Emperor Akihito & Empress Michiko Current Events Part 4: May 2017 - April 2019


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Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko had medical check-ups at the IHA hospital on July 27th and University Hospital of Tokyo University on July 29th. No particular abnormality was seen.

On August 2nd, they received damage and recovery reports from the governors of Okayama and Hiroshima. Empress Michiko mentioned the importance of regional bonds.

Source: Sankei Imperial Weekly #550

On July 30th, the IHA refuted a July 26th article from "Weekly Bunshun" claiming Empress Michiko's lamentation is too painful, worried about Kei Komuro going to New York, called him a “dreamer,” and confided to an "acquaintance" that "it was too much to transform the Imperial family" so Mr. Komuro's studying abroad.
Again, the IHA stresses Their Majesties have not spoken of this matter to anyone to protect Princess Mako from noise. It's regrettable Mako, the Akishino couple, and Mr. Komuro are not given privacy. [IHA press release, Google translation]

On July 31st, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa of Portugal sent condolences to Emperor Ahikito regarding the deadly heat wave in Japan. His Majesty responded with thanks the next day. While the Emperor regularly exchanges telegrams on major disasters and national affairs, it's a first for heat wave. [Asahi]

On August 3rd, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko began their 3-day visit to Hokkaido Prefecture. They visited Takeuchi Farm in Kitahiroshima which employs people with disabilities.

Photos: Asahi 1, Asahi 2

https://www.jiji.com/news/photos/photo_news/images/658/0027851361.jpg
https://www.jiji.com/news/photos/photo_news/images/658/0027851363.jpg
https://www.jiji.com/news/photos/photo_news/images/658/0027851350.jpg
ETA: Imperial Couple begins tour of Hokkaido | The Japan Times
[...] Since its establishment in 2014, managers Takumi Takeuchi, 38, and his wife, Ai, 35, have been collaborating with a welfare office under a government program aimed at developing a link with agriculture to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

After strolling through green pepper fields under the scorching sun, the Emperor and the Empress watched workers pack tomatoes and other vegetables in bags inside a greenhouse.

“Well done working in this heat,” they told the workers.

When Takumi explained that his farm ships 15 different crops for about 200 days of the year, the Emperor was impressed and said, “You are very creative in your work.”

The Imperial Couple’s visit to the farm will “provide an opportunity for people to learn about activities aimed at promoting the agriculture-welfare linkage,” Ai said, adding that she is “happy” as the Emperor and the Empress showed interest in such activities. “We want to further promote the activities,” she stressed.

[...]
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ETA: On August 4th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visited Rishiri Island for the first time and toured a sea urchin seedling production center.

Photos: Asahi, Sankei, Getty Images

Imperial couple greeted warmly on remote island off Hokkaido: The Asahi Shimbun
[...] The couple have always been interested in visiting the smaller remote islands of the archipelago and Rishirito is the 55th such island visited by them.

[...]

They were especially interested in getting a good look at Rebunto, which is located close to Rishirito and which they had wanted to visit but were unable to do so because of inadequate transportation means.

Once they landed on Rishirito, the imperial couple visited a center that raises the sea urchins for which the region is known for. After hearing an explanation of how sea urchins were raised, Michiko took one in her hand.

Akihito expressed relief when he was told there was no noticeable decrease in the availability of the sea urchins on the island.

[...]

Sea urchin, or "uni," was on the lunch menu for the couple.

Rishirito has a circumference of about 60 kilometers. The imperial couple were driven around the island for about four hours and were warmly greeted by islanders wherever they went.
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On August 5th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended the 150th anniversary of Hokkaido's naming in Sapporo. The ceremony featured Ainu traditional arts and the couple viewed Hadrosaurus dinosaur fossils discovered in Mukawa-cho which are stored at the venue.

Photos: Asahi, Asahi 2, Sankei

Getty Images of August 3-5 visit
 
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On August 13th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko donated to the heavily rain damaged Okayama, Hiroshima, Ehime, and Fukuoka prefectures.
Source: Asahi

Emperor, Empress plan to visit western prefectures ravaged by deadly rains - The Mainichi
Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will visit the western Japan prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama and Ehime in mid-September to console the victims of torrential rains that devastated those areas in July […]

The visits will consist of two separate day trips, with the first one covering Hiroshima and Okayama and the second one to Ehime on the island of Shikoku, say agency officials.

[…]

The Emperor and Empress hope to meet those hit by the historic natural disaster at a time that doesn't affect recovery work, according to those officials. The visits are planned as day trips to minimize the impact on local communities.

[…]
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On August 15th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended the 73rd national memorial ceremony for the war dead at Nippon Budokan Hall on the anniversary of Japan's WWII surrender.

Thousands join Emperor Akihito for his final war memorial event: The Asahi Shimbun
About 5,500 bereaved family members were among the participants to join Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the annual national memorial ceremony held on Aug. 15 to mark the end of World War II.

The 73rd event was the last to be attended by Akihito, who is scheduled to abdicate next April [...]

For the fourth straight year, he expressed "deep remorse" for all those who died in the war, and he also said, "I earnestly hope that the ravages of war will never be repeated."

Participants observed a moment of silence at noon for the approximately 3.1 million Japanese who died in the war.

The oldest bereaved family member attending the ceremony this year was 102-year-old Harumi Serigano of Tokyo's Nerima Ward.

[...]
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Memory of war drives Emperor Akihito's persistent wish for peace - The Mainichi
[...] His former schoolmates say the Emperor has come to feel strongly about those killed, based on his own wartime experiences.

On Dec. 8, 1941, when Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, Emperor Akihito was a second-year pupil at Gakushuin Primary School [...]

Since then, the Emperor, then the crown prince, was requested to inspect military facilities to shore up the nation's support for the war. He visited the Imperial Japanese Army's school to train aircraft technicians in the city of Tachikawa in western Tokyo with his classmates in October 1941. A year later, he inspected the army's air defense and tank schools in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, and then in June 1943, he toured the Imperial Japanese Navy's air corps in Kasumigaura and Tsuchiura in Ibaraki Prefecture [...]

Kazuo Sakaki, 84, who accompanied the Emperor on these visits, said, "He was just a child, but he tried to cheer up soldiers and people who were supporting the war efforts."

[...]

In his December 1993 press conference for his birthday, Emperor Akihito recalled what it was like three months after the end of the war, when he was back in Tokyo from Nikko where he had evacuated. "It was something unimaginable from the present-day Tokyo, as tin-roofed huts dotted the burned-down landscape," said the Emperor.

In 1999, he told reporters that he grew up without knowing a time when Japan was not fighting a war. He revealed that his oldest memory was the Marco Polo Bridge incident of July 1937 when the war between Japan and China began. He was aged 3 at that time.

The Emperor has repeatedly mentioned his deep thoughts on peace. Sakaki thinks that behind those remarks are "his sense of responsibility for soldiers who were encouraged by His Majesty to go to war and got killed."
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ETA: Japan marks 73rd anniv. of surrender in WWII, renews peace pledge - The Mainichi
 
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Address by His Majesty the Emperor on the Occasion of the Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead (August 15, 2018) - The Imperial Household Agency

Editorial: Emperor Akihito shows the way in expressing sorrow for the war dead - The Mainichi
[...]

From the postwar portion of the Showa era to the Heisei era beginning in 1989, the emperor's words at these events have evolved. The volume of text has doubled, and expressions have turned softer and become more inclusive of the people's feelings.

Eulogies given by Emperor Hirohito (know posthumously as Emperor Showa) used staid language even when he was expressing his feeling of pain over the war dead. Although he began to use terms designed to sound more polite and closer to listeners, the text was fixed for years.

Emperor Akihito, [...], started to pay homage to those killed in battle in ways considerate of the sentiment of each and every citizen. The addresses were polished by the Emperor himself every year with subtle adjustments here and there. But they always shared the sense of sorrow with people.

[...]

The sense of duty that he must convey the sorrow he felt personally during the war has supported the Emperor's 30 years of effort. His easy-to-understand words have come to carry substantial weight because of his actions. The Emperor, along with Empress Michiko, has always paid special respect to Okinawa, where a fierce land battle was fought during the war. Even in old age, the Imperial Couple continue to tour old battlefields abroad to console the souls of the fallen. His words correspond to his deeds.

[...]
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On August 20th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended the opening ceremony of the 68th International Academy for Production Engineering General Assembly held at the University of Tokyo. Their Majesties have attended this international conference every year since 1995 to promote science. About 500 people participated in the opening ceremony and the Imperial couple also spoke to about 40 attendees at the reception.

Photos: Getty Images (updated), Mainichi, Jiji
 
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On August 22nd, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko traveled to Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture for vacation. On the 27th, they will move to Kusatsu, Gunma Prefecture and then return to Tokyo on the 29th. The couple will visit former Manchuria returnee settlements and attend Kusatsu summer concert.

Source: Jiji

Getty Images

https://twitter.com/x/status/1032119617609588737
https://twitter.com/x/status/1032148493945659392
https://twitter.com/x/status/1032117918014873600
https://twitter.com/x/status/1032118347582730240
https://twitter.com/x/status/1032116499870232576

The Imperial couple will visit Fukui Prefecture September 28-30 for the National Sports Festival opening ceremony. Agenda includes fencing competition, prefectural research institute, and a museum visit.

Source: Mainichi
 
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On August 25th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visited the tennis court where they first met in 1957. They stayed about 30 minutes but did not play.

Photos: Mainichi
https://twitter.com/x/status/1033213776772849664
https://twitter.com/x/status/1033235829143945216

A trip down memory lane for Akihito, Michiko in Karuizawa: The Asahi Shimbun
[...]

Since its founding, Tsuchiya Shashinten has been recording the private side of vacationing imperial family members at this posh resort town.

[...]

“We feel honored that Karuizawa is where they met,” said Natsuoko Machida, 81, wife of Yasuhiko, also 81 and the third-generation owner of Tsuchiya photo studio. “Other holiday makers are also looking forward to seeing them, and we are often asked at this time of year when they are coming.”

[...]

Studio photographers have been capturing the changing townscape of Karuizawa since the late Meiji Era (1868-1912). The interior of the studio is crammed with photos of imperial family members relaxing with local residents and holiday makers.

Among the images are ones of Akihito and Michiko at the tennis court before their engagement and the couple with Crown Prince Naruhito as a boy getting off the train at Karuizawa Station.

The gallery includes some rare shots, such as one of the young Emperor Showa, then prince regent and known as Hirohito, riding a horse, and Akihito as crown prince wearing glasses and reading a book at a bookshop in the town.

The bookshop photo was snapped by Yukio Kobayashi, the second-generation owner of Tsuchiya photo studio, who was Machida’s uncle. Machida said Kobayashi took it after asking Akihito’s attendant for permission.

“In those days, he (Akihito) walked around Karuizawa rather freely,” Machida said.

She recalled that he used to stop by a cafe or eat curry and rice with friends after playing tennis.

[...]
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The Japanese Asahi article has a few more photos than the English version.

More on the August 23rd settlement visit: Emperor and Empress visit settlement in Nagano - News - NHK WORLD - English
 
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On August 27th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended the 39th Kusatsu International Summer Music Academy & Festival in Kusatsu, Gunma Prefecture. The Empress also participated in a piano workshop.

Photos: Asahi, Getty Images

Empress plays piano at music festival workshop - News - NHK WORLD - English

Empress Michiko performed "The Swan" from Camille Saint-Saens's "The Carnival of the Animals" with renowned French horn player Katerina Javurkova.

The Empress consulted the Czech-born artist about the tempo and loudness.

Javurkova praised her tone and said she was honored to have the precious opportunity to accompany the Empress.
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Some tweets during the Imperial couple's summer vacation.
https://twitter.com/x/status/1034035300207452160
https://twitter.com/x/status/1034011183152476160
https://twitter.com/x/status/1034717749551878144
https://twitter.com/x/status/1034805873288273920
https://twitter.com/x/status/1034718822878474240

This person's sister and family stayed at the same resort as Their Majesties
https://twitter.com/ajikenji/status/1034486709226860544

On September 3rd, Empress Michiko attended the second half of Werner Hink's violin recital at Kioi Hall in Chiyoda, Tokyo. The performance is a pre-event for 150th anniversary of Austria-Japan relations next year. Mr. Hink, accompanied by young pianist Emu Sada, performed Mozart: Violin Sonata No. 40, KV 454; Schubert: Violin Sonatina minor D.385; Dvorak: 4 romantic pieces for violin Op.75; and Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 5 in F major Op.24 "spring".

Last year, Empress Michiko accompanied Mr. Hink at a summer music workshop in Kusatsu, Gunma Prefecture.

Photos: Sankei

ETA: video of the Imperial couple's return to Tokyo https://youtu.be/ebjBfqxTZ-4 on August 29
 
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On September 4th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visited the "Japan in Architecture: Genealogies of Its Transformation" exhibition at Mori Art Museum in Minato Ward, Tokyo. CP Naruhito visited in July. In the photos below, they are viewing a 1/3-scale model the late architect Kenzo Tange's home.

Photo: Yomiuri, Sankei Imperial Weekly
https://www.jiji.com/news/photos/photo_news/images/658/0028150120.jpg
http://www.sankei.com/images/news/180907/lif1809070003-p1.jpg
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On September 5th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko received Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno and his wife Rocio Gonzalez de Moreno at the Imperial Palace. This year marks the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Ecuador. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe invited President Moreno for an official visit to Japan and last month, both countries' foreign ministers agreed to deepen economic ties and cooperation in disaster mitigation. [Mainichi]

Photos: Getty Images, Sankei Imperial Weekly
http://www.sankei.com/images/news/180907/lif1809070003-p24.jpg
http://www.sankei.com/images/news/180907/lif1809070003-p25.jpg
 
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On September 12th, Emperor Akihito harvested rice for the last time at the Imperial Palace.

Photos: Sankei
https://www.jiji.com/news/photos/photo_news/images/658/0028252916.jpg

Emperor harvests rice at palace for last time - News - NHK WORLD - English (includes video)
[…] he reaped about 100 rice plants with a sickle.

Officials at the Imperial Household Agency said the rice had grown well, and was unaffected by the typhoons and heat waves that hit the country this summer.

The newly harvested rice will be offered to the deities in a rite at the palace known as the Niiname-sai in November.
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The IHA announced Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will postpone their visit to Hiroshima and Okayama Prefectures, originally planned for the 13th, to the 14th due to deteriorating weather conditions.

Their Majesties had planned to visit temporary housing and disaster response bases in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture and Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture using SDF helicopters but that would be difficult in poor visibility. Western Japan suffered heavy rain damage in July.

Source: Sankei
 
Prisma said:
On September 12th, Emperor Akihito harvested rice for the last time at the Imperial Palace.

Photos: Sankei
https://www.jiji.com/news/photos/photo_news/images/658/0028252916.jpg

Emperor harvests rice at palace for last time - News - NHK WORLD - English (includes video)

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Another "last time" duty....I'm happy for the Emperor that the day is coming quickly when hopefully he and the Empress will have some well-earned time to do things that they want to do, but it is a little bittersweet all the same.
 
Prisma said:
The IHA announced Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will postpone their visit to Hiroshima and Okayama Prefectures, originally planned for the 13th, to the 14th due to deteriorating weather conditions.

Their Majesties had planned to visit temporary housing and disaster response bases in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture and Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture using SDF helicopters but that would be difficult in poor visibility. Western Japan suffered heavy rain damage in July.

Source: Sankei
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Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko are on their way to Okayama Prefecture on September 14th. Although weather conditions have improved, they will postpone visiting Hiroshima Prefecture.

They will visit Ehime Prefecture on September 20th.

Going to Haneda airport photos: Sankei, Asahi

Emperor, empress visit July deluge victims in Okayama - The Mainichi

ETA: Getty Images (updated), Sankei 2
 
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The Hiroshima Prefecture visit was combined with the Ehime Prefecture visit on the 20th.
Source: Asahi

Unfortunately, poor weather has postponed the visit to both prefectures to 21st.
Source: Asahi 2

ETA: Emperor, Empress postpone visit to rain victims in Hiroshima, Ehime - The Mainichi
[...] The imperial couple had planned the trip for Thursday, but bad weather in the affected region forced them to push back their schedule, the agency said.

During the day trip on Friday, the emperor and empress are expected to console people living in temporary housing in the city of Seiyo in Ehime before moving to the city of Kure in Hiroshima to speak to victims at temporary shelters.

[...]

In Seiyo, the couple will view the areas affected by the disaster before being briefed by the mayor. A meeting with victims and volunteers is planned at a park where temporary accommodation is located.

The emperor and empress will then travel to Kure on a Ground Self-Defense Force helicopter to visit victims there before returning to Tokyo in the evening.

[...]
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Emperor, Empress visit rain-hit western Japan - News - NHK WORLD - English
[...]

The couple flew into Matsuyama Airport in Ehime Prefecture shortly before noon on Friday and changed to a Self-Defense Forces helicopter to visit Seiyo City, where 5 people died in the disaster.

After a briefing by the mayor, the couple met evacuees at temporary housing.

[...]

The couple also greeted and thanked high school students who served as volunteers after the disaster.

They went to Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture, in the afternoon and visited the Tenno district, which had the most deaths in the city. 12 people died there in landslides and floods.

[...]

They also met police and Self-Defense Forces personnel and firefighters to thank them for rescuing many people.
Click to expand...
Imperial Couple visits western Japan prefectures ravaged by torrential rains - The Mainichi

Photos:
https://www.jiji.com/news/photos/photo_news/images/658/0028366372.jpg
https://www.jiji.com/news/photos/photo_news/images/658/0028365679.jpg
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https://www.jiji.com/news/photos/photo_news/images/658/0028365656.jpg
 
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Emperor, empress eye trip to quake-hit Hokkaido possibly in Nov. - The Mainichi
[...] The [IHA] agency is arranging for the imperial couple to make a trip to the hardest-hit town of Atsuma sometime around November before it becomes cold, the officials said.

The Sept. 6 earthquake that rocked Japan's northernmost main island claimed the lives of 41 people across Hokkaido with 681 others suffering injuries. It also triggered a prefecture-wide blackout.

On Tuesday, the emperor and empress heard from Hokkaido Gov. Harumi Takahashi on the extent of damage in Hokkaido.

[...]
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On September 28th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko traveled to Fukui Prefecture. They visited the Museum of Education in Sakai City and then went to Fukui City. Residents welcomed them with 2000 lanterns at their hotel. On the 29th, they will attend the opening ceremony of the 73rd National Sports Festival and then return to Tokyo.

The original schedule had the couple returning on the 30th after watching a fencing competition but Typhoon Trami is approaching. There's a possibility flights will be grounded; local cities and police need to prepare for disaster response. [Sankei]

Photos: Getty Images, Asahi

https://twitter.com/x/status/1045683664745463808
https://twitter.com/x/status/1045544006149496833
https://twitter.com/x/status/1045582558610640896
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1045854002007564288
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MLQJBpup4M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idcPamH6sXY

ETA: early tweets of the Imperial couple at the opening ceremony of the 73rd National Sports Festival on the 29th:
https://twitter.com/yorozya_1/status/1045905892237922304
https://twitter.com/SYoshiaki0721/status/1045899244027039744
http://fki.ismcdn.jp/mwimgs/0/c/600m/img_0cf013f8d0c69a45793bca7891ad7e8c23532.jpg
 
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The IHA announced Empress Michiko has a cold and slight fever. Her October 3rd events are partially canceled; she attended a meeting with Imperial Household Police but did not attend an audience for cleaning volunteers.

She began feeling ill the previous day.

Sources: Jiji, Asahi

Wishing the Empress a quick recovery!

ETA: IHA press release (Google translation)
 
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On October 2nd, Emperor Akihito attended 13 attestation ceremonies for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's new Cabinet ministers.

Getty Images
https://www.sankei.com/images/news/181005/prm1810050004-p28.jpg
https://www.sankei.com/images/news/181005/prm1810050004-p30.jpg

On October 4th, Emperor Akihito attended attestation ceremonies for 21 deputy ministers.

Source: Sankei Imperial Weekly #559

On October 5th, Emperor Akihito received President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan for an audience. Besides bilateral relations, they discussed water and environmental issues during the 20 minute meeting. The Emperor asked how global warming has affected Tajikistan. President Rahmon reported his country has many glaciers but their numbers are rapidly decreasing in recent years.

Emperor Akihito also recounted his memory of Tajikistan seen from the border river when he and Empress Michiko visited Afghanistan in 1971.

Photos: Sankei, Jiji

Emperor of Japan Akihito accepted Emomali Rahmon | Tajikistan News ASIA-Plus
 
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On October 5th, Emperor Akihito sent a condolence message to President Joko Widodo of Indonesia following the devastating earthquake and tsunami. [Jiji]

On October 6th, Emperor Akihito attended the annual meeting & 50th anniversary conference of the Ichthyological Society of Japan (ISJ) at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center in Shibuya, Tokyo. Like other participants, His Majesty listened to two presentations on the ecology of goby and toured the retrospective exhibition on the ISJ. He later enjoyed a social gathering with 300 fellow researchers.

Emperor Akihito has published 32 articles on gobies and 8 types of new gobies.

Photos: Sankei, Asahi
 
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On October 7th, Emperor Akihito attended the National Taiko Competition for Disabled Persons in Bunkyo, Tokyo. Empress Michiko was scheduled to attend but has been recovering from a cold since the 2nd.

Photo: Sankei
 
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On October 11th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended an audience with the winners of the 70th Public Health Awards honored by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. They also had luncheon with the Vietnamese ambassador and his wife and a discussion with Imperial Palace cleaning volunteers.

Empress Michiko is not fully recovered from the cold, fever and sore throat symptoms persist. Her attendance at future events is subject to change.

Source: Sankei, Jiji

ETA: AP Images
https://twitter.com/x/status/1050365397973708801
 
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