In recent years, the New Year’s performance by Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and his family has had to be canceled due to the corona pandemic. Now the monarchs greet again from the balcony of their palace.
Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and his family greeted thousands of people from the balcony of their palace at the beginning of the New Year.
“I hope that this year will be a peaceful and good year for all of you,” said the monarch on Monday behind a protective mask on the glazed balcony of the Chowa Den Palace in Tokyo, in front of which citizens waved in the sunshine national flags had arrived. Because of the corona pandemic, it was the first time since 2020 that the emperor, accompanied by his wife, Empress Masako, and other family members showed himself to his subjects for the New Year’s performance. The daughter of the monarch couple, Princess Aiko, was there for the first time after coming of age in 2021.
In the two previous years, the New Year’s performance had been canceled due to the corona pandemic. That hadn’t happened since 1990. At that time, the reason was the mourning of the death of Emperor Hirohito, the grandfather of today’s Tenno. Although Japan is now experiencing the eighth wave of infections, the island kingdom has eased restrictions on the population. That’s why the House Court Office decided to allow the Tenno’s New Year’s appearance again – but with restrictions.
During the day, Emperor Naruhito and his family were to appear on the balcony six times, with only about 9,600 citizens chosen by lot to be allowed onto the grounds. In normal years, tens of thousands of people come there. This time there was a minimum distance of one meter. The visitors also had to wear a mask – which in Japan is still done voluntarily by almost everyone.
Source: Stern
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