Ueno Royal Museum Grand Prize

On 27th April, HIH Prince Masahito and HIH Princess Hanako of Hitachi attended the 35th Award Ceremony of Ueno Royal Museum Grand Prize took place in Tokyo.
HIH Prince Masahito is the President of Japan Art Association.

Photo from Sankei

Spring Imperial Garden Party

On 20th April, HM Emperor Akihito and HM Empress Michiko held the Spring Imperial Garden Party at Akasaka Imperial Garden and about 2,000 guests are invited.
All female members of Imperial Family who attended the party wore Kimono.

Photo from Asahi and Sankei

Youth Invention & Innovation

On 22nd March, HIH Prince Masahito and HIH Princess Hanako of Hitachi attended the 75th Award Ceremony of All Japan Youth Invention and Innovation Exhibition took place in Tokyo.
HIH Prince Masahito is the President of Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation.

Photo from Biglobe

Imperial New Year’s Lectures

On 11th January,  the members of Imperial Family attended the Ceremony of the Kousho Hajime (Imperial New Year’s Lectures) took place at Imperial Palace.

This is a ceremony in which Their Majesties and the other members of Imperial Family listen to experts’ explanations in the fields of human, social and natural sciences in their respective field.

The Ceremony of the Kousho Hajime was instituted in 1869 with a “lecture for the New Year” designed for the enlightenment of studies by Emperor Meiji. In those early days, lectures concentrated on Japanese and Chinese texts, and subsequently came to include western texts. From 1953 the explanations in the above-mentioned three fields came to be instituted.

Photo from Asahi

New Year’s Greeting

On 2nd January, HM Emperor Akihito and the other members of Imperial Family appeared 5 times at People’s Greeting of New Year at Imperial Palace. About 96,700 people gathered at Imperial Palace.

Photo from Asahi

New Year’s Celebration

On 1st January 2017, the members of Imperial Family attended the Ceremony of New Year’s Celebration took place at Imperial Palace.

It is the ceremony that Their Majesties Emperor and Empress receive greetings from the other members of Imperial Family; the Speaker and Vice-Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President and Vice-President of the House of Councillors; Diet members; the Prime Minister; Ministers of State; the Chief Justice and Justices of the Supreme Court; other government officials with Imperial attestation; Administrative Vice-Ministers of Ministries and Agencies and other leading figures of legislative, executive and judicial organs; prefectural governors and chairpersons of prefectural assemblies; and heads of diplomatic missions to Japan and their spouses. This ceremony is considered a state event.

HIH Crown Princess Masako and HIH Princess Aiko also visited Imperial Palace to greet Their Majesties.

Photo from Asahi

Celebration of Emperor’s Birthday

On 23rd December, the members of Imperial Family greeted the people gathered at Imperial Palace to celebrate the His Majesty’s Birthday. 38,588 people visited Imperial Palace and it was the largest number ever since 1989.

On that day, the luncheon to celebrate His Majesty’s Birthday took place at Imperial Palace.

On that day, the tea party with the ambassadors and their spouses also took place at Imperial Palace.

Photo from Asahi, Mainichi and Sankei

Art Exhibition of Disabled Children

On 14th December, HIH Prince Masahito and HIH Princess Hanako of Hitachi attended the 35th Art Exhibition of Disabled Children took place in Tokyo.

HIH Prince Masahito is the President of Japanese Society for Disabled Children.

Photo from Sankei

Day after the Funeral

On 5th November, the rite at the grave of late Prince Mikasa took place at Toshimagaoka Imperial Cemetery in Tokyo.

Previous to the rite, Their Majesties the Emperor and the Empress visited the grave of late Prince Mikasa.

The grave of late Prince Mikasa are open for the general public on 6the and 7th November.

Photo from Asahi

Funeral of late Prince Mikasa

On 4th November, the Funeral of late Prince Takahito of Mikasa took place at Toshimagaoka Imperial Cemetery in Tokyo and 582 people attended.

Departure from Mikasanomiya Residence

Arrival at Toshimagaoka Imperial Cemetery

HIH Princess Yuriko of Mikasa, the chief mourner

The funeral site was open to the general public after the funeral

After the cremation, the rite of burial took place at Toshimagaoka Imperial Cemetery.

HIH Princess Yuriko of Mikasa

HIH Princess Kako of Akishino

HIH Prince Masahito and HIH Princess Hanako of Hitachi

Takamado Family

HIH Princes Hisako of Takamado, the daughter-in-law of late Prince Mikasa

Photo from Asahi, Mainichi and Sankei1,2 and 3