Imperial couple watch ‘wild' horse race on Mongolia prairie
ULAN BATOR--Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako watched how Mongolians race horses in a wild prairie setting on July 12 during a traditional festival to showcase the country's nomadic sports and arts culture.
The Naadam national festival also features Mongolian wrestling and archery. One event involves throwing the shagai, or a sheep's ankle bone, to hit a target.
The winners are treated as national heroes.
Naruhito and Masako were welcomed to the venue on the outskirts of the Mongolian capital by Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and first lady Luvsandorj Bolortsetseg.
They spent time in a traditional Mongolian ger and exchanged pleasantries.
They then moved on to view the race of 5-year-old horses. More than 100 horses were entered in the event and children rode the animals for a distance of about 20 kilometers.
The imperial couple used binoculars to follow the horses over the finish line and Naruhito could be seen taking photographs.
The imperial couple attended the Naadam opening ceremony on the previous day.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
3 days ago
- Japan Times
Japanese Emperor, Empress deepen ties with Mongolia
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako deepened their bonds with Mongolia during an eight-day state visit to the country. The Imperial couple are scheduled to return from the trip on Sunday. During the visit, the Emperor and the Empress met with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and his wife, and attended the opening ceremony for Naadam, a traditional festival in Mongolia. With this year marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako paid tribute to Japanese nationals who died in detention in Mongolia in the aftermath of the war. They also interacted with Mongolians from a wide range of generations, including young people who are expected to serve as a bridge between the two countries. Respect for Mongolian Culture At an airport in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, on July 6, the first day of the trip, the couple were welcomed by a Mongolian woman wearing a traditional costume, who offered them aaruul, a local dairy food. At a banquet hosted by the Mongolian first couple Tuesday, President Khurelsukh said in a welcome address that the Japanese Imperial couple's visit to his country will be remembered as a milestone in the history of the two countries' friendship. In response, Emperor Naruhito delivered an address, partially in Mongolian. He then played two songs on the viola in a joint performance with the Mongolian State Morin Khuur Ensemble, getting a big round of applause. Emperor Naruhito also visited the Chinggis Khaan National Museum and Gandantegchinlen Monastery, a Buddhist temple, to show his respect for Mongolia's history and culture. He also went to Mongol Kosen College of Technology — an educational institution modeled after Japanese technical colleges known as "kosen" — and a water-related facility built with assistance from Japan. It rained during the couple's tour of Mongolia, but this was welcomed as a good omen due to the country's dry climate. Spotlight on History of Internment On Tuesday, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited a cenotaph built in Ulaanbaatar for the Japanese who were detained by the former Soviet Union after World War II and died in Mongolia. As the rain fell, the Emperor and Empress laid wreaths at the monument and observed a minute of silence, followed by a deep bow. The Imperial couple then folded their umbrellas and bowed to the cenotaph again. It was the first time that a Japanese emperor has paid tribute at a site where Japanese were detained during or after the war. Fusae Suzuki, 88, whose father died during detention in Mongolia, accompanied the Imperial couple on their visit to the cenotaph. "The spotlight had not been on the detainees in Mongolia, but their souls can now rest in peace," she said, expressing her gratitude to Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako for their visit to the monument. Regarding the reason the Emperor and the Empress folded their umbrellas during their prayers, an official from the Imperial Household Agency said they may have thought that it was not appropriate to pay tribute to the deceased while using them. Ulziitogtokh, a Mongolian, who built a museum about the Japanese detainees, met with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at the official residence of Japan's ambassador to Mongolia on Friday. The Imperial couple's latest visit made Mongolians from various generations know about Japanese detainees, said Ulziitogtokh.
3 days ago
Japan's Emperor, Empress Watch Mongolian Horse Race
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, July 12 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako watched a horse race in Mongolia held as part of the country's traditional Naadam festival on Saturday morning. At the Khui Doloon Khudag horse race venue approximately 40 kilometers west of the city center of Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, the Japanese Imperial couple were welcomed by Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and his wife. They chatted inside a ger, a Mongolian portable home, before coming outside to watch the race of 5-year-old horses in the open grass field. Over 100 horses mounted by children competed in the roughly 22-kilometer race. The Emperor and the Empress used binoculars to watch the horses dashing through the grassland. In the afternoon, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Hustai National Park, located about 100 kilometers west of central Ulaanbaatar. The park is home to the Przewalski's horse, a Mongolian wild horse. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
Asahi Shimbun
3 days ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Imperial couple watch ‘wild' horse race on Mongolia prairie
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako meet Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and first lady Luvsandorj Bolortsetseg on July 12 on the outskirts of Ulan Bator to watch the horse racing event of the Naadam festival. (Pool) ULAN BATOR--Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako watched how Mongolians race horses in a wild prairie setting on July 12 during a traditional festival to showcase the country's nomadic sports and arts culture. The Naadam national festival also features Mongolian wrestling and archery. One event involves throwing the shagai, or a sheep's ankle bone, to hit a target. The winners are treated as national heroes. Naruhito and Masako were welcomed to the venue on the outskirts of the Mongolian capital by Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and first lady Luvsandorj Bolortsetseg. They spent time in a traditional Mongolian ger and exchanged pleasantries. They then moved on to view the race of 5-year-old horses. More than 100 horses were entered in the event and children rode the animals for a distance of about 20 kilometers. The imperial couple used binoculars to follow the horses over the finish line and Naruhito could be seen taking photographs. The imperial couple attended the Naadam opening ceremony on the previous day.
