Sharjah24 - Reuters: As the nation relaxes COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in response to an uptick in infections at the end of the year, Japan's Emperor Naruhito welcomed the people and delivered a New Year's message on Monday for the first time in three years.
"The spread of the coronavirus has been difficult for everyone, but I am very pleased to be able to greet you again," Naruhito told the flag-waving crowd at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
"We face many difficulties, but I hope for a peaceful and good New Year for all, and as the year begins, I pray for the happiness of people in Japan and around the world," he added.
Naruhito, 62, was joined by other royals, including his wife, Empress Masako, 59, and his father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, 89, who abdicated in 2019. The emperor's daughter, Princess Aiko, 21, participated for the first time, according to the Imperial Household Agency.
About 9,600 people, split into six groups over the course of the day, were chosen by lottery to attend the New Year's event, a much smaller number than the tens of thousands that usually gather for the traditional royal greeting.
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