Emperor, Empress Attend National Marine Convention in Mie Pref.

Shima/Minamiise, Mie Pref., Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended the 44th National Convention for the Development of an Abundantly Productive Sea in the city of Shima, Mie Prefecture, western Japan, on Sunday. In his speech, the Emperor reminisced about his childhood visit to Mie, during which he observed the work of sea-diving fisherwomen known as “ama,” the pearl processing procedures, and the sight of boats passing through the sea. He said these scenes made him feel the daily lives of people living in harmony with the ocean. The Emperor expressed appreciation for the efforts of those involved in the fishing industry, saying, “I hope that the activities of everyone who works to create bountiful seas will continue to be supported by many people and will develop further.” After the convention, the Emperor and Empress traveled to the town of Minamiise, where they inspected the prefectural fisheries high school’s training vessel Shirochidori and participated in a fish release event. Despite the rain, the Imperial couple waved to fishing boats participating in a maritime parade and released juvenile spiny lobsters and red sea bream into the sea. They will return to Tokyo later in the day. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]