Emperor Naruhito of Japan, his wife Masako and daughter Aiko. (Japan, January 1, 2024) Abaka
This Monday, January 1, new official photos of Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and his family were revealed amid Japanese modesty and pride.
Invariable designation. This Monday, January 1st, the portraits of the Japanese Imperial Family were released, where we see Emperor Naruhito surrounded by all his relatives, sitting on different benches representing the different branches of the dynasty.
Year of the Dragon
Same place, same position, same reserved smile and same clothes. To say that the photos of the Japanese Imperial Family do not change much from year to year. On this first day of 2024, the official portraits of Emperor Naruhito and his relatives are almost identical to last year’s portraits. And thus symbolizes the continuity of the exercise of power (representational only). In one photo, Emperor Naruhito, wearing a black suit, white shirt and fuchsia tie, is holding a dragon, whose archipelago entered the Year of the Dragon on January 1. He is surrounded by his wife, Empress Masako, and his daughter, Princess Aiko, 22 years old.
Another photo shows Naruhito’s parents, former emperor Akihito, 90, and his wife, Mishiko Shoda, 89. Finally, in two other portraits, his place is taken by the brother and successor of the current emperor, accompanied by his wife and two children. If these official photos are intended to be hung all over the country, especially in municipalities, they also reveal a family that, despite the weight of tradition, seems happy and relaxed… Empire of Light ?
Source: Le Figaro
