Emperor Naruhito, in a poem recited at the annual Imperial New Year's Poetry Reading, on Wednesday expressed hope that people's lives disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic will return to normal, touching on the friendship between young brass band members with whom he spoke.
The ceremony at the Imperial Palace was also attended by Empress Masako, as well as Crown Prince Akishino and his wife, Princess Kiko, with the number of attendees from the general public limited in consideration of the coronavirus pandemic.
The theme of this year's waka poems at the reading was "tomo," meaning "friend."