Society

Princess Aiko Enjoys Court Music Performance

TOKYO, Apr 26 (News On Japan) - Princess Aiko, the eldest daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, attended a performance of the traditional Japanese court music art known as gagaku.

At around 2:30 p.m., Princess Aiko arrived at the Imperial Household Agency's Music Department inside the Imperial Palace, dressed in orange-pink attire, and was welcomed with applause from spectators.

Gagaku, a traditional performing art registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, is also performed at Imperial Household Agency events such as garden parties.

This time, the program included 'Seigaiha,' a dance also known for being performed by Hikaru Genji in 'The Tale of Genji.' The piece was reportedly requested by Princess Aiko last year.

During the performance, Princess Aiko put on glasses partway through and watched attentively for about an hour and a half, at times smiling with delight and at others gazing intently at the stage.

As she left the venue, she was quoted as saying with a smile, 'The composition, and the costumes for 'Seigaiha,' were truly wonderful to see.'

Concerts at the Imperial Household Agency's Music Department are held twice a year. Princess Aiko, who has a strong interest in traditional performing arts, has now attended eight consecutive performances.

Source: TBS

Japanese Food Companies Strip Down Packaging to Save Ink

The “ink shock” caused by tensions in the Middle East is beginning to spread across Japan’s food packaging industry, prompting manufacturers to simplify designs and reduce ink usage as concerns grow over naphtha supplies and rising printing costs.

Japanese Cinema in Cannes Spotlight

The Cannes Film Festival opened this week with three Japanese films nominated for the festival’s top prize, the Palme d'Or, including 'Sheep in the Box' directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, 'Nagi Notes' directed by Koji Fukada, and 'Suddenly Feeling Unwell' directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

Japan Greenlights Coverage for iPS Parkinson’s Treatment

Japan has approved the application of public health insurance to a regenerative medicine product using iPS cells to treat Parkinson’s disease, marking the world’s first practical use of iPS cell-based regenerative medicine.

Chinese Buyers Drive Property Surge in Japan’s Luxury Districts

Foreign acquisition of Japanese land has become a growing topic of debate in recent years, and now the trend is reaching Ashiya, one of the Kansai region’s most prestigious residential areas, where soaring property prices are increasingly being linked to demand from wealthy Chinese buyers.

Azerbaijan Crude Oil Arrives in Japan

A tanker carrying approximately 45,000 kiloliters of crude oil from Azerbaijan arrived in Japan on May 12th, marking the first time Azerbaijani crude has reached the country as the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Parents and Brother Arrested Over Confinement of Teenage Girl in Closet

Police have arrested a couple in their 40s and their son in his 20s for allegedly confining a teenage girl inside a locked closet at their Tokyo home under the guise of discipline.

Empress Masako Attends National Red Cross Convention as Honorary President

The National Red Cross Convention held on May 12 honored people involved in Red Cross activities across Japan. Empress Masako, serving as honorary president, attended the event alongside other female members of the Imperial Family, including Crown Princess Kiko, who serves as vice honorary president.

Suspects Use Bear Spray in Failed Backpack Robbery

Three men, including 22-year-old Sakuya Murakami from Takatsuki City in Osaka Prefecture, were arrested on suspicion of robbery resulting in injury after allegedly spraying a man in the face with what is believed to have been bear repellent and attempting to steal his backpack on a street in Nagaokakyo, Kyoto Prefecture, in April.

Black Smoke Engulfs Fukuoka Expressway

Thick black smoke billowed across an expressway in Fukuoka on May 11th after a fire broke out beneath an elevated section of the road, temporarily blocking visibility for drivers and forcing a partial road closure.

Japanese Rescued From Fraud Ring in Indonesia

Several Japanese nationals suspected of involvement in a special fraud operation in Indonesia have been detained, after a report from the family of a Japanese woman believed to have been trafficked led authorities to uncover the operation.

Old Building Wall Collapses Onto Taxi

Part of the exterior wall of a commercial building collapsed in Osaka on May 10th, causing a nearby highway signpost to topple onto a taxi in what authorities suspect may have been linked to the building’s aging condition.

Hokkaido Faces Garbage Bag Shortage as Panic Buying Spreads

A shortage of designated garbage bags began emerging in Hokkaido's Hokuto City in late April, with residents reporting that the bags had disappeared from store shelves and become difficult to purchase.

Questions Mount Over High School Bus Crash

Police searched the offices of a bus company on May 8th following a crash on the Banetsu Expressway in Fukushima Prefecture on May 6th that left one high school student dead and 20 others injured, with the driver of the microbus claiming he was not asleep at the wheel.

< 2 3 4 5 >