Japan’s emperor prays for death of epidemic in New Year’s message

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Japan’s Emperor Naruhito offers prayers for those who died during the pandemic, as he videotapes for the second year in a row a New Year’s greeting

By Yuri Kageyama of the Associated Press

Jan 1, 2022, 2:52 am

• 2 minutes to read

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Japan’s Emperor Naruhito prayed for those who died during the pandemic, and videotaped for the second year in a row to greet the new year on Saturday, after he canceled public gatherings at the palace to limit infection with the Corona virus.

Sitting in front of a bonsai tree with his wife, Masako, Naruhito praised and thanked doctors and other health care workers, and expressed concern about countries lacking vaccines and adequate hospital systems.

“By appreciating the bonds between people more than ever, sharing our pain and supporting each other, I hope from the bottom of my heart that we can get through these tough times,” he said.

Japan has recorded more than 18,000 deaths linked to COVID-19, but the frequency of deaths has declined in recent months. Naruhito also expressed concern about the rapidly spreading omicron variant.

Before the pandemic, the Imperial Palace in central Tokyo would open its doors at the beginning of each year to flag-waving fans.

The emperor has no political power, but he holds symbolic significance for Japan and is very popular. Naruhito’s father abdicated in 2019. Hirohito, the emperor of war, was Naruhito’s grandfather.

Recently, the imperial couple Mako’s niece made headlines after marrying her college sweetheart and moving to New York, skipping the luxury wedding hype. Some disapprove of her husband, Kei Komuro, who works in a law firm and is trying to pass the US Bar exam, mainly due to his mother’s past financial disputes.

In his speech, Naruhito referred to the tenth anniversary of the tsunami, earthquake and nuclear disaster in northeastern Japan. He added that the Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed from 2020 due to the pandemic, were a bright spot of “courage and hope”.

Masako, a commoner and Harvard graduate, offered prayers at the end of the six-minute video clip on Saturday.

“I hope this year will be a nice and productive year for all of us,” she said before the two bowed.

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Yuri Kageyama on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama

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