His Majesty attends the opening ceremony of “National Cultural Festival” and “National Art and Culture Festival for Persons with Disabilities” September 16 18:24
The opening ceremony of the “National Culture Festival” and “National Arts and Culture Festival for Persons with Disabilities” was held in Niigata City with the presence of the Emperor and Empress.
The National Cultural Festival is the largest cultural festival in Japan where people engaged in cultural activities such as music and art show the results of their daily activities. It is.
The Emperor has been present since the first “National Cultural Festival” in 1986, and is the only public service that has been attended every year since the throne.
On the afternoon of the 16th, both Majesty attended the opening ceremony, and about 2,400 people gathered in the hall of Niigata City. In this, the Emperor said, “A wide circle of exchanges that transcends regions, fields, and generations will be an opportunity to reexamine the traditional arts and culture of the region, and it will lead to the creation of an environment in which many people can come into contact with art and culture. I am looking forward to it. "
Subsequently, when deaf people played Japanese drums or performed a lion dance that had been handed down since the Edo period, both men were applauded.
The Emperor then talked to a deaf man who played Japanese drums through a sign language interpreter, saying, “The drums were perfect and wonderful”. In addition, the Empress was told that “thank you” with sign language.
His Majesty will stay in Niigata until the 17th, and on the 17th they will see how children who go to special needs schools produce traditional octopus.