Archive · 2 Jan 2026
Man Strips Naked at Emperor's New Year Greeting
During a special event where the Emperor of Japan, Naruhito, was talking to the crowd and waving from a balcony, a young man decided to take off all his clothes.
He was standing in the front row of the people watching the event.
After taking off his clothes, he climbed over a barrier.
The guards and police quickly stopped him, wrapped him in a blanket, and took him away.
The man had said before that he was going to do this on social media.
The Emperor and his family are very important in Japan, but they don't have any political power.
People usually treat them with a lot of respect, so this was a very unusual thing to happen.
A man in his 20s stripped naked and climbed a barrier during Emperor Naruhito's New Year greeting at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
The incident occurred after the emperor had finished his brief remarks and was waving to the crowd.
The man was restrained by the imperial guard and Tokyo police, who wrapped him in a blanket and led him away.
The man had announced his intention to strip naked at the event on social media.
The imperial family holds no political power but remains a highly symbolic institution in Japan.
- Who
- A man in his 20s (unnamed)
- What
- Stripped naked and climbed a barrier during Emperor Naruhito's New Year greeting
- When
- Friday (2026)
- Where
- Imperial Palace, Tokyo
- Why
- The man had announced his intention on social media
- Event
- Emperor's New Year Greeting
- Location
- Imperial Palace, Tokyo
- Date
- Friday (2026)
- Perpetrator
- Man in his 20s (unnamed)
- Action
- Stripped naked, climbed barrier
- Response
- Restrained by imperial guard and police
- Emperor
- Naruhito
- Imperial Family Status
- Symbolic, no political power
