Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter Princess Aiko arrive at Ryogoku Kokugikan on Jan 18 in Sumida Ward, Tokyo.
On January 17, marking the 31st anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, Their Majesties Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, together with their daughter Princess Aiko, observed a moment of silence at the Imperial Palace. They prayed that the coming year would pass without natural disasters. Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko also offered silent prayers at their residence, the Sento Imperial Residence in Minato Ward, Tokyo.
New Year Basho
On January 18, members of the Imperial Family attended Day 8 of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament (New Year Basho) at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Sumida Ward. The Emperor, the Empress, who wore a traditional kimono, and Princess Aiko were greeted with warm applause as they entered the second-floor imperial box.
The three are known as enthusiastic sumo fans and also watch matches on television. This was their first visit to the Kokugikan together in six years. They followed the bouts closely and marked the results on their score sheets.
After the final match, they spoke with Hakkaku, chairman of the Japan Sumo Association and a former yokozuna known as Hokutoumi, as well as with yokozuna and ozeki wrestlers. They discussed a wide range of topics, including the growing international presence of sumo, such as the planned Paris Sumo Tournament in 2026, and the wrestlers' daily training routines.
During their official visit to Mongolia in July 2025, the Emperor and Empress met former yokozuna Asashoryu, who is the uncle of wrestler Hoshoryu. The Emperor fondly recalled that during his 2007 visit to Mongolia as Crown Prince, he had met Hoshoryu when the wrestler was still a young child.
Star of Hope
At the Kokugikan, the Empress offered words of encouragement to Onosato, a wrestler from Ishikawa Prefecture, which was heavily affected by the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake. She told him, "Your success is giving encouragement to the people of Ishikawa."
Princess Aiko added, "I have heard from people in your hometown that you are a star of hope."
To Kotozakura, who comes from a renowned sumo family with a former yokozuna grandfather and a former sekiwake father who is also his stablemaster, the Emperor and Empress said, "We watched your grandfather's and father's sumo as well."
To Aonishiki, who is from Ukraine, they said, "We hope peace will come soon [to your country]."
According to Chairman Hakkaku, the Empress remarked, "The impact at the initial charge is incredible," while Princess Aiko said, "It was really fun to watch."
Meeting Ambassadors
On January 21, the Emperor presided over the Ceremony of the Presentation of Credentials for the newly appointed ambassadors of Ukraine and South Korea at the Imperial Palace.
Olympic Send-Off
On January 18, Crown Prince Akishino (Fumihito) and Crown Princess Kiko attended a send-off ceremony in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, for the Japanese delegation to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
In his address, Prince Akishino said, "I hope that all of you can fully demonstrate the results of your daily efforts in competition and deliver wonderful performances. I also hope that each of you will deepen exchanges with people from around the world through sports and help promote international goodwill."
On January 22, their second daughter, Princess Kako, met with young people from Southeast Asian countries who are participating in the "Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program" at the Akasaka East Residence on the Akasaka Estate in Minato Ward, Tokyo.
Princess' Engagements
On January 21, Princess Hitachi (Hanako) attended a New Year's party hosted by the Fondation Maison Franco-Japonaise (Japan–France Foundation) at Meiji Kinenkan in Minato Ward. Prince Hitachi serves as president of the foundation.
Also on the 21st, Princess Tomohito of Mikasa (Nobuko), honorary president of the Japan Building Maintenance Association, visited a Tokyo hotel to attend the association's 60th anniversary ceremony.
On January 16, Princess Takamado (Hisako) visited the Belgian Embassy in Chiyoda Ward to attend an opening event marking the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Belgium.
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: The Sankei Shimbun
