Emperor sows annual rice seeds

Courtesy of Imperial Household Agency
The Emperor sows rice seeds in a nursery in the Imperial Palace in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on Tuesday.

The Emperor sowed the annual rice seeds at a nursery in the Imperial Palace on Tuesday.

Dressed in a gray jacket and black shoes, the Emperor crouched down and carefully sowed Nihonmasari, a nonglutinous rice variety, and Mangetsumochi, a glutinous type.

The Emperor will plant the seedlings in the Imperial Palace rice paddies around mid-May or later.