Emperor, empress attend New Year's lecture

TOKYO, Japan - Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko (both at center left) listen to a lecture by Nobuaki Kumagai, professor emeritus in electronic communication at Osaka University, in an annual New Year's lecture at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Jan 10. Other lecturers were Tatsuo Nishida, professor emeritus in linguistics at Kyoto University and Kumao Toyoshima, head of Sumitomo Hospital and an expert on oncology and virology.(Pool photo)