GIFU: Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako traveled to Gifu Prefecture, central Japan, by Shinkansen bullet train to attend the opening ceremony of national cultural festivals Monday.

The Imperial couple arrived at Gifu-Hashima Station of Central Japan Railway Co., or JR Tokai, just before noon. They waved and smiled at citizens who gathered at the station.

The Emperor and the Empress attended the opening ceremony of the 39th National Cultural Festival and the 24th National Arts and Culture Festival for Persons with Disabilities at a facility in Gifu’s namesake capital.

At the start of the ceremony, the couple, along with other participants, offered silent prayers for the victims of the Jan. 1 earthquake and the September rain disaster that hit the Noto Peninsula, also in central Japan.

After expressing sympathy for people affected by the Noto disasters, Emperor Naruhito said he hopes that the festivals will help expand the scope of cultural and artistic activities and lead to the creation of new culture.

Later, the couple talked with those involved in the ceremony. The Emperor asked Momoka Furuta, 18, a third-year student at a local high school with visual impairment, who gave a reading on stage, “Have you practiced a lot?”

On Tuesday, the couple will inspect exhibits of the festival for people with disabilities and visit the Gifu-Kakamigahara Air and Space Museum before returning to Tokyo in the evening.

JIJI Press