The New Year's celebration ceremony, in which the Emperor and the Empress receive New Year's greetings from members of the Imperial Family and the heads of the three branches of the government, was held at the Imperial Palace on Friday morning. This year, the ceremony was scaled down to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Imperial couple received greetings from a total of 12 members of the Imperial family, including Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, followed by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and other heads of the three branches of the government, Cabinet ministers and foreign ambassadors to Japan.
The Emperor said in response: "I am pleased 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."
The number of attendees was reduced to 230 from last year's 758 by cutting back the number of spouses and Diet members. In addition, attendees wore masks and the room was thoroughly ventilated.
The Empress and other female members of the Imperial family refrained from wearing tiaras in consideration of the hardships that many members of the public are experiencing due to the pandemic.
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