Year-end Presentations of Waka Poems

2016, The Twenty-eighth Year of Heisei

Year-end Presentation of Five Waka Poems by His Majesty the Emperor

The 67th National Arbor Day Festival
Coming to Nagano
Surrounded by mountains
On all sides
I plant some seedlings
Together with the people.
The 36th Convention for the Development of an Abundantly Productive Sea
Yamagata Prefecture
Fleet of fishing boats
Gathering in the port of
Nezugaseki
The fishermen wave their hands
As the boats go passing by.
At the Opening Ceremony of the 71st National Sports Festival
Iwate Prefecture
Here in Iwate
Hit by a huge disaster
People gather
To open and celebrate
The National Sports Festival.
Visiting the people affected by the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake
Softly, silently
A child comes bearing in her hand
Origami lilies
I walk out of the shelter
With the flowers in my hand.
At the Peace Memorial Museum of the Manchuria and Inner Mongolia
Settlement
Hardship beyond words
Followed the end of the war
For these settlers
Who now speak of those days
Their faces gentle and mild.
(Notes to His Majesty's Waka) :

Note to poem 1 :
In June Their Majesties the Emperor and the Empress visited Nagano Prefecture to attend the National Arbor Day Festival. On that occasion, His Majesty planted by hand the seedlings of Japanese cypress, Chamaecyparis obtuse, Nikko fir, Abies homolepis, and Japanese umbrella pine, Sciadopitys verticillata. In this poem, His Majesty recalls the scene.

Note to poem 2 :
In September the National Convention for the Development of an Abundantly Productive Sea was held in Yamagata Prefecture. The welcoming ceremony at sea and the fish release event were held at the port of Nezugaseki in Tsuruoka city. The fishing boats from throughout Yamagata Prefecture practicing various fishing methods sailed past in front of Their Majesties the Emperor and the Empress and others in attendance and went out to sea. In this poem His Majesty describes the scene.

Note to poem 3 :
From the end of September to the beginning of October, Their Majesties the Emperor and the Empress visited Iwate Prefecture to observe the status of recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake and to attend the Opening Ceremony of the 71st National Sports Festival, held for the first time in one of the three prefectures most seriously affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. In this poem, His Majesty recalls that Opening Ceremony, which opened with a moment of silent prayer for the victims of the disaster.

Note to poem 4 :
In May Their Majesties the Emperor and the Empress visited Kumamoto Prefecture, which had been devastated by earthquakes in April. In the town of Mashiki, They visited the gymnasium of Mashiki Central Elementary School, which was then serving as an evacuation centre. In this poem, His Majesty describes how on that occasion He was presented with a bouquet of origami lilies by an elementary school girl, which He was still holding in His hand when He left the centre.

Note to poem 5 :
In November Their Majesties the Emperor and the Empress visited the Peace Memorial Museum of Manchuria and Inner Mongolia Settlement in the village of Achi in Nagano Prefecture. They met and spoke with some of the people involved in the settlement of Manchuria and Inner Mongolia who experienced much hardship after the end of the war, both at the place of their settlement and on their long way back home to Japan. Some of them are now engaged in telling their experience to the museum visitors. In this poem His Majesty expresses His feelings towards those people who now speak of those days, mild and soft-spoken.

Year-end Presentation of Three Waka Poems by Her Majesty the Empress

Visiting the Philippines in January
The one who forgave
The unforgivable
Along with his name
I etch deeply in my heart
The name Muntinlupa.
Kumamoto Prefecture, hit by earthquakes
With hesitation
Wondering and wavering
Yet I decide to go
As it is Your sincere wish
To stand by the people.
Visiting the Kashihara Shrine
On the 2,600th anniversary of the demise of Emperor Jinmu
’Twas as if I heard
The quiet breeze from times long past
As we walked along
The front approach to the shrine
Oak leaves rustling in the wind.
(Notes to Her Majesty's Waka) :

Note to poem 1 :
When Their Majesties the Emperor and the Empress visited the Philippines in January, They met and conveyed Their thanks to the descendants of former President Elpidio Rivera Quirino. Though he lost four members of his own family, his wife and three children, in the war, Mr. Quirino granted a special pardon, after the end of the war, to the more than 100 Japanese war criminals detained at the New Bilibid Prison, the national penitentiary at Muntinlupa, and allowed them to return home to Japan. In this poem, Her Majesty refers to this act of Mr. Quirino.

Note to poem 2 :
Their Majesties the Emperor and the Empress visited Kumamoto Prefecture in May, a month after the Kumamoto Earthquakes of April. Every time Their Majesties visit places affected by natural disasters, Her Majesty feels hesitation akin to fear, wondering whether Her visit can really be of help to those people going through such difficult times. In this poem, Her Majesty describes how, in spite of Her feeling of uncertainty, knowing so well His Majesty's sincere wish to be at the people's side, She, too, decides to follow Him to the afflicted areas and stand by His side.

Note to poem 3 :
In April, on the occasion of the ceremonies to honour the 2,600th anniversary of the demise of Emperor Jinmu, Their Majesties the Emperor and the Empress paid Their respects at the Imperial Mausoleum of Emperor Jinmu. At the same time, They also paid Their respects at the Kashihara Shrine, dedicated to Emperor Jinmu. In this poem, Her Majesty describes how They proceeded along the approach to the shrine, hearing the rustling of the oak leaves as it were the sound of a breeze blowing from a time long ago in the past.