Japanese emperor emerges for public New Year greetings for 1st time in 3 years

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Emperor Naruhito of Japan offered New Year greetings on Monday, the first time in three years that he publicly engaged with visitors at the palace.

"After three years, I am very happy to celebrate the New Year with you all," Naruhito, 62, told a selected group of people from behind glass on a balcony at the Imperial Palace.

"I hope that this year will be a peaceful and good year for all of you," he said, according to the Tokyo-based Kyodo News agency.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Japanese imperial family suspended many of its public engagements.

Naruhito, who was anointed in early 2019, was seen accompanied by his wife, Empress Masako, and other imperial family members.

Princess Aiko, the couple's only daughter, also joined the event for the first time.

Around 9,600 people selected by a lottery are expected to visit the palace for New Year celebrations on Monday, according to the Imperial Household Agency.

In his New Year message released a day earlier, Naruhito said he felt "deep sadness for the many lives lost" in wars and conflicts around the world.

"I strongly feel the importance of repeatedly holding dialogue to overcome differences in stances and working together with others in the international community," said Naruhito, acknowledging that people had faced many hardships due to the pandemic and rise in commodity and energy prices.