Kochi, Oct. 25 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended the opening ceremony of the 41st National Cultural Festival and the 26th National Arts and Culture Festival for Persons with Disabilities in Kochi Prefecture on Sunday. The Imperial couple arrived in the western Japan prefecture aboard a special plane from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. At the start of the opening ceremony in the prefectural capital of Kochi, the Emperor and Empress, along with other attendees, offered silent prayers for the victims of recent disasters across the country, including a massive earthquake in the southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto in July. In his speech, Emperor Naruhito said, “I hope that the beauty of local traditions and culture will be recognized anew, and that the foundation of cultural and artistic activity will spread further, leading to the creation of a new culture.” On Monday morning, the Emperor and Empress will visit a braille library in Kochi. In the afternoon, they will visit an international print exhibition in the town of Ino and an exhibition of works by people with disabilities in Kochi, before returning to Tokyo. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
