The Royal Courts/Les Cours Royales: Imperial family

The Japanese Imperiale Courts: State visit from the President of East Timor

Their Imperial Majesty Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko welcome East Timor Presidential couple, H.E Taur Matan Ruak and his wife at the Imperial Palace.
Photo credit: Sankei

13:57:00
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The Japanese Imperiale Courts: Their Imperial Majesties In Memoriam of 2011 Earthquake victims

Emperor Akihito

A national tribute was delivered on Friday March 11th in memory of Japan March 11th 2011 earthquake victims and tsunami in the northeast of the archipelago, natural disasters amplified by a nuclear accident whose country is not delivered. Despite the cold and often the drizzle, with flowers, candles, families have gathered as every year in Sendai, Ishinomaki, Rikuzentakata, Minamisanriku and other places of the Northeast. A minute of silence was observed at 14:46 (5:46 GMT) throughout the country, just when five years ago, on a Friday also occurred off the main island of Honshu a magnitude 9 earthquake that shook a large part of the country.

"Five years have passed since the disaster, over 20,000 victims were killed," said His Imperial Msajesty Emperor Akihito(who recovered from an Influenza diagnosis) at a ceremony in Tokyo, with his wife Her Imperial Majesty Empress Michiko standing by his side before a huge audience of white flowers and yellow surrounding a commemorative plaque "to the victims of the great disaster of Tohoku" (northeast). "Japan is a pretty spoiled by nature, but sometimes it can be dangerous," said the head of state. He added: "We can never forget the TV images showing a black wall of water" breaking on the cities devastated by the tsunami. "I want one way or another work for the prevention of natural disasters", told NHK teenager named Shiori. "When I go to the affected areas, I feel that the disaster is ever present," said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged a united government "to rebuild a stronger country."

March 11, 2011, nearly 18,500 lives were swept away by a tidal wave of such magnitude that it occurs in "once a millennium," say the old Japan. Some 3,000 other people died later as a result of the tragedy, because of the deterioration of their living conditions. For days, the media back on this March 11, 2011, a Friday too, reviving painful memories of the hordes of panicked employees hurriedly leaving the skyscrapers of Tokyo, trains overturned in the North-East, appalling pictures , scarcely credible, whole towns swept away by the tsunami, unable to contact his family, each more desperate for information that cascaded each other, thousands and tens of thousands of missing persons. And then at the end of the day, the first alarming signals from two nuclear plants in Fukushima (Daiichi and Daini), evacuation and days and days of anxiety orders.
Photo from Asahi

On 13th March, Their Imperial Majesties Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended the Charity Concert supporting the reconstruction from Great East Japan Earthquake took place in Tokyo. After the concert, Their Majesties met with the students from Fukushima Prefecture who performed the songs.

12:21:00
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The Japanese Imperial Courts: The Crown Prince Family attend a movie premiere

Crown Prince Naruhito

Japan's Imperial Crown Prince family, Their Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito accompanied by his wife Crown Princess Masako and their daughter Princess Aiko attended the screening of 'The Summit of the Gods', a charity screening for the Nepal earthquake victims, in Tokyo, Japan. Before the screening, the Crown Prince Family met with the film crew. The Summit of the Gods is a manga series written and illustrated by Jiro Taniguchi
Photo Credits: Asahi

23:05:00
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The Japanese Imperial Court: The Imperial Couple on a Peaceful treaty in Philippines

Emperor Akihito

The Emperor Akihito of Japan had gathered on Wednesday January 27th in the largest military cemetery in the Philippines, during the first very symbolic event of its historic five-day visit in the archipelago.

After the morning was formally received by President Benigno Aquino at the presidential palace in Manila, Akihito, 82, went to bow to the hero Cemetery, erected in 1947 in memory of Filipinos killed in action during World War II.

The Japanese imperial couple on Tuesday began a historic visit to the archipelago to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

This Friday, January 29, on the eve of their return to Tokyo, the Japanese Emperor Akihito and his wife Empress Michiko honored in Manila memory of Japanese soldiers killed during World War II during the brutal occupation of the Philippines by Japanese Imperial army.

After Wednesday, January 27 gathered in the largest military cemetery in the Philippines, the hero of the cemetery, built in 1947 in memory of the fallen Filipinos, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko paid tribute, two days later to their fellow patriot. They lost twice at the memorial erected for the Japanese dead in Caliraya, a resort located near a lake about three hours drive from Manila, and have laid wreaths of white flowers. The imperial couple then spoke to the descendants of the soldiers killed during the war.

The Emperor and Empress arrived in Manila Tuesday, January 26 for a historic five-day visit to the archipelago to mark the 60th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Philippines, which were previously under American domination, suffered between 1942 and 1945 a very harsh occupation of the Japanese army and were the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting of the war in Asia.

Akihito, who was 11 when the war ended with the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, made tributes to Japanese and non-Japanese victims of the war a pillar of his reign of nearly three decades, called Heisei or "achievement of peace." The emperor of Japan has already visited other places where Japanese soldiers and civilians have led desperate fighting on behalf of his father Hirohito, like last year in Palau, a string of islands to the east of Philippines.
Photo Credits: Paris Match

11:21:00
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The Japanese Imperial Courts: The Imperial Reigning Couple on a peaceful mission to the Philippines

Emperor Akihito

The Emperor is in the Philippines arrived Tuesday for a historic visit to the pilgrimage-like memorials of the Second World War, 71 years after the liberation of archipel. His Majesty Emperor Akihito, 82, made tributes to the victims of Japanese and non-Japanese war a pillar of his reign of nearly three decades, called Heisei or "fulfillment of the peace" in the presence of Her Majesty Empress Michiko for a five-day stay

"Many Filipinos, Americans and Japanese were killed in the Philippines during the war," said Akihito in a ceremony before leaving Tokyo.
"We want to make this visit still having that in mind."
Clearly pacifist message of the emperor, who was greeted on the tarmac in Manila by the Philippine President Benigno Aquino, in contrast to the nationalist bias of the Japanese government.
The Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks to revise the pacifist constitution inherited from the American occupation after the war, to give a more active role in Japan on the international stage.
Akihito has visited other places where soldiers and Japanese civilians have led desperate fighting on behalf of his father Hirohito.
In Philippines, where battles took place among the most terrible of world conflict in Asia, the Imperial couple visited the Cemetery of Heroes memorial Filipino soldiers killed. They also bow before a monument to the victims of the Japanese conflit.Cette visit aims to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations.
Over the decades, Manila and Tokyo have become allies. Japan is the largest foreign investor in the Philippines, which it supplies its largest subsidy. Manila also relies increasingly on Tokyo in its territorial disputes with Beijing in méridionale.
Photo credit: Paris Match