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

[iceflower]

Welcome to part 4 of the thread for the Current Events of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko!


You can find the old thread here:

** Emperor Akihito & Empress Michiko Current Events Part 3: February 2013 - April 2017 **

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[Prisma]

On May 5th, Empress Michiko attended a concert by pianist Izumi Tateno and clarinet player Kazuko Ninomiya at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. She stayed for about an hour. Last November, the Imperial couple also attended a concert by Izumi Tateno who rebuilt his career after suffering a stroke in 2002 that paralyzed the right side of his body.

Photos: Sankei

 

[Prisma]

On May 8th, Empress Michiko attached silkworm eggs to branches of oak trees to be harvested around July. The Imperial family sericulture has been inherited by successive empresses since the Meiji period.

Photos: Asahi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAOlSF4_Ryk

 

[Prisma]

On May 9th, Emperor Akihito awarded orders and honors to 14 people at the Imperial Palace. Recipients included:

• Yoshiro Mori, former Prime Minister
• Junko Kawaguchi, former Foreign Minister
• Ryozo Kato, former Ambassador to the United States
• Naohiko Kumagai, former President of Mitsui Kumagai

Photos: Sankei, Asahi

 

[Prisma]

On May 15th, the IHA reported Emperor Akihito has fever and cold symptoms. His afternoon duties were cancelled; CP Naruhito took over his meeting with medal recipients and Empress Michiko met with a working group alone.

The Imperial couple’s planned private trip to Nikko for May 17-19 is also cancelled. The Emperor showed gratitude to the planners as the Nikko visit has been postponed twice since 2015. First, due to heavy rain damage and then the Kumamoto earthquake.

Sources: Asahi, Yomiuri

 

[Prisma]

On April 20th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko met Argentine President Mauricio Macri and his wife Juliana Awada at the Imperial Palace. Later, the Imperial couple attended the Pritzker Architecture Award ceremony at Akasaka State Guest House in Minato, Tokyo. It’s the 2nd time in 28 years the Pritzker Architecture Award has been held in Japan. The 2017 winners are Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, and Ramon Vilalta from Spain.

President and First Lady of Argentina: Getty Images, Sankei

Pritzker Architecture Awards: Asahi

Home | The Pritzker Architecture Prize
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3Zk3xcxrrI

 

[Prisma]

On May 22nd, Emperor Akihito planted 80 rice seedlings in the paddy field within the Imperial Palace. Harvest is expected at the end of September. Empress Michiko worked in the sericulture office, giving mulberry leaves to 700-800 silkworms.

Photos: Asahi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ9-FPWU58U

 

[Prisma]

On May 24th, Empress Michiko worked on sericulture, transferring silkworms to straw racks where they will spin cocoons and then be removed in about a week. This year’s silkworms bred about 3 species including "Koishimaru."

Photos: Asahi

 

[Prisma]

On May 25th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko met with contributing members of the Japanese Red Cross at the Imperial Palace.

They also visited the Alfons Mucha exhibition at the National Art Center, Tokyo.

Getty Images

 

[Prisma]

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko are visiting Toyama Prefecture May 27-29th. They visited Takaoka Mikurumayama Museum for the Mikurumayama floats, spoke to winners of a "greening campaign" poster contest, and attended a reception for the national tree festival on Saturday.

They will attend the 68th National Tree Festival in Uozu, Toyama Prefecture on Sunday.

Photos: Asahi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgTz_9AqE1E

 

[Prisma]

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended the 68th National Tree Festival on May 28th. They each planted 3 trees, including trees from Toyama Prefecture. At the ceremony, seedlings of Enoki from at the Imperial Palace and transferred to Toyama Prefecture were handed over to Fukushima Prefecture for next year's festival.

In the afternoon, the Imperial couple visited the zipper company museum "YKK Center Park" in Kurobe city.

Photos: Asahi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9jd-Z96gQ0

 

[Prisma]

On May 29th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visited the Koshinokuni Museum of Literature in Toyama City and flew back to Tokyo.

Photos: Asahi, Sankei

Getty Images of 3-day visit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_LgJtIblCc

 

[Prisma]

On May 31st, Empress Michiko harvested cocoons.

Photos: Asahi

 

[Prisma]

On June 1st, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visited the special exhibition "The folk art in the Edo period - the beauty living in the life", for the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Meguro-ku, Tokyo.

Photos 20, 21 at Sankei Imperial Weekly #489

 

[Prisma]

On June 6th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his wife Tran Nguyet Thu.

Getty Images, Asahi

ETA: In the evening, the Imperial couple attended a Shamisen performance at the National Theater in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.

Photos: Asahi

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Prisma, thanks again for all the work you do on these threads!

 

[Prisma]

thanks, Royal Norway!

On June 7th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visited the special exhibition "TREASURES of the Natural World: Best of London’s Natural History Museum" at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Taito-ku, Tokyo. The exhibition features about 370 specimens including the famous “Archaeopteryx”

Photos: Asahi

 

[Prisma]

On June 9th, the Emperor received credentials from the Ambassadors of the Philippines and Belarus. He also had lunch with the president of the Board of Audit of Japan, the president of the National Personnel Authority, and others. Prince Akishino also attended the lunch.

Photos of the lunch at Getty Images

 

[Prisma]

On June 11th, Empress Michiko attended the 30th anniversary reception for the Japan Rheumatology Foundation in Marunouchi, Tokyo, where she spoke to patients for about 30 minutes.

Photos: Asahi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuSLnb3W5UM

 

[Prisma]

On June 12th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended the 107th Japan Academy Award ceremony in Taitō Ward, Tokyo. There were 10 winners this year, including Professor Emeritus Hasegawa Akira of Tohoku University, who studied the structure and seismic activity of the subduction zone of the oceanic plate, and honorary director Soichiro Kitamura of the Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, who established coronary reconstruction surgery for a child.

Photos: Sankei, Jiji

In the afternoon, the Imperial couple hosted a tea ceremony for the winners at the Imperial Palace. CP Naruhito, Prince Akishino, and Princess Kiko also attended.

Photo: Yomiuri

ETA: Getty Images of awards and tea ceremony

 

[Prisma]

On June 14th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko paid respects for the 5th anniversary of Prince Tomohito's death at Toshima Oka cemetery. Princesses Yuriko and Akiko also attended. Per custom, the Imperial couple sent a representive on the actual anniversary (June 6th) and visited later.

Photos: Getty Images, Sankei

 

[Prisma]

On June 16th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko enjoyed tennis with friends at the Tokyo Lawn Tennis Club in Minato-ku, Tokyo. They also played against the Kamakura loan tennis club from Kanagawa Prefecture. After about 2 hours, the couple returned to the Imperial Palace.

Photo: Sankei
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF5zcyajdQQ

 

[Prisma]

On June 18th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visited the site of the Empress’ Shōda family home in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo. Now a park called "Nemunoki-no-Niwa", the couple strolled around for about 10 minutes.

Video/photos: Asahi, Getty Images

 

[Prisma]

On June 19th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended the 73rd Japan Art Academy award ceremony. There were 9 winners this year including a calligrapher, Kabuki actor, critic, and composer. Before the ceremony, the couple met with each winner and learned of their work.

Photos/info: Asahi, Sankei, Getty Images

ETA: The winners were invited to tea at the Imperial Palace afterward which the Akishino couple also attended.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmIGCWVdcdM

 

[Prisma]

On June 21st, Emperor Akihito met with Guinean President Alpha Conde.

Getty Images

 

[Prisma]

On June 23rd, Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko, and CP Naruhito observed a moment of silence on Okinawa Memorial Day at the Imperial Palace. CP Naruhito arrived before noon to report his return from Denmark. They also watched the memorial ceremony on TV and had Okinawa cuisine for lunch. CP Masako observed a moment of silence at Togu Palace.

Sources: Jiji, news.tv-asahi.co.jp

Emperor Akihito also received credentials from Nepali Ambassador to Japan Pratibha Rana on Friday.

Source: Ambassador Rana presents credentials to Japanese Emperor Akihito

On June 24th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko enjoyed a cello concert by 22-year old Tatsuki Sasanuma, a recent graduate of Gakushuin University. They stayed for an hour, listening to 5 songs including Chopin's "Introduction and Polonaise Brilliante", and met the musicians after the concert.

Photos: Asahi

 

[Prisma]

On June 26th, Empress Michiko attended a charity concert to help childhood cancer according to Jiji.

Getty Images

Afterward, she and Emperor Akihito travelled to Hayama Imperial Villa in Kanagawa Prefecture to rest until the 29th.

 

[Prisma]

On July 1st, Emperor Akihito attended an alumni association meeting at Gakushuin primary school. He graduated from primary school in 1946 and the alumni association was founded in 2014.

Photo: Mainichi

Empress Michiko visited the Japanese Braille reading library in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Based on a grant from the Empress in 2005 and her continued support, the library develops braille music scores. She listened to flute, horn, and violin performances by visually impaired musicians.

Photos: Sankei

 

[Prisma]

On July 7th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko sent their sympathies to the governors of Kyushu island's prefectures. Heavy rain has killed several people and forced many to evacuate. [Mainichi]

Emperor Akihito visited manufacturer Zeon Kawasaki Factory in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Getty Images

 

[Prisma]

On July 9th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended the 100th anniversary of the National Welfare Committee in Koto Ward, Tokyo. About ten thousand people attended, including Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike; the event was organized by at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. In 1917, a system of volunteers for the community's welfare was established in Okayama Prefecture as an advisory group. Currently, many members are part-time local civil servants who consult with seniors living alone or low income households and connect them to welfare services.

Sources: JP Reuters, Jiji, Mainichi