Overview
- New chief Takeichiro Kuroda held his inaugural news conference on December 25, pledging to support the Imperial family's activities and to prioritize members' health.
- Kuroda said he will use various opportunities to explain the importance of succession and institutional issues to help advance Diet discussions.
- A former vice minister at the Internal Affairs Ministry, Kuroda served as the agency’s deputy since December 2023 and said the Imperial family is a vital emotional anchor for the public.
- He identified stronger public communications and careful stewardship of Imperial assets, including mausoleums, as operational priorities.
- Outgoing chief Yasuhiko Nishimura, who retired on December 24, lamented the lack of consensus in the Diet and urged a broadly supported plan while highlighting expanded use of social media to explain Imperial activities.