Time capsule opened in Saitama city near Tokyo

A 30-year-old time capsule has been opened in a city in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo.

Yoshikawa City installed the time capsule containing letters and other items collected from its citizens at the municipal hall, as part of commemorations for the city's establishment in April 1996.

On Sunday, around 150 people took part in a ceremony to open the capsule.

The spherical metal container measured more than one meter in diameter. When it was opened, about 400 letters, documents and photos wrapped in white cloth emerged.

City officials read out some letters written by citizens to their future selves. One person wrote, "Will I still be alive 30 years on?" Another said, "I hope I'll be a train driver." The participants laughed and applauded.

The items inside were then returned to their original owners.

A couple in their 50s living in the city said they had just married, and they put a copy of their marriage registration form in the capsule.

They said their eldest daughter, with whom her mother was pregnant at the time, has already married, and they were able to get along well for 30 years. They said they will bring their item home and take their time looking at it.