両陛下、２３日に外国王族招き茶会

　宮内庁の西村泰彦次長は７日、天皇、皇后両陛下が２３日午後、２２日の即位礼正殿の儀に参列した外国王族をお住まいの赤坂御所に招き、茶会を催されると発表した。
　西村次長は「外国王族から寄せられた祝意に対し、両陛下から直接感謝のお気持ちをお伝えいただく機会を設けようと企画した」と話している。茶会には皇族も出席する。
　平成時は、天皇、皇后だった上皇ご夫妻が国王など元首級の外国王族を赤坂御所に招き、皇太子だった天皇陛下が皇太子以下の外国王族を東宮仮御所に招き、それぞれ茶会を開催。今回は皇族数の減少などを背景に、１カ所でまとめて茶会を行う。（2019/10/07-16:19）

Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will invite foreign royals attending the Emperor's Oct. 22 enthronement proclamation ceremony to their residence for a tea party the following day, Imperial Household Agency vice head Yasuhiko Nishimura said Monday.
   "We planned the tea party to create an opportunity for the Emperor and the Empress to directly express their gratitude" for the congratulations from the foreign royals, Nishimura said.
   The tea party, to be attended by members of the Japanese Imperial Family as well, will be held at the Imperial couple's residence at the Akasaka Estate in Tokyo's Minato Ward on the afternoon of Oct. 23, the day after the "Sokuirei-Seiden-no-Gi" enthronement proclamation ceremony. Emperor Naruhito assumed the throne on May 1 this year.
   When the Sokuirei-Seiden-no-Gi ceremony for previous Emperor Akihito, now Emperor Emeritus, was held in 1990, he and then Empress Michiko, now Emperor Emerita, invited head-of-state-level members of foreign royal families, including kings, to the Akasaka Estate for a tea party. At the time, the current Emperor, then Crown Prince, held a separate tea party for other foreign royals, including crown princes, at his residence.
   This time, only one such tea party will be held, at one location, due to reasons including a decrease in the number of Imperial Family members.