Emperor, Empress attend maritime resources event in Hyogo Prefecture

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:09 JST, November 13, 2022

AKASHI, Hyogo — The Emperor and Empress attended the 41st Festival of Celebration for Maritime Resources on Sunday in Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture, traveling to the venue for the first time in three years.

The Emperor referred at the ceremony to the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, which caused extensive damage, including to the fisheries industry.

“I express my sincere respect for the ways in which many sufferers helped each other to recover, and for the fact that efforts are being made to pass on to future generations the experience [of the earthquake] and the lessons learned,” the Emperor said.

The Emperor also praised efforts to conserve the nature of the Seto Inland Sea for the next generation and expressed his hope that such activities will continue to expand.