Emperor to Donate 100 M. Yen to Aid Children, Volunteers

April 6, 2020

Tokyo- Japan's Emperor Naruhito will donate a total of 100 million yen to a foundation tackling child poverty and a nonprofit organization supporting volunteers, to mark his accession to the throne, the Imperial Household Agency said Monday.

The Emperor will donate 50 million yen each to the foundation and the Japan Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster from his own pocket. He ascended the throne in May last year.

Through the move, the Emperor hopes that people will deepen their understanding of child poverty and of measures taken by volunteers to support people affected by disasters, the agency said.

As there is an upper limit to the amount of money the Emperor can donate, parliament has passed a resolution to allow him to make donations of up to 100 million yen, under Article 8 of the Constitution.

His father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, donated 50 million yen each to two organizations related to child welfare and support measures for people with disabilities, when he rose to the throne. Jiji Press