Emperor Naruhito attended the 75th National Tree-Planting Festival at Chichibu Muse Park in Saitama Prefecture on Sunday.
In his address at the annual event, the emperor looked back on climbing mountains in the Chichibu region and said that the importance of forests is increasing further as the effects of climate change have become even more evident.
"It is our mission to cherish forests, nurture healthy forests while promoting the cyclical use of trees and wood, and pass forests on to the future," he said.
The Emperor then planted three kinds of seedlings, including zelkova, and sowed two kinds of seeds, including loose-flowered hornbeam.
Ahead of this, Emperor Naruhito visited Chichibu Shrine and inspected kasaboko and yatai floats used in the Chichibu night festival, one of the three major hikiyama festivals featuring floats.
The emperor also watched a kodomo kabuki drama performed by children, a local traditional performing art. He spoke to two elementary school girls who performed, saying, "It was very good."
The emperor arrived in Saitama on Saturday for a two-day visit, where he inspected a research institute on tea, a local specialty, and a special-needs school.
Empress Masako was to accompany him on the trip, but the plan was canceled due to health concerns. She was absent from any of the four major annual regional events the couple customarily attend, including the tree-planting festival, for the first time since the emperor ascended the throne in 2019 to start the current Reiwa era.
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