Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko: Current Events Part 1: May 2003 - September 2006

[monica17]

Shinto? Oooh. Now, I'm an ignoramus when it comes to Asian religions so is Shintoism anything to do with Buddhism?

Okay, I'm Asian so I will try to answer this question a bit. Shinto is a native religion of Japan. It used to be the state religion. Taoist, Confucian, and Buddhist themes were incorporated into it through the centuries. It has a lot to do with worshipping gods and goddesses ("kami") and holding rituals. As you know, the Imperial Family claims to be descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu so the Imperial emperors prior to WW II claimed to be semi-divine.

In modern Japan, Shinto, in essence, is a collection of rituals and methods meant to mediate the relations of people to kami and ancestors in order to have better fortunes. Many Japanese homes either have a Shinto or Buddhist shrine.

As mandyy said, the Emperor is a Shinto priest. The Imperial Family are either raised as a Shinto believer or converts into it upon joining the Imperial Family. Both CP Masako and Empress Michiko received extensive Shinto lessons before their wedding.

Hope this helps.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Thankyou Monica17! That's cleared up my confusion.

 

[puresnow]

Thank you all for the pictures and news.

 

[Vanesa]

I heard and read that sometimes, Shinto can be mixed up to Buddhism. Is this true? In China, Confucianism and Buddhism are sometimes combined, however I do not know if Shintoism could do the same.

Now a little story: Do you know that the last Chinese Emperor, Aisin Gioro Pu Yi was almost obliged to change his Buddhism for the Shintoist religion when he was named Manchukuo's Emperor? It's himself who tell it in his "Memoirs", and he remaked how sad he felt when he must worship Amaterasu inestead of Buddah.

Vanesa.

 

[bbb]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/07/21/wjapan21.xml

i found this article interesting quotes from article *
The late Emperor Hirohito stopped paying respects to Japan's war dead at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo because he objected to the enshrinement there of war criminals.

*Junichiro Koizumi, the prime minister, is one of many politicians who pay their respects there each year, despite furious objections from China and South Korea that he is honouring war criminals. He will face renewed calls to stop visiting the shrine.

*After that enshrinement I never worshipped there again. That was my conscience," Hirohito is quoted as saying in the document from 1988, the year before his death.

*Hirohito did not visit Yasukuni after 1978 and his son, Emperor Akihito, has never visited since he succeeded

*Japanese emperors are not simply heads of state but central figures in the Shinto religion. Hirohito's views will strengthen the argument for the inclusion of the criminals at Yasukuni to be reversed.

 

[Elspeth]

I find the BBC Religion section fairly good for simple explanations of what the different religions are about. There's a section on Shinto for anyone interested in reading up on it:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/

 

[Vanesa]

Thank you, Elspeth. You posted a very useful link, indeed.

Vanesa.

 

[mandyy]

Photos from Kunaicho website
The Emperor performing duties in various Ceremony of the Presentation of Credentials:
A newly appointed foreign ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary presents his/her credentials to His Majesty the Emperor. The Minister for Foreign Affairs or another Minister of State must be present.
A horse-drawn carriage or automobile owned by the Imperial Household may be provided to the Ambassador and his/her party for transportation to and from the Imperial Palace according to the Ambassador's wishes.

#1-2: July 10th, 2006.
#1: Ambassador of Fiji
#2: Ambassador of Latvia
#3-4: July 25th, 2006.
#3: Ambassador of Czech Republic
#4: Ambassador of India
#5-6: July 26th, 2006.
#5 Ambassador of Ukraine
#6: Ambassador of Germany

 

[mandyy]

Empress Michiko attended a musical performance at a hall in the Shinjuku district in Tokyo on July 31st, 2006.
From FNN news

 

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Empress Michiko is always clever in her choices of outfits. It always brings her looking elegant and simple, not really much stuffs.

 

[mandyy]

Empress Michiko, who serves as honorary president of the Japanese Red Cross Society, contributes flowers on Aug. 11 at a monument in the society's compound in Tokyo for 1,326 doctors and nurses who died on duty.
#1: Newscom
#2: NHK news

 

[mandyy]

Japanese Emperor Akihito and Emperess Michiko bow during a ceremony for war dead on the anniversary of the end of World War II at the Budokan in Tokyo August 15, 2006.

#1,2: Profimedia
#3,4: Reuters
#5: Yomiuri news

 

[puresnow]

Thank you all !

 

[mandyy]

Japan's Emperor Akihito (L) and Empress Michiko arrive at a hospital in Tokyo, 26 August 2006, to visit Prince Akishino's wife Princess Kiko, who is pregnant a possibility for heir to the throne.

From Profimedia

 

[mandyy]

Empress Michiko arriving today in Karuizawa Station on August 28th, 2006 to attend the Kusatsu International Summer Music Academy & Festival.
#1: Yomiuri news


Below are photos of Empress Michiko attending a musical concert during the evening of Aug 28, 2006.
#1: JIJI press
#2: FNN news
#3: Asahi news

 

[mandyy]

More photos of the Empress during her Karuizawa visit during late Aug. of 2006.
from www.yuko2ch.net

 

[mandyy]

Empress Michiko attended a concert on Sept 3rd, 2006.
#1: TBS news

The Emperor and Empress begins their 5 day visit to Hokkaido on Sept. 5, 2006.
#1: NNN news
#2: ANN news
#3: Yomiuri news

 

[mandyy]

#1: JIJI press
#2: AP
#3: Reuters
#4-5: Yomiuri news
Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko greet well-wishers in Sapporo, Japan September 6, 2006.

 

[sara1981]

have heard about couple visit new grandson yet?

 

[mandyy]

have heard about couple visit new grandson yet?

The Emperor and Empress is in Hokkaido on a 5 day visit and will return to Tokyo once they finish this visit on Sept 10th, 2006.

 

[florecita]

Congratulations to the family!

 

[mandyy]

The Emperor and Empress leaving the hotel in Sapporo and heading towards Tomakomai city in Hokkaido on Sept 7, 2006.
#1: FNN news
#2: NNN news
#3-4: Yomiuri news


The Emperor and Empress arriving at the hotel they're staying during their visit to Tomakomai city on Sept 7, 2006.
#1: Mainichi news
[URL=http://img166.imageshack.us/my.php?image=2006090800000007maipsociview000op7.jpg][/URL]

 

[sara1981]

The Emperor and Empress is in Hokkaido on a 5 day visit and will return to Tokyo once they finish this visit on Sept 10th, 2006.

thanks for info on couples im hope both will delight see new grandson soon after done visit

 

[Lakshmi]

I think Emperor and Emperess couldn't wait to see their new grandchild.

I don't know a lot about Imperial family but I saw pictures of Michiko when she was young and she was amazingly beautiful. Her face still has beautiful features.

 

[ropura]

"'Congratstulation to Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko with the birth they grandson "'

Ropura

 

[mandyy]

#1: Sept 6
#2: Sept 8
#3: Sept 9-Returning to Tokyo after the Hokkaido visit


source-Mainichi news

 

[puresnow]

Congratulations to the family!

Thank you so much for the wonderful pictures!

 

[mandyy]

Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum held exhibitions of contemporary Japanese artists' groups, 12 September 2006.
#1: from Sankei news
#2-3: Profimedia


Japanese Empress Michiko, left, waves to wellwishers as Emperor Akihito smiles from a bullet train window before their departure for Nasu, northern Japan, at the Tokyo railway station in Tokyo Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006. The imperial couple was congratulated on the birth of their first grandson Prince Hisahito last week.
#1-2: from Polfoto
#3: ANN news
#4-5: FNN News
#6: JIJI press
#7: Mainichi news
#5-7: a visit to a nearby farmer from their Nasu Imperial Villa

 

[mandyy]

The Emperor and Empress today releasing birds into the air at the Nasu Imperial Villa on Sept. 14th, 2006.
#1: JIJI press
#2: NNN news
#3: FNN news

 

[mandyy]

#1: TBS news-The Emperor and Empress returned to Tokyo on Sept. 16th after their short break at Nasu Imperial Villa.
#2: Photo from their visit to a near by farm in Nasu