Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako - 2021 NEWS & EVENTS

[PeDe]

March 26
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended the postponed annual poetry reading ceremony

[PeDe]

April 25
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended the Midori Academic Award ceremony
They attended the 15th Midori Academic Award ceremony (Reiwa), held at the Parliamentary Museum in Tokyo. The prize is awarded by the Prime Minister to individuals in Japan with remarkable academic achievements in the fields related to “green” science, such as researches on plants, forests, greening, horticulture, ecology, landscaping, or nature conservation, and development of related technology.

[PeDe]

May 3
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako paid an online visit to Fukushima Prefecture
Both spoke online with people in Fukushima Prefecture who were severely affected by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami as well as the subsequent meltdowns at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s crippled Fukushima No. 1 power plant.

[PeDe]

May 31
Empress Masako carries on the tradition of sericulture at Imperial Palace
Empress Masako of Japan visited Momijiyama Imperial Cocoonery at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo and attended a sericulture ritual. During the ritual, the Empress fed mulberry leaves to silkworms. Growing silkworms at the Imperial Palace is a traditional practice carried out by empresses since Empress Dowager Shoken resumed the practice in 1871. The collected silk has been used in imperial ceremonies or as gifts.

[PeDe]

June 28
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited the Japan Art Academy Hall in Tokyo
They visited the Japan Art Academy Hall in Ueno, Tokyo, and attended the award ceremony of the 76th and 77th Japanese Academy of Arts Prize, which is given to those who have made great achievements in the art field. Last year's award ceremony was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and held together with this year's.

[PeDe]

August 15
The Emperor and Empress attended the National Memorial Ceremony
They attended the National Memorial Ceremony at Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo, which was held on the occasion of the 76th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. On August 15, 1945, Emperor Showa announced on the radio that the country had surrendered.

[PeDe]

September 6
Emperor Naruhito and his family moved to Imperial Palace
Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, and their daughter, Princess Aiko moved to their new residence in the Imperial Palace grounds in Tokyo together with two of the Three Sacred Treasures. The family will stay at the Imperial Palace's Kyūden, their temporary home for the next 10 days, while their belongings are moved to the residence.

[Gemsheal]

Princess Aiko will soon be 20, how time flies! 

[Cordelia Fitzgerald]

Princess Aiko will soon be 20, how time flies! 

I guess we'll see more of their formal birthday portraits in front of that pegboard!  I hope we also see some more casual/candid shots too!

[Clover]

Empress Masako, Looks very good. She has made a full recovery.