An imperial garden party scheduled for Nov. 9 will be the last hosted by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, a senior official said Thursday.As the emperor will be busy before his abdication on April 30, the biannual party will not be held in spring, the Imperial Household Agency's Grand Steward Shinichiro Yamamoto told a press conference.The emperor's eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito who will succeed to the throne on May 1, will continue to host the garden parties, in which imperial family members exchange greetings and mingle with around 2,000 invited guests, including those from the wo…READ FULL ARTICLE
