The Emperor, who is the honorary patron of the Tokyo Paralympic Games, proclaimed the opening of the Games at the opening ceremony at the National Stadium in Tokyo on Tuesday.
"I declare open the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games," the Emperor said.
According to the Imperial Household Agency, the International Paralympic Committee's handbook says the Paralympic Games shall be proclaimed open by the head of state of the host country attending the opening ceremony. The wording for the declaration is also formalized by the IPC, although it does not include the word "celebrate" as in the Olympic Games' opening declaration.
The Emperor Emeritus attended the opening ceremony of the 1964 Tokyo Paralympic Games when he was the crown prince, and the Emperor attended the opening ceremony for the 1998 Nagano Winter Paralympic Games, also as the crown prince. This time, the Emperor serves as the honorary patron of both the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games as a reflection of the unity of the events.
The Empress did not attend the ceremony because the novel coronavirus pandemic forced a reduction in the number of attendees.
Ahead of the ceremony, the Emperor met IPC President Andrew Parsons and several other IPC members at the Imperial Palace.
"It is my sincere hope that these Games should be an impetus for progress to be made in building a society in which all of us, regardless of disabilities, can live together while placing greater importance than ever before on respecting and caring for one another," the Emperor said to the visitors.
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