Japan's Emperor and Empress Attend National Sports Festival in Aomori
Listen to the story
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako traveled to Aomori Prefecture to attend the National Sports Festival, a major annual sporting event in Japan.
The royal couple attended the opening ceremony of the festival. During the visit, they met and talked with event organizers, officials, and athletes who were taking part.
Among those who spoke with the Emperor and Empress was Kayoko Fukushi, a well-known long-distance runner. She described the meeting warmly, saying, 'It was a happy time.'
The Emperor and Empress also used the occasion to offer words of comfort to people affected by recent disasters. They mentioned the Kumamoto earthquake and heavy rainfall that struck Chiba Prefecture, expressing sympathy for those who suffered because of these events.
The National Sports Festival moves to a different host prefecture each year, giving local communities a chance to welcome athletes from across the country. This year, Aomori is organizing the event, which includes an opening parade and various competitions.
Local officials in the region have expressed hope that their athletes will perform well, with some areas aiming for a top-ten finish in the standings. The event is seen as an important moment for both sport and community pride in Aomori.
Vocabulary5 words
- National Sports Festival
- a big yearly sports event held in a different Japanese region each year
- opening ceremony
- the official event that starts a festival
- Kumamoto earthquake
- a strong earthquake that happened in Kumamoto, Japan
- host prefecture
- the region in Japan that organizes the event that year
- parade
- a group of people walking together to celebrate something
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Quiz
Answer key
1. The National Sports Festival 2. The Kumamoto earthquake and heavy rain in Chiba 3. False
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako traveled to Aomori Prefecture to attend the National Sports _____.
The royal couple attended the opening _____ of the festival.
During the visit, they met and talked with event organizers, officials, and _____ who were taking part.
Among those who spoke with the Emperor and Empress was Kayoko _____, a well-known long-distance runner.
She described the meeting warmly, saying, 'It was a happy _____.'
The Emperor and Empress also used the occasion to offer words of _____ to people affected by recent disasters.
They mentioned the Kumamoto _____ and heavy rainfall that struck Chiba Prefecture.
The National Sports Festival moves to a different host _____ each year.
This year, Aomori is organizing the event, which includes an opening _____ and various competitions.
Local officials in the region have expressed hope that their athletes will perform _____.
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