Japan Emperor attends National Tree-Planting Festival
Japanese Emperor Naruhito attended the 75th National Tree-Planting Festival at Chichibu Muse Park in Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo, on Sunday afternoon.
In his address at the annual event, the Emperor looked back on climbing mountains in the Chichibu region and said that the importance of forests is increasing further as the effects of climate change have become even more evident.
"It is our mission to cherish forests, nurture healthy forests while promoting the cyclical use of trees and wood, and pass forests on to the future," he said.
The Emperor then planted three kinds of seedlings, including zelkova, and sowed two kinds of seeds, including loose-flowered hornbeam.
Ahead of this, Emperor Naruhito visited Chichibu Shrine and inspected "kasaboko" and "yatai" floats used in the Chichibu night festival, one of the three major "hikiyama" festivals featuring floats.
The Emperor also watched a "kodomo kabuki" drama performed by children, a local traditional performing art. He spoke to two elementary school girls who performed, saying, "It was very good."
The Emperor arrived in Saitama on Saturday for a two-day visit. That day, he inspected a research institute on tea, a local speciality, and a special-needs school.
Empress Masako was to accompany him on the trip, but the plan was cancelled due to health concerns. She was absent from any of the four major annual regional events the couple customarily attend, including the tree-planting festival, for the first time since Emperor Naruhito ascended the throne in 2019 to start the current Reiwa period.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
