[Japan] Emperor Akihito expresses hopes for united rebuilding effort in New Year's greetings

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko on Sunday received New Year's greetings at the start of 2012 from other imperial family members and foreign ambassadors, while expressing hope in his New Year's message for cooperative and patient efforts to rebuild society after the nation was devastated by a series of natural disasters last year.

Among the well-wishers who extended congratulations to the emperor and the empress at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo were Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, Prince Akishino and his wife Princess Kiko, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and about 200 ambassadors and their spouses.

photos found on twitter

"It is certainly a pleasure to celebrate the New Year together," the emperor said at the ceremony. "At the beginning of the year, I wish for the prosperity of the nation and happiness of the people."

In his New Year message to the Japanese people released earlier in the day, the emperor expressed hope that everyone will cooperate and make patient efforts to rebuild Japanese society after the country was hard hit in 2011 by calamities, such as the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster as well as torrential rains which ravaged parts of western Japan in September.

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Divisions deepen in the Japanese Royal [Imperial] court

The divisions are so sharp that Crown Princess Masako, pleading a cold, did not once visit the ailing Emperor Akihito, who turns 78 this month, as he lay for 19 days in the University of Tokyo hospital with bronchitis.

The estrangement between the emperor and the couple comes in the twilight of Akihito's reign and foreshadows profound changes in the ancient dynasty.

Long rumoured, but seldom confirmed, the troubles of the monarchy last week moved from the gossip pages of weekly magazines into the staid columns of Japan's most respected newspapers.

Prince Akishino and his wife, Princess Kiko

Supporters of the crown prince and princess, who both studied at Oxford, had hopes they would refresh the court with a modern, cosmopolitan touch - hopes that foundered on stony traditions.

Instead, Japan has endured the private anguish of its crown princess, who has been receiving psychological care for eight years and seldom appears at royal engagements. Masako was ostracised by courtiers when she tried to break with protocol, failed to produce a male heir to the throne and then went into seclusion after a nervous collapse.

The royal couple have a daughter, Aiko, 10, who cannot accede to the chrysanthemum throne under a rule barring women. Crown Prince Naruhito has defended his wife against criticism and this has led to an erosion of his stature in the eyes of the emperor and the rest of the family.

Instead, Prince Akishino, his younger brother, has advanced in favour as the father of the male heir to the throne, Prince Hisahito, now aged five. Hisahito's birth 12 years after his parents' last child ended parliamentary discussion of reforms to allow Aiko to succeed.

Now taboos are crumbling after the younger prince spoke publicly about the distance between the brothers.

"Unfortunately, we do not have the opportunity to interact on many occasions with the crown prince and princess," Akishino told a press conference to mark his 46th birthday.

He remarked the imperial grandchildren rarely saw each other, even though they all lived on the leafy Akasaka estate in central Tokyo. "There have only been a limited number of opportunities for our children to be together," Akishino said.

According to the Asahi Shimbun, a leading daily paper, his comments "give the impression that the crown prince and his family have become isolated within the entire imperial family".

It said the elderly emperor saw far more of little Hisahito, who is a passionate collector of insects, and joined him on expeditions in the imperial palace gardens.

"That may reflect a special bond towards Hisahito, who is the first and only grandson," the paper commented, adding: "The emperor and empress ... want to pass on the future to (Akishino's) children ... that is because they feel they can no longer depend on Masako, who rarely makes public appearances due to an 'adjustment disorder'."

source

King Jigme of Bhutan and Queen Jetsun Pema's visit to Japan

Queen Jetsun of Bhutan and Princess Kiko

Her natural beauty and elegance and her colourful traditional outfits have helped Bhutan's Queen Jetsun Pema become the new fashion icon of the Orient.

And the 21-year-old royal, who has become an ambassador for the ethnic style of her tiny Himalayan state, did her people proud on an official visit to Japan.

Jesun and her husband King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck were welcomed to Toyko's Imperial Palace by Crown Prince Naruhito.

The prince was stepping in for his absent father, Emperor Akihito, who has been hospitalised with bronchitis symptoms.

Also at the welcome ceremony was Empress Michiko and her younger son Prince Akishimo and his wife Princess Kiko.

Naruhito's wife, Crown Princess Masako, who has been affected by a stress-induced illness, was absent.

At a banquet in the evening, Naruhito praised the couple's state, saying Japan could learn a lot from the way it was governed.

He was referring to Bhutan's gross national happiness index – which requires the government to measure citizens' contentment rather their material wealth.

King Jigme and his wife, who wed in an elaborate marriage ceremony last October, promised to spend their honeymoon working, and that's exactly what they've done.

Their Japan trip marks pilot's daughter Jetsun's second major trip overseas as queen after the couple visited India.

They are the first state visitors to be welcomed to Japan since the March earthquakes and tsunami.

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Queen Jetsun with Empress Michiko and King Jigme

With Crown Prince Naruhito

King Jigme of Bhutan's speech at the Diet in Japan

[Japan] Prince Naruhito and Princess Masako meet villagers affected by nuclear crisis

Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako meet the villagers evacuating from Fukushima prefecture, the state devastated by the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and radiation crisis, at a refugee center in Misato, Saitama prefecture, north of Tokyo, Japan, Saturday, May 7, 2011.

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[Japan] Princess Masako makes first official public appearance since January

Crown Princess Masako made her first public appearance outside the palace in about eight months during a cultural event held in Tokyo on Oct. 1.

As the Crown Princess arrived at the National Theater in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward together with her husband, Crown Prince Naruhito, she greeted other members of the audience with smiles.

The couple attended the 65th National Arts Festival sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and watched traditional lion dances by Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese performers.

It was her first official appearance since January this year, when she attended a conference held at Tokyo's United Nations University.

from mdn.mainichi.jp

Crown Prince Naruhito Arrives For Four-Day Visit to Ghana

The Crown Prince of Japan, Prince Naruhito, arrived in Accra Sunday for a four-day official visit to Ghana.

The special Japanese airline carrying the Prince and his 30-member delegation touched down at the Kotoka International Airport (Jubilee Lounge) at 4:30 p.m.

Prince Naruhito was met on arrival by the Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama; the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Keiichi Katakami; the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Chris Kpodoh; Health Minister, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor; Minister of Tourism, Mrs Zita Okaikoi; the Mayor of Accra, Mr Alfred Vanderpuije, and other government officials.

Ms Gloria Arkoh, 11, a Class Five pupil of He Cares Academy, Lapaz, presented a bouquet to Prince Naruhito as a symbol of joy on his arrival. There was also drumming and dancing by the Ghana Dance Ensemble of the University of Ghana, Legon.

Prince Naruhito is expected to call on President John Evans Atta Mills at the Castle, Osu, today and the President will later host a lunch in his honour.

The Crown Prince will visit the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park where he will plant a tree and lay a wreath, after which he will visit the Mary Star of the Sea International School, Kasoa, and the Dr Noguchi Laboratory at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

Thereafter, he will meet with Japanese citizens resident in Ghana and former scholarship students. The Japanese Ambassador, Mr Katakami, will host him to a dinner.

On Tuesday, Prince Naruhito will be a special guest at the First Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize Memorial Symposium at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel. He is expected to lay a wreath at the Japanese Overseas Co-operation Volunteers (JOCV) Monument at the La Cemetery.

His final activity would be to visit Akosombo. Prince Naruhito and his delegation will leave for Japan on Wednesday.

Mr Kpodoh described Prince Naruhito’s visit as very significant, as it would further deepen bilateral ties between Ghana and Japan.

He said, Japan had provided financial assistance for Ghana in support of Ghana’s economy and described the visit as a demonstration of the commitment of the Japanese Government to sustain relations between the two countries.

from graphicghana.com

Crown Prince of Japan to visit Ghana in March

Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan will pay a four-day official visit to Ghana from March 7 to 10, the Japanese Ambassador in Ghana announced in Accra on Thursday.

Speaking during a visit to the Ghana News Agency, the Mr. Keiichi Katakami, the Ambassador, said the visit was in response to an invitation from President John Atta Mills.

The visit, which will be his first to sub-Saharan Africa, aims at boosting the bilateral ties between the two countries and will also take him to Kenya.

Mr Katakami said the Crown Prince would call on President Mills, visit the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, the Dr Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Laboratory in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital as well as other places of interest.

"The Crown Prince would also attend the first Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize Memorial Symposium which would be held in Accra on the 9th of March," he said.

The Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Prize was founded in commemoration of Dr Noguchi, a Japanese doctor who died in Accra in 1928 from yellow fever, a disease he was researching into.

Mr Katakami called for more cooperation between the two countries and praised Ghana for its production of quality chocolate which had gained popularity in Japan.

He said his visit was also to seek cooperation between the Embassy and GNA in terms of training programmes.

Nana Appau Duah, the General Manager of the GNA, welcomed any assistance and corporation between the Embassy and the GNA, especially in the area of training.

Mr Boakye-Dankwa Boadi, the Chief Supervisor Editor, expressed his gratitude to the Embassy for its assistance to the Agency including the provision of computers for its regional offices.

from Ghananewsagency.com

Enthusiastic scenes as British royals touch down in the Far East

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall could not have wished for a warmer welcome as they kicked off a ten-day Asian tour in Japan. Students at Tokyo's Keio University were beside themselves with excitement, holding out their hands in the hope of a royal handshake and snapping photos of the couple on mobile phones and cameras.
Earlier in the day, at the city's Haneda airport, the red carpet was rolled out as Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan received the British royals.
The heir to the Chrysanthemum throne was not accompanied by his wife Masako, who has largely stayed out of the public spotlight since her diagnosis with a nervous illness.
An imperial reception is planned, however, as Naruhito's parents, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, have invited Charles and his wife to dinner.

The five-day visit – the Prince's third – also includes an expedition to Nara, an ancient city in the west of the country where some of Japan's most famous Buddhist temples are located, as well as to the central mountain town of Nagano.
Charles will then travel to Brunei and Indonesia, while the Duchess returns to the UK after the Brunei leg of the trip, thus avoiding the stifling heat in Jakarta.

Kindergarten Picnic for Princess Aiko, with her parents Crown Prince Nahurito and Princess Masako