Their Majesties Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, accompanied by their daughter, Princess Aiko, offered silent prayers at the Imperial Palace on August 9, the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko also offered silent prayers at their residence in Tokyo’s Minato Ward while watching televised coverage of the ceremony in Nagasaki.
On August 10, Their Majesties sent a donation through the Imperial Household Agency to Kumamoto Prefecture, which suffered extensive damage from the earthquake that struck on July 28.
The Akishino Family
On the morning of August 13, Crown Prince Akishino (Fumihito) and Crown Princess Kiko held a press conference at the Imperial Akasaka Estate in Tokyo ahead of their official visit to Paraguay, which begins on August 18.
It will be Crown Prince Akishino’s first visit to Paraguay in 20 years. “I hope to see how the country has developed over the past 20 years, while also having the opportunity to experience a part of Paraguayan culture,” he said.
At the press conference, the couple were also asked about the role of female members of the Imperial Family following revisions to the Imperial House Law enacted in July.
The revised law allows female members of the Imperial Family to retain their Imperial status after marrying someone outside the family, while their spouses and children would not become members. It also allows male paternal-line descendants of former Imperial family branches to be adopted into the Imperial Family.
Crown Prince Akishino said that members of the Imperial Family should respond to the requests of society where appropriate, adding that he does not distinguish between men and women in this regard.
Crown Princess Kiko said she would continue to devote herself to fulfilling her duties as a member of the Imperial Family.
After the press conference, Crown Princess Kiko visited the Itabashi Art Museum in Tokyo to view the 2026 Bologna Illustrators Exhibition. She also viewed picture books designed for children with visual impairments.
Crown Princess Kiko views the 2026 Bologna Illustrators Exhibition at the Itabashi Art Museum in Tokyo’s Itabashi Ward on August 13. (©Sankei/Ikue Mio)
Prince Hisahito in Hiroshima
The couple’s son, Prince Hisahito, visited Hiroshima Prefecture from August 7 to 8 to attend the 19th Nippon Scout Jamboree, a Boy Scout camping event.
On the morning of August 7, Prince Hisahito visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, near the hypocenter of the atomic bombing, and paid his respects at the Cenotaph for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb. He laid a bouquet of white chrysanthemums at the monument.
Prince Hisahito, the eldest son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, lays flowers at the Cenotaph for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on August 7. (©Sankei/Yasushi Kawamura)
He also visited the Honkawa Elementary School Peace Museum, where part of the school building damaged by the atomic bombing has been preserved.
Prince Hisahito receives an explanation at the Honkawa Elementary School Peace Museum in Hiroshima on August 7.
Prince Hisahito then traveled to the campsite in Jinsekikogen. Wearing a polo shirt, he helped drive stakes into the ground for the tent where he would stay and interacted with participants around his age.
Prince Hisahito and participants at a Boy Scout camping event in Jinsekikogen, Hiroshima Prefecture, on August 7.
Prince Hisahito helps set up a tent at a Boy Scout camping event in Jinsekikogen, Hiroshima Prefecture, on August 7.
At the jamboree’s opening ceremony, Prince Hisahito delivered remarks at an official engagement for the first time. He expressed his condolences to the victims of the Kumamoto earthquake and voiced his hope that “reconstruction in the disaster-hit areas will continue to progress.”
Prince Hisahito delivers remarks at a ceremony during a Boy Scout camping event in Jinsekikogen, Hiroshima Prefecture, on August 7.
After spending the night in a tent, Prince Hisahito joined other participants early on August 8 to prepare tonjiru, a pork-and-vegetable miso soup, for breakfast. While peeling daikon and carrots with a vegetable peeler, he was asked when he had last used one. He replied that it had been three weeks earlier.
Prince Hisahito prepares breakfast at a Boy Scout camping event in Jinsekikogen, Hiroshima Prefecture, on August 8.
Prince Hisahito cuts a log at a Boy Scout camping event in Jinsekikogen, Hiroshima Prefecture, on August 8.
At a booth showcasing disaster relief activities by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Prince Hisahito also tried carrying a 35-kilogram (77-pound) backpack designed to replicate the weight of equipment carried by personnel during disaster response operations.
Princess Akiko and Princess Hisako
Princess Akiko of Mikasa departed Haneda Airport on a commercial flight on August 7 for a visit to Bhutan. Invited by the Bhutanese royal family, she attended several events during her stay, including a commemorative tea hosted by the royal family.
Princess Takamado (Hisako) visited Ehime Prefecture on August 7 and 8 to attend several events, including the opening ceremony of the Takamadonomiya Cup All-Japan Rubber Baseball Tournament.
On August 12, Princess Takamado visited Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre to attend the awards ceremony for the 41st Tokyo Metropolitan Art Exhibition for People with Disabilities.
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Author: The Sankei Shimbun
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