Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko attended award ceremonies for young researchers in Japan on February 4.

The crown prince delivered a speech in front of 25 winners of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Award and Japan Academy Medal.

Crown Prince Fumihito / I feel great significance that the award recognizes young researchers in  a wide range of fields, from humanities and social sciences to natural sciences, in an effort to further motivate and support the advancement of their research.

After the ceremony, the couple spoke with researchers in a wide range of fields, including environmental and energy economics and the history of religion.