Japan ( Tokyo) Japan’s Imperial couple have celebrated the opening of national culture festivals on the final day of their three-day visit to Nagasaki Prefecture.
The southwestern prefecture is hosting this year’s National Cultural Festival, which provides people with opportunities to showcase what they have accomplished in their daily cultural activities. The festival, along with the National Arts and Culture Festival for Persons with Disabilities, will run through November 30.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended the opening ceremony of the two festivals at a hall in Sasebo City on Sunday.
In his address, the Emperor said it is very significant that Nagasaki is holding the festivals 80 years after the atomic bombing, with people from across the nation engaged in cultural activities. He expressed his deep respect for the efforts of people involved in the events.
The Emperor and Empress applauded performances of songs, dances and a drama with video images. The main theme was Nagasaki’s history and its yearning for peace.
They later spoke to the performers, including Takada Kenshiro, a high-school student who is acting as a “peace messenger.” The Emperor encouraged him to continue his activity.
The Imperial couple are scheduled to return to Tokyo on Sunday night.
Their daughter, Princess Aiko, accompanied them on the first two days of their trip. The family laid flowers for the war dead at Nagasaki Peace Park, and met with atomic-bomb survivors at the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and an elderly care facility. They also spoke with young people who convey the stories of aging survivors on their behalf.
Nagasaki was the final destination for a series of visits by the Emperor and Empress to honor the souls of people who died in World War II, marking 80 years since the end of the war.
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