Emperor Harvests Rice at Imperial Palace in Tokyo

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:19 JST, September 14, 2023

The Emperor harvested rice on the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on Wednesday.

Clad in a long-sleeved shirt, trousers and rain boots, the Emperor entered a rice paddy on the palace grounds and used a sickle to cut 20 stalks of two varieties of rice: non-glutenous Nihonmasari and glutenous Mangetsumochi.

The harvested rice will be used as an offering of thanks to the gods during the Niinamesai rite in November, and for other rituals.