Ginowan, Okinawa Pref: Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended the opening ceremony of national cultural festivals in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, on Sunday.

The couple made the appearance at the ceremony to mark the opening of the 37th National Cultural Festival and the 22nd National Arts and Culture Festival for Persons with Disabilities during their first trip to the southernmost prefecture since the Emperor’s enthronement in 2019.

In a speech, the Emperor expressed his pleasure at the festivals, saying that many people involved in cultural and art activities from across the nation gather in Okinawa, which marked the 50th anniversary of its return to Japan.

“I hope that the festivals will help a wide range of Japanese people to understand Okinawa more deeply,” the Emperor said.

The National Cultural Festival is one of the four major annual occasions in regional areas in which the Imperial couple makes an appearance. It is held together with the festival for people with disabilities.

The couple made an in-person appearance at the opening ceremony of the two festivals for the first time in three years. The 2020 festivals were put off for one year, and the couple attended last year’s ceremony online.

In Sunday’s ceremony, the couple listened to the national anthem sung by singer Daichi Miura, a native of Okinawa.

Infection control measures were taken for the event. Performers took novel coronavirus antigen tests beforehand, while spectators had their temperatures checked.

JIJI Press