Japan's Empress Masako marks 60th birthday

Dec 09, 2023 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Japan's Empress Masako turned 60 years old on Saturday. In a statement released by the Imperial Household Agency, the Empress said she would like to express her renewed and sincere gratitude to the people for their heartwarming feelings towards her.

The Empress expressed hope that she will be able to take a step forward with a fresh mindset and continue to make efforts for years to come.

She also expressed gratitude to those who have worked hard to save people's lives from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Empress said their efforts have paid off, and the situation is gradually calming down. She said she is relieved to see cities and towns bouncing back, and a number of people gradually returning to their normal lives. But she also said she is concerned about many others who are still facing difficulties.

The Empress looked back on her June visit to Iwate Prefecture, one of the regions ravaged by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

It was the first time that Emperor Naruhito and the Empress had visited the disaster-hit area since he ascended the throne in 2019.

The Empress said she was moved to see people there making tireless efforts in the face of many hardships. She said she sincerely hopes that the affected areas will fully recover.

In June, the Imperial couple visited Indonesia for their first overseas goodwill trip since the Emperor's enthronement.

The Empress said she was worried at first because she had not traveled abroad for a long time. But she said many people welcomed her warmly, and the trip was filled with memorable experiences.

The Imperial couple marked 30 years of marriage this year.

Looking back, the Empress said she is thankful from the bottom of her heart that the Emperor has always supported her under the warm guidance of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko.

The Empress also said she is grateful to a number of other people for their care and assistance.

She also mentioned her daughter Princess Aiko, who is in her fourth year of university.

The Empress said the Princess is still like a child to her, but she feels her daughter is helping her family every now and then.

The Empress is scheduled to receive congratulatory greetings along with the Emperor from other members of the Imperial family at the Imperial Palace on Saturday morning.

Source: ANNnewsCH

Record Rain Triggers Level 5 Warning in Fukui

Record rainfall caused 19 rivers to overflow across Fukui Prefecture, flooding roads and homes, triggering landslides and temporarily forcing authorities to issue the highest-level heavy rain emergency warning from early Sunday morning.

Drones Deliver Supplies to Residents Cut Off by Landslide

Drones were used to deliver food and daily necessities to an isolated mountain community in Himi City, Toyama Prefecture, on August 30 after torrential rain triggered a landslide that cut off road access, while volunteers continued flood recovery work in neighboring Ishikawa Prefecture.

Typhoon No. 23 Overtakes No. 22 East of Japan as Both Head North

Two typhoons east of Japan were moving northward on August 30, with Typhoon No. 23 (Banlan) overtaking Typhoon No. 22 (Artau), although neither storm is expected to have a direct impact on Japan.

Nine-Minute Drone Video Shows Scale of Aeon Mall Damage

A 9-minute, 13-second drone video filmed inside Aeon Mall Kumamoto two days after the deadly explosion has provided a detailed view of the destruction, showing collapsed ceilings, heavy dust and widespread damage that may have affected between one-third and nearly half of the shopping center.

Conditions Ease as Typhoon No. 18 Passes Okinawa

Strong Typhoon No. 18 was moving northwest through the East China Sea on the night of August 26, gradually pulling away from Okinawa and the Amami Islands as lingering rain, strong winds and high waves were expected to ease. As of 9 p.m. on August 26, the typhoon was over waters north-northwest of Kume Island and moving northwest.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Three Students Swept Out to Sea in Kagoshima

Three teenage boys who went missing after being swept offshore from the coast of Ichikikushikino, Kagoshima Prefecture, on August 28 were found in the sea near the scene on August 29 and confirmed dead.

Foreign Cyclist Suffers Broken Shoulder in Shiga Hit-and-Run

A foreign man in his 30s suffered serious injuries after being struck by a car while riding a bicycle in Higashiomi, Shiga Prefecture, early on August 29, with police investigating the incident as a hit-and-run.

Bread Dumping Mystery Takes a Twist

A fake video apparently created with generative AI showing a large bear eating piles of sliced bread has spread on social media following a series of illegal bread dumping incidents in Tottori Prefecture, prompting the prefectural government to warn that misinformation could cause economic harm.

Teens Arrested for Spraying Fire Extinguishers at Police Station

Three youths, including a high school student and a junior high school student, have been arrested on suspicion of obstructing police duties after allegedly stealing fire extinguishers and spraying them toward a police station in Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture.

Avant-Garde Artist Yayoi Kusama Dies at 97

Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese avant-garde artist whose obsessive dots, nets, pumpkins and mirrored rooms grew from intensely personal visions into some of the most recognizable images in contemporary art, died at a hospital in Tokyo on August 14, 2026, at the age of 97. Her death was announced on August 27 by companies representing the artist, which said she continued painting until her final days.

Bus Driver Crashes While Shooing Away Mosquito

A Toei bus crashed into a traffic signal in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward on the morning of August 26 after the driver lost control of the steering wheel while trying to shoo away a mosquito, leaving two male passengers injured.

Don't Touch Paramedics' Shoes! Kanazawa Warns

Kanazawa's fire department is asking residents not to straighten or rearrange shoes removed by paramedics during emergency calls, warning that the well-intentioned gesture can delay the transport of patients by around 30 seconds and potentially interfere with medical care.

Luxury Watch Theft Carried Out in 10 Seconds

Two men who stole four luxury watches worth a combined 200 million yen from a store at Tokyo's Nakano Broadway may have carefully planned the 10-second theft, with one suspect renting an electric kick scooter shortly before the crime and investigators examining whether the other man's escape on foot was intended as a decoy.

< 2 3 4 5 >