The Emperor of Japan, Naruhito, publicly presented wishes for the New Year on Sunday, which occurs for the first time since 2020, as the country and the imperial family gradually return to normality.
“I’m really happy to be able to celebrate the New Year with you after three years,” Naruhito said, returning to the annual tradition.
“I wish happiness to the people of our country and to the whole world,” he added.
Naruhito appeared accompanied by the empress, Masako, the daughter, Aiko, and the parents, the former emperor, Akihito, and the former empress, Michiko.
Only about 1,500 people were allowed to enter the Grand Palace in the Japanese capital at a time, to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
In 2020, before the pandemic began to hit Japan, some 70,000 people attended the emperor’s New Year’s speech. For health reasons, the event was canceled in 2021 and 2022.
The imperial couple gradually appeared again in public during 2022.
Source: TSF
