Emperor Akihito & Empress Michiko Current Events Part 2: September 2006- January 2013

[iceflower]

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Nice to see how openly she answered those questions! Thanks a lot for
sharing, Kasumi!


Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom Caballeros is greeted by Emperor Akihito
upon his arrival at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on October 22, 2010. Colom
is there on a four-day visit.


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 **

 

[iceflower]

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India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur meet Emperor
Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo October 25, 2010
in these handout photos released by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday urged closer ties with Japan
to bolster Asian economic growth, as Tokyo struggles to offset the risk of its
growing dependence on giant rival China.


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 **

 

[Kasumi]

TIM the Emperor and the Empress have granted an audience at the Imperial castle in Tokyo to HSH the Prince of Monaco & his fiancee Ms Wittstock during the last day of the Monaco's sovereign visit to Japan, November 1st, 2010.

**Pic 1** ** Pic 2** - credits Reuters via daylife

 

[iceflower]

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On November 13, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah had a meeting with Emperor
Akihito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.


** Pic **


Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his wife Laureen have been
received by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace
on November 14, 2010.


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 **

 

[iceflower]

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Empress Michiko and Emperor Akihito met with Princess Chulabhorn of Thailand
at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on November 17, 2010. The imperial couple had
dinner with the princess, who was visiting Japan to attend a conference.


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 **

 

[iceflower]

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Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko received Mongolian President Tsakhia Elbegdorj
and his wife Bolormaa Khajidsuren at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on November 18,
2010. It was the first meeting between the Emperor and the President who was on
a five-day official visit to Japan.


** Pic **

That same day Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko also attended a concert by the
Cleveland Orchestra of the United States at Tokyo's Suntory Hall.


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 **

 

[iceflower]

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Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended a ceremony to commemorate
the 120th anniversary of the establishment of the Japanese parliament. In
the main hall of the House of Councillors Emperor Akihito held a speech on
the occasion, Tokyo, November 29, 2010.


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 ** belga gallery **

 

[iceflower]

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Emperor Akihito chats with Chief Cabinet Secretary Sengoku (2nd from R) and
other participants in a luncheon meeting with the justice minister and top state
prosecutors at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on December 1, 2010.
Sengoku joined the event as he concurrently serves as justice minister.


** Pic **

 

[iceflower]

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American researcher Nancy Moran, professor at Yale University, received the
2010 International Prize for Biology in Tokyo on December 6, 2010. Emperor
Akihito and Empress Michiko attended the award ceremony for the prize which
was instituted in 1985 to commemorate Emperor Hirohito, father of Emperor
Akihito, and his devotion to biological research as well as to offer tribute to
the present emperor.


** Pic **


Bolivian President Evo Morales was received by Emperor Akihito for a luncheon
at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on December 8, 2010.


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 **

 

[Al_bina]

Thanks for the updates!
Their Imperial Majesties had a busy agenda. It is always a pleasure to see them undertaking official engagements.

 

[iceflower]

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You're most welcome, Al_bina


Today, December 22, Emperor Akihito received Djibouti President Ismail
Omar Guelleh at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 **

 

[Kasumi]

Emperor turns 77, hopes for 'elderly-friendly' society

Emperor Akihito, on the occasion of his 77th birthday on Thursday, reflected on the past year and said that as he grows more aware of the symptoms of aging, he hopes that society will become more attuned to the needs of the elderly.
The emperor admitted he has developed hearing difficulties and said, "I can understand what the announcers are saying, but when it comes to listening to other people's conversations on TV, I find myself often relying on subtitles."
The emperor, who climbed Mt. Sekison in Nagano Prefecture with Prince Akishino's family in the summer, said he was sometimes helped by the prince and his daughter Princess Mako on his way down the mountain, which has never happened before.
The emperor also said he and Empress Michiko are "worried" about Princess Aiko, the only child of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, who has been attending a limited number of classes since missing several days of school due to the "rough behavior" in March of boys in her grade.
While their opportunities to see Princess Aiko have been limited, the emperor said whenever the princess visits them she "expresses her love for the empress" by presenting flowers picked from her garden and by showing a video of her cat on her camera.
Concerning Crown Princess Masako, who continues to receive treatment for a stress-induced illness, the emperor said, "It is my hope that she will strive first and foremost to regain her health." - Mainichi Daily

 

[Mirabel]

Hmm, it appears that the rifts in the Imperial family have not been mended.

 

[iceflower]

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Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Naoto Kan (2nd from L) talk before a
luncheon at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on December 24, 2010. Cabinet
ministers and senior vice ministers were invited to the luncheon.


** Pic **

 

[Kasumi]

HM the Emperor New Year's message and Waka poems

Emperor Akihito expressed hope in his New Year's message to the public that people will cherish family relations to overcome challenges. - The Mainichi Daily

TIM the Emperor and the Empress's Waka poems for the new Year - Imperial Household Agency site

 

[Al_bina]

Thanks for posting poems!
I have been surprised to read Empress Michiko's poem about the World Cup in South Africa.

 

[iceflower]

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Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended the New Year Grand Sumo
Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan hall in Tokyo on January 9, 2011.


** Pic **

 

[iceflower]

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Emperor Akihito faces Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano while Japan's Prime Minister
Naoto Kan (C) looks on as the new Cabinet is formally invested during a ceremony at the Imperial
Palace in Tokyo in this January 14, 2011 handout photograph released by the Imperial Household
Agency of Japan. Kan appointed former administrative reform minister Yukio Edano as his new
chief cabinet secretary, bowing to opposition demands to ditch his influential second-in-command
in an effort to smooth the way to pass bills in a divided parliament.


** Pic **

 

[Kasumi]

HM the Emperor met the President of Ukraine at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on January 19th, 2011.
The Emperor also hosted a luncheon in the Imperial palace.
**Pic 1** **Pic 2** **Pic 3** **Pic 4** - credits Reuters via daylife

 

[Kasumi]

Empress Michiko of Japan will attend a concert of Korean popera singer Whee Jine in Tokyo next Wednesday.
The 76-year-old empress plans to attend the concert at Kioi Hall, in a rare visit by a Japanese royal to an obscure Korean singer rather than a well-known virtuoso.- The Chosunilbo

 

[iceflower]

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Emperor Akihito gave an oath at the opening ceremony of the Diet session at
the upper house of the parliament in Tokyo on January 24, 2010. Japan's Prime
Minister Naoto Kan suggested the nation faces 'inevitable' tax increases in the
future as a rapidly ageing society pushes social security costs and public debt
higher.


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 ** Pic 4 **

 

[Mirabel]

Is it likely that the Emperor and Empress will attend Prince William's wedding?
They did attend that of Prince Charles.

Or is it more probable that some other members of the Imperial family will go to represent them?
If so, I wonder which ones?

 

[Kasumi]

Is it likely that the Emperor and Empress will attend Prince William's wedding?
They did attend that of Prince Charles...

Since Prince William is not the immediate heir of the throne it's unlikely for TIM to attend his wedding.
The Japanese press discusses the ability of the crown princely couple to attend London.
Read this thread, please.

 

[Mirabel]

Thank you!
If Masako does not attend,(and it seems she very rarely attends anything) is it likely that Naruhito will go alone?
Or will they send Akishino and Kiko?

 

[Kasumi]

...is it likely that Naruhito will go alone?
Or will they send Akishino and Kiko?

The Crown Prince will have to go to UK alone, just like last summer.
The Akishinos will not going. It was the Crown Princely couple who had entertained the Prince and Princess of Wales during their several visits to Japan. The heirs of the thrones of both UK and Japan seem to have nice and warm personal ties.

 

[Mirabel]

The Crown Prince will have to go to UK alone, just like last summer.
The Akishinos will not going. It was the Crown Princely couple who had entertained the Prince and Princess of Wales during their several visits to Japan. The heirs of the thrones of both UK and Japan seem to have nice and warm personal ties.

I've noticed that (the personal friendship), but it seems like it resulted in more criticism of Masako. (It was said of her that she was fine to entertain the British royals, but the following week, when the Spanish Royal Family arrived, she wasn't well enough to meet them).
This distressed quite a few people who thought it discourteous.

 

[Kasumi]

... criticism of Masako...

The forum has a special thread for discussing this topic. Lets move there if you don't mind.

 

[Kasumi]

Palace chief feels 'sad' over Ozawa remark on emperor's schedule

The top aide to Emperor Akihito, Shingo Haketa, said Thursday that he feels "sad" to hear that ruling party veteran Ichiro Ozawa had reportedly urged the Imperial Palace to drop what he describes as the emperor's "nonessential" appointments. Haketa, grand steward at the Imperial Household Agency, made the remark at a news conference in response to a question about Ozawa's comments in an interview with a weekly over the exceptional meeting in December 2009 between the 77-year-old monarch and Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping.
Ozawa, the then DPJ secretary general, is known to have helped arrange the meeting between the emperor and Xi, ignoring the palace's custom that requires any foreign dignitary to submit a request for an audience with the emperor at least one month in advance. - The Mainichi Daily News

 

[Kasumi]

The Emperor Taboo - The Diplomat Blogs
The Japanese Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and the press, and states that ‘no censorship shall be maintained.’ Yet one topic remains taboo.
The heavy hand of the Imperial Household Agency ensures that salaried journalists self-censor reports to portray an airbrushed view of the Emperor and the Imperial Family. And newspaper editorial writers better start looking for a new job if they even consider writing a piece questioning the relevance of the monarchy in today’s world.

 

[Kasumi]

Japan emperor has heart problem, to undergo checks

Japan's imperial palace says Emperor Akihito will undergo medical tests after doctors discovered a heart problem.
The Imperial Household Agency says the 77-year-old monarch will be tested Friday at a Tokyo hospital. The problem was discovered last month during a series of checkups.
Emperor Akihito has suffered from a series of illnesses in recent years, including surgery for prostate cancer in 2003, and has cut back on his official duties.
He ascended to the throne after his father, World War-Two era Emperor Hirohito, died in 1989.
Japan Times
Monsters & Critics
Reuters