Emperor Naruhito, the eldest son of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko, celebrated his 65th birthday on Sunday.
He is known as the first emperor to have studied abroad. After making his first overseas trip to Australia at the age of 14 in 1974, he studied at the Department of History in the Faculty of Letters of Gakushuin University. He then traveled to the United Kingdom in 1983 where he deepened his research on the history of transportation on the River Thames. His warm and sociable personality helped him fully enjoy the two years of dormitory life he experienced while studying at Oxford University’s Merton College.
Together with Empress Masako, who received her education overseas and worked as a diplomat, the emperor has made a significant contribution to deepening the bonds between the Japanese imperial family and foreign countries.
In June 2024, the imperial couple was invited to Britain as state guests and deepened the long-standing friendship with King Charles and Queen Camilla at a state banquet held at Buckingham Palace. The original invitation had come from Queen Elizabeth II, but it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In an address he made in English at the banquet, he expressed his hope for “building an enduring relationship based on friendship, goodwill and cooperation” between the two countries “as friends like no other.” During the visit, the emperor and empress also attended a luncheon hosted by the chancellor of Oxford University.
On the domestic front, the imperial couple hosted garden parties at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in April and October. Along with Princess Aiko, their only child, and other members of the imperial family, they engaged in lively conversation with the guests.
The emperor and empress attended the general opening ceremony of the Japan Games sports festival in Saga Prefecture in Kyushu on Oct. 5 and enjoyed watching a volleyball game the next day. The annual event began in 1946 as the National Sports Festival. The 2024 event was the first one after it was rebranded as the Japan Games.
The couple visited disaster-hit Ishikawa Prefecture three times last year. The prefecture and surrounding areas suffered a major earthquake on Jan. 1, 2024, and recovery is still underway. The Okunoto area at the tip of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa also suffered severe damage from torrential rains in September.
The imperial family’s New Year’s greetings event in 2024 had been canceled due to the earthquake, but this year the event was held on Jan. 2. The imperial couple, together with the princess and other members of the imperial family, appeared on the balcony of the Chowaden reception hall at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward five times to greet well-wishers and wave to the crowd that filled the square in front.
The Imperial Household Agency’s Instagram account shares photos and videos taken primarily during the official activities of the emperor and empress, contributing to connecting the public and the imperial family.
