Prince Akishino and his wife, Princess Kiko, hosted an annual duck hunt Tuesday in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, for ambassadors and their spouses from eight countries, including Belgium, Cuba and Botswana.
The Imperial Household Agency, however, did not conduct the ceremonial releasing of ducks into the air due to concerns about bird flu, which can spread among poultry and wild birds.
The ducks were hunted by the traditional method of using a silk "sade" net, which is designed not to harm the birds.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.