The traditional events at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, where the emperor and other members of the imperial family wish locals a Happy New Year, are taking place this Thursday in the city. Last year, these events were canceled due to the situation with a series of powerful earthquakes that occurred in the country on the first day of 2024 and claimed the lives of more than 500 people.
According to Japanese public television, at least 13,000 people came to the Imperial Palace in central Tokyo in the first half of the day. Greeting the emperor is one of the main New Year's customs in Japan. Traditionally, the monarch and members of his family greet visitors from the balcony of the Imperial Palace, which is enclosed with armored glass. During the day, the emperor and his family members must go out onto the balcony five times to greet the locals.
"I am happy to be able to celebrate the New Year with you in this way. At the same time, I feel worried because many people are still experiencing difficulties related to the consequences of the earthquake that occurred on the Noto Peninsula on the first day of last year“, Emperor Naruhito addressed the audience. The emperor expressed hope that this year will bring peace and joy to the people. “I pray for the happiness of the people of our country and the whole world“, he added.
On January 1, 2024, a series of earthquakes occurred on the Noto Peninsula (Ishikawa Prefecture), with the total number of tremors of varying strength exceeding several thousand. The most powerful of them had a magnitude of 7.6 and caused a powerful tsunami. As a result of the disaster, more than 504 people died, the number of victims exceeded 1,100. About 38,600 commercial, administrative and residential buildings were completely or partially destroyed.