Emperor and empress watch table tennis matches at Japan Games
The imperial couple watched matches for boys and girls, held at a gymnasium in the city of Aomori.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended table tennis matches for children at a gymnasium in Aomori, the capital of Aomori Prefecture, during the Japan Games multisport festival. The emperor praised the performance of Japanese athletes, noting their success in the recent Asian Games held in Aichi Prefecture. Japan secured 269 medals, placing second behind China's 341 medals in this quadrennial event.
The couple also visited a beach built on a former ferry berth and the Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse, where Empress Masako remarked on the "power" of a large exhibit. Later, they stopped by a local welfare facility to see older people and children playing together, with the emperor complimenting an 87-year-old woman on her joy in interacting with the children.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
