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鎮魂

2016/ 12/ 23
                 
 昨年50年ぶりに前橋キリスト教会を訪れ、内田和彦牧師と話す機会を得ました。私が高校時代3年間通ったこの教会は、星野冨弘氏が1974年に舟喜拓生牧師により洗礼を受けた教会としても知られています。
 今日「パイプオルガンとクリスマスメッセージ」と題したコンサートが午後2時から礼拝堂で開かれましたので、その生演奏を初めて聴きに行ってきました。全16曲です。


 (12月2日のアメリカオークランド史上最悪級の火災事故に巻き込まれ、レイブパーティに仲間と共に加わっていたうちの一人の女性は、家人の姪の子供でした。
 彼女も炎の犠牲になりました。大学(UC バークレー)の在学生で間もなく22歳を迎えようとしている矢先の哀しい出来事となりました。)

パイプオルガン(奏者:植木紀夫氏)が奏でる楽曲を聴きながら静かに指を組み合わせ、彼女の冥福を祈りました。

《 プログラム
 〈ごあいさつとお祈り〉
① J.S.バッハ:プレリュードとフーガ ハ長調(BWV545)
② J.S.バッハ:愛するイエスよ(BWV730)
③ J.S.バッハ:愛するイエスよ(BWV731)
④ V.リューベック:プレリュードとフーガ  ト長調(LübWV9)
  〈お話し:讃美歌とキリスト教歴/オルガン奏者植木紀夫)
⑤ K.ヘッセンベルク:いかにしてわれ主を迎える
⑥ J.G.ヴアルター:もろびと声をあげ
⑦ J.ブラームス:血潮したたる Op.122-7
⑧ R.モーザー:喜び祝え、わが心よ
  〈お話し:オルガンは頼もしい助け手/オルガン奏者植木紀夫)
⑨ J.パッヘルベル:トッカータ ハ長調、フーガ ハ長調
⑩ D.ブクステフーデ:救いは我らに来たれり(BuxWV186)
⑪ D.ブクステフーデ:天にいます我らの父よ(BuxWV219)
⑫ D.ブクステフーデ:トッカータ ヘ長調(BuxWV157)
  〈クリスマス・メッセージ「罪から救ってくださる方」/前橋キリスト教会牧師内田和彦)
⑬ J.ヴァイマン:パストラーレ Op.12-6
⑭ J.G.E.シュティーレ:神の御子は今宵しも
⑮ A.フィッシャー:「高きみ空から」によるプレリュード
⑯ 会衆賛美「高きみ空から」(教会福音讃美歌88番) 》



前橋キリスト教会 20161223





                 
        

天皇陛下の記者会見  天皇陛下お誕生日に際し(平成28年)

2016/ 12/ 23
                 
(宮内庁ホームページ掲載)

天皇陛下お誕生日に際し(平成28年)


天皇陛下の記者会見

会見年月日:平成28年12月20日

会見場所:宮殿 石橋の間


宮内記者会代表質問
問 今年は五輪・パラリンピックが開催され,天皇陛下にはフィリピンや東日本大震災,熊本地震の被災地などを訪問される一方,三笠宮さまやタイのプミポン国王とのお別れもあり,8月には「象徴としての務め」についてお気持ちを表明されました。
  この1年を振り返って感じられたことをお聞かせください。

天皇陛下



今年1年を振り返ると,まず挙げられるのが,1月末,国交正常化60周年に当たり,皇后と共にフィリピンを訪問したことです。アキノ大統領の心のこもった接遇を受け,また,訪れた各地でフィリピン国民から温かく迎えられました。私が昭和天皇の名代として,初めてフィリピンを訪問してから,54年近くの歳月が経たっていました。この前回の訪問の折には,まだ,対日感情が厳しい状況にあると聞いていましたが,空港に到着した私どもを,タラップの下で当時のマカパガル大統領夫妻が笑顔で迎えてくださったことが,懐かしく思い出されました。



今回の滞在中に,近年訪日したフィリピン人留学生や研修生と会う機会を持ち,また,やがて日本で看護師・介護福祉士になることを目指して,日本語研修に取り組んでいるフィリピンの人たちの様子に触れながら,この54年の間に,両国関係が大きく進展してきたことを,うれしく感じました。



両国の今日の友好関係は,先の大戦で命を落とした多くのフィリピン人,日本人の犠牲の上に,長い年月を経て築かれてきました。この度の訪問において,こうした戦没者の霊の鎮まるそれぞれの場を訪ね,冥福を祈る機会を得たことは,有り難いことでした。また,戦後長く苦難の日々を送ってきた日系2世の人たちに会う機会を得たことも,私どもにとり非常に感慨深いことでした。



今後とも両国の友好関係が更に深まることを祈っています。





東日本大震災が発生してから5年を超えました。3月には,福島県,宮城県の被災地,そして9月には岩手県の被災地を訪問し,復興へ向けた努力の歩みとともに未いまだ困難な状況が残されている実情を見ました。その中で岩手県大槌町では,19年前に滞在した宿に泊まりましたが,当時,はまぎくの花を見ながら歩いたすぐ前の海岸が,地震で海面下に沈んで消えてしまっていることを知り,自然の力の大きさ,怖さをしみじみと思いました。



この5年間,皆が協力して復興の努力を積み重ね,多くの成果がもたらされてきました。しかし同時に,今なお多くの人が困難をしのんでおり,この人々が,1日も早く日常を取り戻せるよう,国民皆が寄り添い,協力していくことが必要と感じます。





4月には熊本地震が発生しました。14日夜の地震で,多くの被害が出ましたが,16日未明に本震が発生し,更に大きな被害が出ました。その後も長く余震が続き,人々の不安はいかばかりであったかと思います。



5月に現地を訪れましたが,被害の大きさに胸を痛めるとともに,皆が協力し合って困難を乗り越えようと取り組んでいる姿に,心を打たれました。



今年はさらに8月末に台風10号による大雨が岩手県と北海道を襲い,その中で高齢者グループホームの人たちを含め,多くの人が犠牲になったことも痛ましいことでした。



このような災害に当たり,近年,個人や様々な団体と共に,各地の県や市町村などの自治体が,被災地への支援の手を差し伸べ,さらにそれを契機として,全国で様々な地域間の交流が行われるようになってきていることを,うれしく思っています。





8月には,天皇としての自らの歩みを振り返り,この先の在り方,務めについて,ここ数年考えてきたことを内閣とも相談しながら表明しました。多くの人々が耳を傾け,各々の立場で親身に考えてくれていることに,深く感謝しています。





8月から9月にかけて,リオデジャネイロでオリンピックとパラリンピックが開催されました。時差があったこともあり,毎朝テレビで,日本人選手の活躍する姿が見られたことは,楽しいことでした。オリンピックと同様に,パラリンピックにも多くの人々の関心が寄せられていることをうれしく思いました。





10月中旬にタイのプミポン国王陛下が崩御になりました。昭和38年に国賓として訪日された時に初めてお目に掛かり,その翌年に,昭和天皇の名代として,皇后と共にタイを訪問し,国王王妃両陛下に温かく迎えていただき,チェンマイなど,タイの地方にも御案内いただきました。即位60周年のお祝いに参列したことを始め,親しく交流を重ねてきた日々のことが,懐かしく思い出されます。





10月下旬には,三笠宮崇仁親王が薨去こうきよになりました。今年の一般参賀の時には,手を振って人々に応えていらしたことが思い起こされます。戦争を経験された皇族であり,そのお話を伺えたことは意義深いことでした。





11月中旬には,私的旅行として長野県阿智村に行き,満蒙開拓平和記念館を訪れました。記念館では,旧満州から引き揚げてきた人たちから話を聞き,満蒙開拓に携わった人々の,厳しい経験への理解を深めることができました。





また,その際訪れた飯田市では,昭和22年の大火で,市の中心部のほぼ3分の2が焼失しています。その復興に当たり,延焼を防ぐよう区画整理をし,広い防火帯道路を造り,その道路には復興のシンボルとして,当時の中学生がりんごの木を植えた話を聞きました。昭和20年代という戦後間もないその時期に,災害復興を機に,前より更に良いものを作るという,近年で言う「ビルド・バック・ベター」が既に実行されていたことを知りました。





12月には,長年にわたるオートファジーの研究で,大隅博士がノーベル賞を受賞されました。冬のスウェーデンで,忙しい1週間を過ごされた博士が,今は十分な休養をとられ,再び自らが望まれているような,静かな研究生活に戻ることができることを願っています。





年の瀬が近づき,この1年を振り返るとともに,来年が人々にとって良い年となるよう願っています。





この1年のご動静


天皇陛下には,本日,満83歳のお誕生日をお迎えになりました。

陛下は,今年8月,象徴としてのお務めについてのお考えをビデオを通して国民にお話しになりましたが,この1年,国事行為に関して,国務大臣10名を始め,副大臣20名,大使48名を含む97名の認証官任命式,新任外国大使36名の信任状捧呈式,大綬章及び文化勲章の親授式に臨まれたほか,内閣から上奏のあった1,031件の書類にご署名,ご押印をなさいました。また,宮殿や御所では,文化勲章受章者及び文化功労者,勲章・褒章受章者や各種の表彰受賞者,日本学士院会員,日本芸術院会員,新認定重要無形文化財保持者夫妻,青年海外協力隊帰国隊員及び日系社会青年ボランティアの代表,シニア海外ボランティア及び日系社会シニアボランティア,両陛下のご成婚を記念して創設された皇太子明仁親王奨学金の奨学生,みどりの学術賞受賞者及び緑化推進運動功労者内閣総理大臣表彰受賞者等にお会いになり,その労をねぎらわれ,栄誉を祝されました。その回数は75回を数えました。

このほか,各省庁の事務次官,外務省総合外交政策局長等からのご進講を8回,行幸啓や行事に関するご説明を44回お受けになったほか,皇居勤労奉仕団延べ7,921人に51回にわたってお会いになりました。秋の園遊会及び毎年恒例の新嘗祭献穀者のご会釈は,崇仁親王殿下薨去こうきょに伴うご服喪中のためお取りやめになりました。

なお,宮殿や御所における行事のうち,全国警察本部長等の拝謁,全国検事長及び検事正会同に出席する検事正等の拝謁,地方裁判所長及び家庭裁判所長の拝謁,自衛隊高級幹部会同に出席する統合幕僚長等の拝謁,全国市議会議長会総会に出席する市議会議長等の拝謁等,国・地方の行政機関等の長らが全国会議で上京した際などに定例的に行われてきた拝謁については,今年5月,両陛下のご公務の在り方を改めて検討し,今年度から取りやめることにしました。また,総務大臣始め知事のお話・午餐については,行幸啓等の機会を通じて多くの知事とお会いになっていることから,同様に取りやめとしました。隔年行事として行われていた中学校長会総会に出席する中学校長の拝謁,小学校長会理事会に出席する小学校長の拝謁及び不定期の行事である国際緊急援助隊員及び国際平和協力隊員のご接見については,皇太子殿下にお譲りになりました。

今年1月には,国交正常化60周年を迎えるフィリピン国大統領閣下からの招請により,国際親善のため,両陛下で同国をご訪問になりました。昭和37年に昭和天皇のご名代としてお訪ねになって以来54年ぶりのご訪問で,国賓として,歓迎式典,ご会見,晩餐会に臨まれ,フィリピンの国民的英雄ホセ・リサールの記念碑に参られたほか,かつて日本に留学生,研修生として滞在した人々や日本で介護福祉士,看護師として働くことを目指して日本語を学ぶ人々など,フィリピン国の多くの人々とお会いになり,友好を深められました。さらに,現地で活躍する青年海外協力隊員やフィリピン在住日系人とご懇談になったほか,アジア最大規模の国際農業試験研究機関である国際稲研究所(IRRI)をご訪問になりました。

また,フィリピン人戦没者が眠る英雄墓地をお参りになった後,ルソン島カリラヤにある日本人戦没者を悼む「比島戦没者の碑」に参られました。海外にある日本人戦没者慰霊碑のお参りは,戦後60年に当たる平成17年のサイパン島「中部太平洋戦没者の碑」,戦後70年に当たる昨年のパラオ国・ペリリュー島「西太平洋戦没者の碑」に続いて3度目でした。ご訪問前にも御所にフィリピン戦没者の遺族をお招きになりましたが,「比島戦没者の碑」でも集まった多くの遺族とお話しになり,その苦労を慰められました。

東日本大震災の関係では,今年3月,両陛下で5周年追悼式にご臨席になったほか,同月,震災復興状況ご視察のため福島県及び宮城県に行幸啓になりました。福島県では,三春町の葛尾かつらお村役場三春出張所で,葛尾村長や被災者から復興状況や帰村に向けた準備の様子等をお聴きになり,葛尾村を支援する三春町長等をおねぎらいになりました。宮城県では,女川町をご訪問になり,町長から復興状況等をご聴取になるとともに,復興した商店街や水産加工会社をご視察になりました。途中お立ち寄りの石巻市の宮城県水産会館では,震災の犠牲となった漁業関係者の慰霊碑に参られ,その後,県漁業協同組合会長から話をお聴きになりました。また,仙台市では,東北大学で震災と医療に関する展示をご覧になりました。

さらに,9月末に第71回国民体育大会ご臨場のため5日間のご日程でご訪問になった岩手県では,北上市及び盛岡市における国体行事へのご臨席に先立ち,東日本大震災の復興状況を視察されるため,皇后さまと共に片道約110kmの道のりを自動車で移動され,沿岸部の大槌町及び山田町をご訪問になり,両町長から説明をお受けになったほか,復興した大槌町魚市場や復興のシンボルとして建設された山田町ふれあいセンターをご視察になりました。経由地の遠野市,釜石市でも,それぞれの市長,議長から,その後の後方支援や復興の状況をご聴取になりました。

多数の死傷者,避難者が発生した4月の熊本地震では,発生の翌朝,犠牲者に対するお悼みと被災者へのお見舞い,災害対策に従事する関係者へのおねぎらいのお気持ちを侍従長を通じて熊本県知事にお伝えになり,翌5月に皇后さまと被災地を日帰りでご訪問になりました。現地では,自衛隊ヘリコプターにて南阿蘇村と益城町にご移動になり,南阿蘇村長,西原村長,益城町長及び熊本市長から被災状況等を聴取され,避難所で被災者をお見舞いになるとともに,災害対応関係者にお会いになり,おねぎらいになりました。

8月に,台風10号による大雨災害で岩手県及び北海道で多数の死傷者,避難者が発生した折にも,それぞれの知事に対し,侍従長を通じてお見舞いのお気持ちをお伝えになりました。

このほか,地方へのお出ましは,いずれも皇后さまとご一緒に,今年4月,神武天皇二千六百年ご式年に当たり,奈良県の神武天皇陵及び橿原神宮をご参拝になり,その折,奈良県立橿原考古学研究所,橿原神宮宝物館,高松塚古墳,高松塚壁画館をご視察になりました。6月には,第67回全国植樹祭ご臨場のため長野県をご訪問になり,お泊所で平成23年の長野県北部地震による栄村の被災者とご懇談になったほか,唱歌「ふるさと」の作詞家・高野辰之の記念館,信州大学国際科学イノベーションセンター,アファンの森をご視察になりました。9月には,第36回全国豊かな海づくり大会にご臨席のため,山形県酒田市及び鶴岡市をご訪問になり,鶴岡市立加茂水族館,松ヶ岡開墾場をご視察になりました。10月には,第40回国際外科学会世界総会の開会式,レセプションご臨席のため京都府をご訪問になり,その折,賀茂御祖神社,賀茂別雷神社をご参拝,京都国立博物館及び京都府立医科大学をご視察,京都御所の曝凉ばくりょうをご覧になったほか,宮内庁職員による両陛下傘寿奉祝茶会に臨まれました。

平成25年からお始めになった私的ご旅行では,11月,皇后さまと愛知県及び長野県をご訪問になり,愛知県では江戸時代に築造された日本有数の農業用ため池で,世界かんがい施設遺産にも登録されている犬山市の入鹿池を,また,帰路には小牧市のメナード美術館にお立ち寄りになりました。長野県では,戦前,旧満州に最も多くの開拓団員を送り出した長野県の南信州阿智村に建設された「満蒙開拓平和記念館」をお訪ねになり,旧満州からの引揚者3名から話をお聴きになりました。また,47年ぶりのご訪問となった飯田市では,天龍峡をご覧になった後,昭和22年の「飯田大火」の復興過程で,当時の飯田東中学校の生徒たちの提案により,防火帯道路に植えられ,育てられてきた「りんご並木」で飯田東中学校の生徒たちによる収穫作業をご覧になり,お帰りがけには生徒たちによる「りんご並木Forever(フォーエバー)」の合唱をお聴きになりました。

ご静養としては,両陛下で葉山御用邸,御料牧場及び那須御用邸にお出ましになりました。御料牧場では,ご滞在中に農林水産祭天皇杯を受賞した畜産農家のハム工房をご訪問になり,那須御用邸では,例年どおり農家をご訪問になったほか,陛下のお考えからご即位20年の機会に御用邸用地の一部を宮内庁から環境省に移管して整備された「那須平成の森」を散策されました。8月下旬は,皇后さまとご一緒に長野県軽井沢町,群馬県草津町でお過ごしになりました。

私的ご旅行を含む地方へのお出ましは,ご静養のための御用邸,御料牧場等へのお出ましを除き,1府10県21市9町3村でした。

都内の行幸啓としては,国会開会式,全国戦没者追悼式,恒例となっている日本国際賞,日本芸術院賞,日本学士院賞,国際生物学賞の授賞式などの式典にお出ましになったほか,4月に春のお彼岸に合わせて昭和天皇の武蔵野陵,香淳皇后の武蔵野東陵をご参拝になり,帰路,福生市の玉川上水と酒造場をご視察になりました。これにより,両陛下は都内の23区及び多摩地方の全ての市町村を訪問されたことになります。また5月には,学習院中等科ご入学後の昭和21年5月から3年半余をお過ごしになった小金井市をご訪問になり,終戦直後の様子を思い出されながら,東宮御仮寓所の跡地及び周辺を整備した江戸東京たてもの園や小金井公園を散策された後,当時から続く農家をご訪問になりました。かつて小金井におけるご生活の様子を折々に陛下からお伺いになっていらした皇后さまは,昭和49年宮中の月次歌会のお題「麦の穂」に対し,「思ひゑがく小金井の里麦の穂揺れ少年の日の君立ち給ふ」という御み歌をご詠進になっています。

これら都内へのお出ましは41回を数えました。

外国との関係では,この10月にベルギー国国王陛下及び王妃陛下を国賓としてお迎えになり,初日に歓迎行事,ご会見,宮中晩餐に臨まれ,翌日にベルギー国メッヘレン市と姉妹都市である茨城県結城市をご案内,3日目にはベルギー国国王王妃両陛下ご主催の答礼コンサートにお出ましになり,その後,別室にてお別れのご挨拶をなさいました。翌11月末にはシンガポール国大統領閣下及び令夫人を国賓としてお迎えになり,歓迎行事,ご会見に臨まれ,宮中晩餐をお催しになったほか,離京前に改めてお別れのご挨拶のため迎賓館赤坂離宮をご訪問になりました。

国賓以外のご接遇では,ジンバブエ国大統領閣下及び令夫人とのご会見,午餐に臨まれたほか,フィンランド国大統領閣下及び令夫人,東ティモール国大統領閣下及び令夫人,ウクライナ国大統領閣下及び令夫人,パナマ国大統領閣下及び令夫人,クウェート国首相,ガーナ国大統領閣下及び令夫人,サウジアラビア国副皇太子殿下,ブラジル国大統領閣下,カザフスタン国大統領閣下,ドイツ国大統領閣下及びシャート女史とご会見になりました。これまで公式実務訪問賓客としてご来日の元首については,ご会見・午餐を催されてきましたが,本年5月以降はご公務の見直しにより,ご会見のみとなりました。

パレスチナ大統領,ノルウェー国国会議長,アンゴラ国国会議長,ハンガリー国国会議長夫妻,カナダ国首相夫妻,救世軍万国総督夫妻,国際オリンピック委員会会長,国際パラリンピック委員会会長夫妻,ミャンマー国国家最高顧問及びインド国首相をご引見になりました。

さらに,スウェーデン国国王陛下を御所でのご夕餐に,パラオ国大統領閣下,シンガポール国首相夫妻及びヨルダン国国王陛下,タイ国王女チュラポン殿下を御所でのご昼餐に,ブータン国前王妃陛下及び王妹殿下,赤十字国際委員会総裁,レソト国国王陛下及び王妃陛下を御所でのお茶に,第14回G7下院議長会議に出席する各国下院議長等を宮殿での茶会に,それぞれお招きになりました。

また,10月,半世紀以上にわたる長いご親交のあったタイ国プミポン・アドゥンヤデート国王陛下崩御の報に接せられた折には,深くお悲しみになり,直ちにシリキット王妃陛下にご弔意をお伝えになるとともに,侍従長をご弔問使として在京タイ国大使館に差し遣わされました。両陛下にはお気持ちとして3日間の喪に服されました。

在京外交団とは,この1年間に着任後間もない15か国の大使夫妻をお茶に,着任後3年を経過した20か国の大使夫妻を午餐にお招きになり,離任する20か国の大使夫妻をご引見になりました。日本から赴任する50か国の大使夫妻にも出発前にお会いになり,帰国した11か国の大使夫妻をお茶に招いて任地の様子をお聴きになりました。

10月27日,昨年百歳をお迎えになった崇仁親王殿下が薨去されました。両陛下はお悲しみのうちに7日間の喪に服され,ご遺族と悲しみを共にされました。ご生前中の6月には聖路加国際病院に殿下をお見舞いになりましたが,薨去後は4回にわたり三笠宮邸を訪問されたほか,斂葬の儀の後にご拝礼のため豊島岡墓地へ行幸啓になりました。また,ご高齢であられるご服喪中の三笠宮妃殿下を案じられ,11月末に両陛下でお見舞いに三笠宮邸をご訪問になりました。

宮中祭祀については,恒例の祭祀等に19回お出ましになり,天長祭及び歳旦祭はご代拝とされました。また,新嘗祭神嘉殿の儀につきましては昨年同様,夕よいの儀はお出ましの時間を短縮して儀式の半ばより出御され,暁の儀はご健康への影響を考慮して,儀式終了までの間,御所でお慎みになりました。

陛下は今年も例年どおり,皇居内生物学研究所の一画で種籾たねもみのお手まき,お田植えをなさり,お手刈りをなさいました。また,陸稲と粟あわをお子様及びお孫様方とご一緒に種をまかれ,刈り取られました。粟は新嘗祭の折にお手刈りになった水稲と共にその一部をお供えになりました。神嘗祭に際しては,お手植えになった根付きの稲を神宮にお供えになりました。

ご研究に関しては,平成20年に論文を発表された2種類のハゼ類について更に研究をお進めになり,今年2月,前回と同じく秋篠宮殿下を始めとする専門研究者とご一緒に,論文「ハゼ科魚類キヌバリとチャガラの核DNAとミトコンドリアDNAを用いた種分化の解析」をオランダの学術雑誌「GENE」に発表されました。

また,今年8月には,タヌキの食性に関する論文「皇居におけるタヌキの果実採食の長期変動」を国立科学博物館研究報告A類(動物学)に共著でご発表になりました。これは,平成21年1月から平成25年12月までの5年間にわたって,皇居内の同一のタヌキの溜糞場ためふんばで採集した糞ふんに含まれる植物の種子から,タヌキの季節的な果実採食の変動を分析したもので,1か所のタヌキの溜糞場を5年間にわたり継続して調査した研究論文は内外を通じ初めてのものでした。天皇陛下のタヌキに関する論文は,平成20年に「皇居におけるタヌキの食性とその季節変動」を共著で発表されたのに続き2本目となります。

ご健康面では,2月末よりA型インフルエンザによる発熱を伴うお風邪の症状がおありで,2月29日から3月3日までの行事をお取りやめになりました。また,12月にも,発熱を伴うお風邪の症状がおありのため,一部の行事をお取りやめになりました。

12月23日のお誕生日当日は,午前中は御所で侍従職職員から祝賀をお受けになった後,宮殿で皇族方を始め宮内庁職員等による祝賀を5回にわたりお受けになります。また,この間に3回にわたり長和殿ベランダに立たれて国民の参賀にお応えになります。午後からは内閣総理大臣,衆参両院議長,最高裁判所長官の祝賀をお受けになった後,皇族方もお加わりになって,三権の長,閣僚,各界の代表等との祝宴に臨まれます。その後,外交団を招かれての茶会,元側近奉仕者等との茶会,次いでご進講者等との茶会に臨まれます。夕刻には未成年の内親王,親王殿下のご挨拶をお受けになり,夜にはお子様方ご夫妻とお祝御膳を囲まれます。





Press Conference on the occasion of His Majesty's Birthday (2016)


His Majesty's Answers to the Question by the Press on the Occasion of His 83rd Birthday 2016, and the Activities of the Emperor over the Past Year


(Imperial Household Agency Press Club)
Question
This year the Olympic and Paralympic Games took place in Rio de Janeiro. Your Majesty travelled to the Philippines and visited many parts of Japan, including places affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Kumamoto Earthquakes. You also bade farewell to your uncle, the younger brother of Emperor Showa, His Imperial Highness Prince Mikasa, and to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. In August, Your Majesty delivered a message expressing Your thoughts regarding “Your duties as the symbol of the state.”
Would you tell us Your thoughts and impressions as You look back on the last 12 months?


Answer


Looking back on the past 12 months since my last birthday, the first thing that comes to mind is the visit to the Philippines with the Empress at the end of January on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between our two countries. We received a most gracious welcome and hospitality from His Excellency President Benigno Aquino III and we were warmly welcomed by the people of the Philippines at all of the places that we visited. It was almost 54 years since we first visited the Philippines as a representative of Emperor Showa, and I recalled that visit with fondness. At that time, we had been told that sentiments towards Japan were still bitter, but when we landed at the airport and walked down the boarding ramp, I recalled we were welcomed with warm smiles by then President Diosdado Pangan Macapagal and the First Lady.

During our stay this time, we had the opportunity to meet the Filipino students and trainees who had been in Japan in recent years. We also observed the young Filipino people taking Japanese language lessons in the hope of one day aiding the people of Japan as nurses and care workers. I was happy to see how our bilateral relations have greatly progressed over the last 54 years.

The friendly relations that our two countries enjoy today have been built over the course of many years and on the sacrifices of numerous Filipino and Japanese people who lost their lives in World War II. During this visit, I was grateful that we had the opportunity to travel to the sites where the war dead of both countries rest and pray for the repose of their souls. It was also a deeply moving experience for us to meet second-generation Japanese-Filipinos who have lived through many hardships in the years since the end of the war.

I pray that the friendly relations between Japan and the Philippines will continue to deepen further.

Five full years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. The Empress and I visited affected areas in Fukushima and Miyagi Prefectures in March and in Iwate Prefecture in September, where we were able to observe the effort and progress made towards reconstruction, as well as the harsh reality of difficult conditions still faced by the people. In the town of Otsuchi in Iwate Prefecture, we stayed at the same lodging where we stayed 19 years ago but learned that the beach right in front of the hotel where we had then walked, admiring the Montauk daisies in bloom, was no longer there, having submerged in the earthquake, and this brought home to me the sheer magnitude and terror of natural forces.

In the past five years since the disaster, everyone has made continuous efforts together toward reconstruction, resulting in much progress. At the same time, however, many people still live under difficult conditions, and I hope those people can return to their normal lives as soon as possible. I feel it is important that the hearts and thoughts of everyone be with the afflicted and that everyone continue to work hand in hand towards that end.

In April, the Kumamoto Earthquakes struck. The tremor on the evening of April 14 caused extensive damage, but the main quake in the early hours of April 16 wreaked even greater damage. This was followed by a long period of aftershocks, and I can only imagine how anxious the people must have felt.

The Empress and I visited the affected areas in May. While it broke my heart to see the extent of the damage, I was also touched to see how the people were helping one another as they strove to overcome adversity together.

Also this year, heavy rains brought on by Typhoon 10 (Typhoon Lionrock) hit Iwate and Hokkaido Prefectures at the end of August, and tragically many people, including those living in a nursing home for the elderly, lost their lives.

At times of disasters like these, along with individuals and various groups, municipalities across Japan, from prefectures to towns and villages, have come to offer their support to afflicted areas in recent years. It makes me glad to see that this is leading to more exchanges between different regions throughout the country.

In August, in consultation with the Cabinet Office, I delivered a message expressing what has been on my mind over the last few years, reflecting on my years as the Emperor and contemplating on my role and my duties as the Emperor in the days to come. I am profoundly grateful that many people have lent an ear to my words and are giving sincere thought to the matter in their respective positions.

The Olympic and Paralympic Games took place in Rio de Janeiro in August and September. Thanks to the time difference, I was able to enjoy seeing Japanese athletes competing on television every morning. I was happy that many people were interested in the Paralympics as much as in the Olympics.

In mid-October, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand passed away. I first met the King in 1963 on his visit to Japan as a state guest. The following year, when the Empress and I visited Thailand as a representative of Emperor Showa, His Majesty, together with Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, welcomed us warmly and escorted us to Chiang Mai and other provincial towns. I fondly recall the many occasions over the years on which we deepened our friendship, such as when the Empress and I attended the 60th anniversary celebrations of his accession to the throne.

In late October, His Imperial Highness Prince Mikasa passed away. I am reminded of how, at this year’s New Year Greeting, he was waving his hand in response to the well-wishers. The Prince was one of the Imperial Family members who had experienced World War II firsthand, and it meant much to me to be able to hear him talk of his experience.

In mid-November, the Empress and I took a private trip to the village of Achi in Nagano Prefecture, where we visited the Manmo Kaitaku Heiwa Kinenkan (peace memorial museum on the settlement of Manchuria and Inner Mongolia). At the museum, we listened to the people who were repatriated from Manchuria, allowing us to deepen our understanding of the harsh experience of those who were involved in settling Manchuria and Inner Mongolia.

During this trip, we also visited the city of Iida, where two-thirds of the central area burned down in the great fire of 1947. In the process of reconstruction, the city was rezoned to prevent fires from spreading, a spacious avenue was created as a firebreak, and we were told that junior high school students at the time planted apple trees as a symbol of recovery along that road. So I learned that in the late 1940s, soon after the end of the war, creating something better than before in post-disaster reconstruction, a concept known today as “build back better,” was already being practiced.

In December, Dr. Yoshinori Osumi was awarded the Nobel Prize for his years of research on autophagy. I hope that Dr. Osumi, who just spent a busy week in wintry Sweden, will now be able to take some rest and then return to the quiet life as a researcher that he desires.

As the end of the year approaches, I look back over the past year and sincerely hope that next year will be a good year for all the people.




The Activities of His Majesty the Emperor over the Past Year


Today His Majesty the Emperor celebrates His 83rd birthday in good health.

In August, His Majesty delivered a video message to the Japanese people conveying His thoughts on His duties as the symbol of the State. With regard to His official duties of state, this year His Majesty attended the accreditation of 97 officials including 10 Ministers of State, 20 Vice Ministers, 48 Ambassadors, and other senior officials, the presentation of Letters of Credentials by 36 newly arrived foreign ambassadors, and the awards and decoration ceremonies for the Order of the Grand Cordon and the Order of Culture. He signed or affixed His official seal to a total of 1,031 documents submitted by the Cabinet. At the Imperial Palace and the Imperial Residence, His Majesty met with a number of people, including the recipients of the Order of Culture and Persons of Cultural Merit, recipients of various orders, medals of honor, and awards, members of the Japan Academy, members of the Japan Art Academy, persons newly recognized for maintaining Japan’s intangible cultural properties and their spouses, representatives of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers returning from their overseas posts, representatives of the youth Volunteers for Nikkei Communities, Senior Overseas Volunteers, and senior Volunteers for Nikkei Communities, recipients of the Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship, established to commemorate Their Majesties’ wedding, recipients of the MIDORI Academic Prize and recipients of the Prime Minister’s commendations for contribution to the National Greening Campaign. His Majesty expressed His appreciation to those individuals and groups, and offered them congratulations on a total of 75 occasions.

His Majesty also heard eight lectures from administrative vice-ministers of government ministries and agencies and the Director-General of the Foreign Policy Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He received explanatory briefings on 44 occasions regarding His official visits and attendances at various events. He also met with a total of 7,921 members of the Palace voluntary workforce on 51 occasions. Their Majesties canceled the Imperial Garden Party and Their meeting with the offerers of first-crop rice for the Niinamesai ritual as They were in mourning following the demise of His Imperial Highness Prince Mikasa.

In May of this year, a review of Their Majesties’ official duties was conducted. Of the events held at the Imperial Palace and the Imperial Residence, it was decided to discontinue, starting this fiscal year, Their regular audiences with heads of national and regional administrative organs and others visiting Tokyo from across the country for national conferences, such as the heads and other officials of prefectural police headquarters, the superintendent public prosecutors, chief public prosecutors and others participating in the National Chief Public Prosecutors Meeting, the chiefs of district courts and family courts, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and others attending the Self-Defense Forces Executive Staff Meeting, and the city council chairpersons and others attending the General Meeting of the National Association of Chairpersons of City Councils. Discussions and luncheons with the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and prefectural governors were also discontinued, as Their Majesties meet with many governors during Their visits around the country. Their Majesties have passed on to His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince the biennial audience with junior high school principals attending the General Assembly of the National Association of Junior High School Principals and elementary school principals attending the Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Association of Elementary School Principals, and the audience with the members of the Japan Disaster Relief Team and the International Peace Cooperation Corps, which have been held on an irregular basis.

In January of this year, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the Republic of the Philippines and Japan, Their Majesties made a state visit to the country for international goodwill at the invitation of His Excellency President Benigno S. Aquino III. This was Their first visit to the Philippines in 54 years since They visited the country as the representative of Emperor Showa in 1962. As State Guests, Their Majesties attended the welcoming ceremony, met with the President, and attended the state banquet held in Their honour. They visited the monument of Dr. José Rizal, a national hero of the Philippines, and deepened Their friendly relations with many Filipino people including those who had studied or trained in Japan, and those studying Japanese now with a view to eventually working in Japan as care workers or nurses. They also met members of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers and Japanese expatriates residing in the Philippines and visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the largest agricultural experiment and research institution in Asia.

After paying Their respects at the Heroes’ Cemetery entombing the Filipino war dead, Their Majesties paid Their respects at the monument at Caliraya, on the island of Luzon, dedicated to the souls of the Japanese war dead who perished in the Philippines. This was Their third visit to pay Their respects at monuments to the Japanese war dead erected overseas, following the Monument of the War Dead in the Mid-Pacific on the island of Saipan, which They visited in 2005, the 60th year since the end of World War II, and the Monument of the War Dead in the Western Pacific on the island of Peleliu of the Republic of Palau, which They visited last year, the 70th anniversary of the end of the war. Prior to Their visit to the Philippines, They invited to the Imperial Palace families of Japanese soldiers who lost their lives in the Philippines during the war. At the monument in Luzon as well, They spoke with many of the bereaved families who had gathered there and offered Their words of sympathy and comfort for the hardships they had suffered.

With regard to the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011, His Majesty, together with Her Majesty the Empress, attended in Tokyo the Memorial Service to Commemorate the Fifth Anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake in March. Also in March, They traveled to Fukushima and Miyagi Prefectures to observe the status of the recovery efforts. In Fukushima Prefecture They visited the Miharu branch office of Katsurao village, established in Miharu town, where They heard about the status of recovery efforts and preparations to return to the village from the mayor and residents of Katsurao village. Their Majesties offered Their appreciation to the mayor of Miharu village and others for supporting the people of Katsurao village. In Miyagi Prefecture They visited Onagawa town, where They were briefed by the mayor about the status of recovery efforts and visited a shopping complex and a seafood processing plant, both of which were reconstructed after the massive earthquake and tsunami. During the visit, They stopped by the Fisheries Centre of Ishinomaki city, where They paid Their respects at a cenotaph erected to commemorate the members of the fishing industry who lost their lives in the disaster, after which They conversed with the head of JF Miyagi Prefectural Fisheries Cooperative. In Sendai city, They visited Tohoku University and viewed an exhibition on disaster and medical care.

At the end of September, Their Majesties visited Iwate Prefecture for five days for the 71st National Sports Festival. Prior to attending the festival events in the cities of Kitakami and Morioka, They traveled about 110 kilometers each way by car to visit the coastal towns of Otsuchi and Yamada to observe the status of recovery efforts from the Great East Japan Earthquake. After receiving briefings from the mayors of both towns, They visited the reconstructed Otsuchi Fish Market and the Yamada Fure-ai Centre, built as a symbol of the town’s recovery. Along the way to these towns, in the cities of Tono and Kamaishi, They received briefings from the mayors and chairpersons of the town councils on the status of backup support and recovery efforts since Their last visit.

Following the Kumamoto earthquakes in April, which resulted in many casualties and forced numerous people to evacuate their homes, the morning after the disaster, Their Majesties conveyed to the governor of Kumamoto Prefecture, through the Grand Chamberlain, Their condolences to those who lost their lives, sympathies for those affected, and appreciation for those engaged in disaster control. The following month in May, They took a day trip to the affected areas. On Their arrival in Kumamoto, Their Majesties took a Self-Defense Forces helicopter to Minami-aso town and Mashiki town, where They visited evacuation centres to offer comfort to those staying there. They also met with those engaged in disaster response and expressed Their appreciation for their hard work.

In August, Typhoon 10 (Typhoon Lionrock) hit Iwate and Hokkaido Prefectures, where heavy rains caused flooding and resulted in many casualties, and many people were forced to evacuate. Their Majesties conveyed Their condolences and sympathies to the governors of those prefectures through the Grand Chamberlain.

In April of this year, on the occasion of the ceremonies to honour the 2,600th anniversary of the demise of Emperor Jinmu, Their Majesties paid Their respects at the Imperial Mausoleum of Emperor Jinmu and Kashihara Shrine in Nara Prefecture. While there, They also visited the Archaeological Institute of Kashihara, the Treasure Repository of Kashihara Shrine, Takamatsuzuka Tomb, and Takamatsuzuka Mural Hall. In June, They traveled to Nagano Prefecture to attend the 67th National Arbor Day Festival. During Their stay, They invited to Their lodging some residents of Saka-e village who were afflicted by the 2011 northern Nagano Prefecture earthquake and conversed with them. They also visited the Takano Tatsuyuki Memorial Hall dedicated to the lyricist of the well-known song “Furusato,” or hometown, the International Centre for Science and Innovation at Shinshu University, and Afan Woodland. In September, They visited the cities of Sakata and Tsuruoka in Yamagata Prefecture to attend the 36th National Convention for the Development of an Abundantly Productive Sea. Their itinerary also included Tsuruoka Municipal Kamo Aquarium and Matsugaoka Kaikonjo (reclamation field), both in Tsuruoka city. In October, Their Majesties traveled to Kyoto Prefecture to attend the opening ceremony and reception of the 40th World Congress of the International College of Surgeons. While there, They paid Their respects at Shimogamo Shrine and Kamigamo Shrine, visited Kyoto National Museum and the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, viewed the airing of treasures at Kyoto Imperial Palace, and attended a tea held by the Imperial Household Agency staff to celebrate Their Majesties’ sanju (80th birthdays).

With regard to the private trips which Their Majesties started taking in 2013, Their Majesties visited Aichi and Nagano Prefectures in November. In the city of Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, They visited Lake Iruka, one of the largest agricultural reservoirs in Japan. It was constructed during the Edo period and is included in the World List of Heritage Irrigation Structures of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage. On Their way back to Tokyo, They visited the Menard Museum of Art in Komaki City. In Nagano prefecture, Their Majesties visited Manmo Kaitaku Heiwa Kinenkan (peace memorial museum on the settlement of Manchuria and Inner Mongolia), built in the village of Achi in southern Nagano, where They conversed with three of the returnees from Manchuria. In the years prior to World War II, the village sent off more settlers to Manchuria than anywhere else. In the city of Iida, Nagano Prefecture, which They visited for the first time in 47 years, Their Majesties viewed Tenryu Gorge, followed by a visit to a firebreak road lined with apple trees, which were planted at the proposal of students of Iida Higashi Junior High School as the city recovered from the “Great Iida Fire” of 1947. There They observed the current students harvesting apples. When They were leaving, the students sang for Them the song “Ringo Namiki Forever,” or “apple-tree-lined road forever.”

For rest and recuperation, Their Majesties visited the Hayama Imperial Villa, the Imperial Stock Farm, and the Nasu Imperial Villa. While staying at the Imperial Stock Farm, They visited the ham factory of a livestock farm that won the Emperor’s Prize in the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Festival. During Their stay at the Nasu Imperial Villa, Their Majesties visited local farms, as They have in other years. They also took a stroll in the Nasu Heisei-no-Mori forest, which was created by transferring part of the Imperial Villa grounds from the Imperial Household Agency to the purview of the Ministry of the Environment on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Enthronement in accordance with His Majesty’s wishes, and conversed with the visitors who were there at the time. Their Majesties spent late August in the towns of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, and Kusatsu, Gunma Prefecture.

During the past year, Their Majesties made regional visits, both official and private, to twenty-one cities, nine towns, and three villages in eleven prefectures in all, excluding Their visits to the Imperial Villas, the Imperial Stock Farm, and other locations for rest and recuperation.

As part of His official duties, His Majesty made visits in and around Tokyo on 41 occasions, including the opening of the National Diet and the Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead and His customary attendance at the award ceremonies for the Japan Prize, the Japan Art Academy Award, the Japan Academy Prize, and the International Prize for Biology. In April, Their Majesties paid Their respects at the mausoleums of Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun for the spring higan (week centred around the spring equinox when people pay their respects to their ancestors), and on that occasion They visited the Tamagawa Aqueduct and a sake brewery in Fussa city. With this visit, Their Majesties have now visited all the municipalities in western Tokyo, as well as all 23 special wards of Tokyo. In May Their Majesties visited the city of Koganei in Tokyo, where His Majesty lived for three and a half years from May 1946 soon after enrolling in Gakushuin Boys’ Junior High School. Their Majesties reminisced about the period immediately following the end of the war as They strolled through the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum and Koganei Park, which were established on the site of the Crown Prince’s temporary residence and its surroundings. They then stopped by a farm which has been there since that time. Her Majesty the Empress, having heard stories of His Majesty’s life in Koganei from time to time, presented a waka poem in 1974 to the Palace tsukinami no utakai, or monthly waka presentation, under the given title, “Ears of Wheat”:

     Omoi egaku          In my mind’s eye

     Koganei no sato        I see ears of wheat swaying

     Mugi no ho yure       And You, a young boy

     Shonen no hi no       Standing there in its midst

     Kimi tachitamou.       In Koganei village.

With regard to Japan’s relations with other countries, Their Majesties welcomed as state guests to Japan Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians in October this year. On the first day, Their Majesties attended the welcoming ceremony, had a meeting, and held a banquet at the Palace for the guests. On the next day, They escorted Their guests to the city of Yuki in Ibaraki Prefecture, which is a sister city of the city of Mechelen in Belgium, and on the third day, They attended a reciprocal concert hosted by Their royal guests, after which They bid farewell to them in a separate room, privately. At the end of November, Their Majesties welcomed as state guests to Japan His Excellency President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Her Excellency Mrs. Mary Tan of Singapore. Their Majesties attended the welcoming ceremony, had a meeting, and held a banquet at the Palace for the guests and, before the guests’ departure from Tokyo, They visited the State Guest House, Akasaka Detached Palace, to bid them farewell.

As for guests other than state guests, Their Majesties met and held a luncheon for His Excellency President Robert Gabriel Mugabe and the First Lady of Zimbabwe. They also met His Excellency President Sauli Niinistö and the First Lady of Finland, His Excellency President Taur Matan Ruak and the First Lady of Timor-Leste, His Excellency President Petro Poroshenko and the First Lady of Ukraine, His Excellency President Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez and the First Lady of Panama, His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad AL-Sabah, Prime Minister of Kuwait, His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama and the First Lady of Ghana, His Royal Highness Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, His Excellency President Michel Miguel Elias Temer Lulia of Brazil, His Excellency President Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, and His Excellency President Joachim Gauck of Germany and Ms. Daniela Schadt. Their Majesties have hitherto received foreign heads of state on official working visits by holding meetings and hosting luncheons for them, but since May, following adjustments to Their official duties, They have only held meetings.

Their Majesties received in audience President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine, the President of the Storting (Parliament) of Norway Mr. Olemic Thommessen, the National Assembly Speaker of Angola Mr. Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary Mr. László Kövér and Ms. Mária Bekk, the Right Honourable Prime Minister of Canada Mr. Justin Trudeau and Mrs. Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau, the General of the Salvation Army Mr. André Cox and Mrs. Silvia Cox, the President of the International Olympic Committee Mr. Thomas Bach, the President of the International Paralympic Committee Sir Philip Craven, State Counsellor of Myanmar Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, and His Excellency Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi.

At the Imperial Residence, Their Majesties hosted a dinner for His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and luncheons for His Excellency President Tommy E. Remengesau Jr. of Palau, for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Ms. Ho Ching of Singapore, and for Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Walailak of Thailand. They held teas at the Imperial Residence for Her Majesty Queen Mother Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck and Her Royal Highness Princess Dechen Yangzom Wangchuck of Bhutan, for the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Dr. Peter Maurer, and Their Majesties King Letsie III and Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso of Lesotho. His Majesty also held a tea at the Imperial Palace for speakers of the lower houses of the G7 countries who were visiting Japan to attend the 14th G7 Speakers’ Meeting.

In October, upon learning of the demise of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, with whom They enjoyed a long and close relationship spanning more than half a century, Their Majesties were deeply saddened and immediately conveyed Their condolences to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit and sent the Chief Chamberlain to the Royal Thai Embassy in Tokyo as Their envoy of condolence. Their Majesties went into mourning for three days as a token of Their sentiments.

As for ties with the diplomatic corps in Tokyo, during the past year Their Majesties invited to tea newly appointed foreign ambassadors representing 15 countries after the presentation of the Letters of Credentials, along with their spouses; held luncheons for ambassadors representing 20 countries who had been in Japan for more than three years, together with their spouses; and gave farewell audiences to ambassadors from 20 countries and their spouses upon completion of their assignments in Japan. His Majesty, together with Her Majesty, also met with newly appointed Japanese ambassadors and their spouses departing for overseas posts in 50 countries and invited to tea Japanese ambassadors and their spouses returning to Japan from 11 countries, and listened to the accounts of their places of assignment.

His Imperial Highness Prince Mikasa, who celebrated his 100th birthday last year, passed away on October 27. In deep sorrow, Their Majesties went into mourning for seven days, sharing in the grief of the bereaved family. Their Majesties visited His Imperial Highness in June at St. Luke’s International Hospital where he was receiving treatment, and in the period immediately following his passing, They visited his home four times and, after the funeral rites, They paid an official visit to Toshimagaoka Cemetery. Concerned about the aging Imperial Highness Princess Mikasa, who is in mourning, Their Majesties visited her at her residence at the end of November.

As for the ritual ceremonies of the Imperial Palace, His Majesty attended 19 annual ceremonies, while two ceremonies, Tenchosai and Saitansai, were handled by court officials standing in His place. In this year’s Niinamesai Shinkaden-no-gi ceremony, His Majesty took part in the Evening Ritual for a shorter length of time, attending the ceremony halfway through the ritual, as He did last year. For the Morning Ritual, in consideration of His Majesty’s health, His Majesty remained in the Imperial Residence for the duration of the ceremony.

As He does every year, His Majesty himself hand-sowed seed rice, transplanted it, and hand-reaped the grain in the paddy field of the Biological Laboratory on the Imperial Palace grounds. Together with His children and grandchildren, He also sowed upland rice and millet and later harvested the grain. Some of the millet was added to the hand-reaped crop of rice used as an offering in the Niinamesai ritual. His Majesty also made an offering of rice plants with roots still attached, which He had planted, to the Ise Shrine on the occasion of the Kannamesai ritual there.

As for His research, His Majesty has further advanced His study of two gobioid species which was the subject of a paper that He co-authored in 2008. In February of this year, His Majesty published in Gene , the Dutch scientific journal, another paper titled “Speciation of two gobioid species, Pterogobius elapoides and Pterogobius zonoleucus revealed by multi-locus nuclear and mitochondrial DNA analyses,” which, as with the previous paper, He jointly wrote with a number of scholars including His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino.

His Majesty also co-authored a paper on the food habits of Japanese raccoon dogs under the title “Long-term trends in food habits of the raccoon dog, Nyctereutes viverrinus, in the Imperial Palace, Tokyo,” in August in the Bulletin of the National Museum of Nature and Science, Series A (Zoology). This paper reported on the results of a study conducted over a five-year period from January 2009 to December 2013, in which the feces of raccoon dogs living in the Imperial Palace grounds were collected at a single latrine and used to analyze the seasonal variations in the food habits of raccoon dogs based on plant seeds found in the feces. It was the first academic paper both in Japan and worldwide to examine the same raccoon dog latrine over a five-year period. It was the second paper on raccoon dogs by His Majesty, the first being “Food habits of the raccoon dog, Nyctereutes viverrinus, in the Imperial Palace, Tokyo, and seasonal changes,” which He co-authored in 2008.

With regard to His Majesty’s health, He showed cold symptoms accompanied by a fever, caused by the influenza A virus, at the end of February, and His attendance at events were canceled from February 29 to March 3. He also showed cold symptoms accompanied by a fever in December, and His attendance at some events were canceled.

On December 23, His Majesty’s birthday, He will receive felicitations from members of the staff of the Board of Chamberlains in the morning. Following this, His Majesty will attend five separate events at the Imperial Palace to receive felicitations from the members of the Imperial Family, the staff of the Imperial Household Agency, and others. During the day, His Majesty will appear on the balcony of the Chowa-den three times to receive congratulations from the public. In the afternoon, He will receive felicitations from the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the House of Councillors, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. After this He will be joined by other members of the Imperial Family at a celebratory luncheon attended by the heads of the three powers, member of the Cabinet, and representatives of various fields. This will be followed by tea with members of the diplomatic corps, tea with former senior officials of the Imperial Household Agency, and tea with lecturers and other guests. In the evening, He will receive birthday greetings from the young Prince and Princess. Later, His Majesty will sit down to a celebratory birthday dinner with Her Majesty, the children, and their spouses.