The Imperial family will be absent from next year's memorial events marking the seventh anniversary of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, which devastated the port city of Kobe, according to Hyogo prefectural officials.
The officials said members of the Imperial family can no longer attend the events as regularly as before.
This will be the first time none of the Imperial family will be present at a memorial service or related event to commemorate the Jan. 17 earthquake.
Since the Hyogo Prefectural Government began hosting memorial services on Jan. 17, 1996, a year after the quake, Imperial family members have graced the events.
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess attended the first events, and Prince Akishino and his wife, Princess Kiko, also visited in the past, the officials said.
The memorial events were altered this year to the form of a memorial gathering and a "memorial walk," in which people would basically trace the evacuation routes taken at the time of the disaster, which resulted in the loss of more than 6,400 lives.
Princess Nori, the daughter of the Emperor and Empress, attended this year's events.
The Emperor and Empress visited Hyogo Prefecture in the spring to observe reconstruction in the area, which has nearly recovered.