An Imperial New Year's celebration ceremony, in which the Emperor and Empress receive New Year's greetings from other Imperial family members and the heads of the three branches of the government, was held Saturday at the Imperial Palace. The Imperial couple's daughter Princess Aiko attended the ceremony for the first time as she turned 20 on Dec. 1 and became an adult member of the Imperial Family.
For the second year in a row, the ceremony was scaled down because of the coronavirus pandemic, with only 233 people expected to attend. Also, female Imperial family members refrained from wearing tiaras in consideration of the hardships many members of the public are going through.
From around 10 a.m. the Emperor and Empress received greetings from members of the Imperial Family including the Crown Prince Akishino, followed by greetings from the heads of the three branches of the government including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
In response, the Emperor said: "I am delighted to celebrate the New Year together. At the beginning of the year, I pray for the happiness of the people and the development of the nation."
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