春の園遊会取りやめ　コロナ感染拡大で―宮内庁

　宮内庁は１３日、新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大を受け、５月２７日に予定していた天皇、皇后両陛下主催の春の園遊会を取りやめると発表した。同庁によると、東日本大震災などの自然災害や皇族の逝去などを含め、実施されないのは今回が平成以降で１０回目という。
　園遊会は毎年春と秋に各界功績者ら約２０００人を招待し、東京・元赤坂の赤坂御苑で開催。昨年は皇位継承に伴う儀式などで春秋ともに日程が確保できず、５月が令和初の園遊会となる予定だった。
　宮内庁の池田憲治次長は定例記者会見で、多数の招待者が飲食を伴って近距離で歓談する状況や、政府の緊急事態宣言が出されたことなどを挙げ、「挙行するのは適切でないと判断した」と説明した。（2020/04/13-16:10）

Japan's Imperial Household Agency said Monday that it has decided to cancel this year's Imperial spring garden party, scheduled for May 27, because of the spread of the novel coronavirus.
   The event was due to be hosted by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.
   The agency holds a garden party hosted by the country's Emperor and Empress in spring and autumn every year, at the Akasaka Imperial estate in the Motoakasaka district in Tokyo's Minato Ward, with some 2,000 guests, including people with remarkable achievements in various fields, invited to each event.
   It will be the 10th time for a spring or autumn party to be canceled since the start of country's Heisei era in 1989, according to the agency. Reasons for the past cancellations included natural disasters, such as the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and the death of an Imperial Family member.
   Last year, both of the spring and autumn parties were canceled due to scheduling difficulties because of a series of ceremonies related to Emperor Naruhito's enthronement on May 1 that year, when the country's new era, Reiwa, started to succeed Heisei.