.
LikeLoading...
All the latest news and events from monarchies around the world.
The Royal Correspondent 