Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako receive lectures at the Kousho Hajime ceremony, joined by their daughter, Princess Aiko, at the Imperial Palace's Matsu no Ma state room on January 9.
On January 9, Their Majesties Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended the annual New Year ceremony known as Kousho Hajime, the Imperial New Year's Lectures. It was held in the Matsu no Ma state room of the Imperial Palace, where they listened to lectures by leading scholars.
Members of the imperial family, including Crown Prince Akishino (Fumihito) and Crown Princess Kiko, were also in attendance. Their son, Prince Hisahito, attended the ceremony for the first time.
Poetry Reading
On January 14, the Utakai Hajime, the Imperial New Year's Poetry Reading Ceremony, was held in the same room under the theme "Light." The Emperor and Empress stood alongside other members of the imperial family, with Prince Hisahito attending for the first time. In addition to poems composed by the imperial family, ten poems selected from 14,600 public submissions were read aloud.
The Emperor composed a poem recalling the sight of the planet Venus he observed just before dawn during the Saitan-sai, the New Year's Day festival, and reflecting his prayers for peace for the nation and its people:
"Gazing at the bright star shining in the sky, I pray for the peace of the new year."
The Empress reflected on her interactions with athletes who competed in the 2025 Tokyo Deaflympics, expressing her hope for a society in which people support one another regardless of disability:
"With medals around their necks and bright smiles, I convey words of celebration to the athletes through sign language."
Princess Aiko, Their Majesties' daughter, read a poem on behalf of the imperial family. It reflected on an official visit to Laos in 2025, where she observed local students studying the Japanese language and culture:
"The bright voices of Lao children learning Japanese fill the classroom."
Prince Hisahito composed a poem inspired by watching dragonflies up close on summer evenings at the Akasaka Imperial Grounds in Minato Ward, Tokyo:
"In the dim twilight, dragonflies dart swiftly over the bridge, their blue forms vivid against the sky."
Meeting Contributors
After the ceremony, Their Majesties met with the contributors whose poems were selected. The Emperor asked a company executive from Aomori Prefecture, who had written about his experiences during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, questions such as, "How long did the power outage last?"
The Empress spoke with a part-time high school lecturer from Ibaraki Prefecture whose poem described modern classrooms and online lessons, where chalk is no longer used.
Traffic Safety Campaign Event
On the afternoon of the same day, Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko attended the 66th Central Meeting of the National Traffic Safety Campaign at a hall in Tokyo. In his address, the Crown Prince said:
"Each of us should deeply recognize the value of life and the seriousness of even a single traffic accident. Drivers must be mindful of their responsibilities, and pedestrians must also take care to avoid accidents."
Other Imperial Engagements
On January 11, Princess Nobuko, Princess Tomohito of Mikasa, attended the New Year's kagami-biraki ceremony at the Kodokan's new hall in Bunkyo Ward.
Princess Akiko of Mikasa attended a ceremony hosted by the Association for Promoting the National Costume Culture of Japan at a hotel in Tokyo on January 10, where she delivered a lecture. Her late grandmother, Princess Yuriko of Mikasa, served as the association's honorary president from 1979 to 2010.
As honorary president of the Japan Rugby Football Union, Princess Akiko attended the final of the 62nd All-Japan University Rugby Championship at the National Stadium in Shinjuku on January 11.
Princess Takamado (Hisako), honorary president of the Japan Football Association, visited the National Stadium on January 12 to watch the final of the 104th All-Japan High School Soccer Tournament.
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: The Sankei Shimbun
