Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako expressed their hope for the end of the novel coronavirus pandemic in poems recited on their behalf Friday at the annual New Year Poetry Reading Ceremony, which was postponed for over two months due to the health crisis.
The 61-year-old emperor expressed sadness for the lives lost during the pandemic as well as for people struggling with hardships linked to the spread of the virus.
The annual event was held with measures to prevent the spread of infection, with participants required to wear face masks or shields. It was initially scheduled for Jan. 15, but was put off amid a resurgence of virus infections in Tokyo and its vicinity.