- Emperor Naruhito delivered New Year's greetings, expressing hope for peace and happiness worldwide.
- Over 60,000 people gathered at the Imperial Palace to witness the traditional event.
- Prince Hisahito, having recently completed coming-of-age rituals, attended the greetings for the first time.

A: Hey! Did you hear about the New Year’s greetings at the palace?
B: No! What happened?
A: It was really crowded! Over eleven thousand people showed up!
B: Wow! Did the Emperor and Empress appear?
A: Of course! They waved to everyone from the balcony, like they always do.
B: Oh, that's so nice. Did Prince Hisahito go this year?
A: Yes! It was his first time! He did his coming-of-age stuff last fall, remember?
B: Oh, right! How cute!
A: The Emperor talked about all the tough times people had last year, with the earthquakes and everything.
B: That’s sad. He's hoping for a peaceful 2026, huh?
A: Exactly! He prayed for everyone’s happiness, here and everywhere else.
B: They made lots of appearances, didn’t they?
A: Five times! They greeted more than sixty thousand people total! Crazy!