Dec 09 (NHK) - Japan's Empress Masako turned 61 on Monday. She issued a statement, saying 2024 began in a deeply painful manner due to a major earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture on New Year's Day.
The Empress said she visited quake survivors in the Noto region in March and April, when the situation calmed down somewhat.
She said she is hoping from the bottom of her heart that rebuilding work would make steady progress so that the day when survivors would be able to lead a life with a sense of security would come as soon as possible.
But the Empress said it pains her heart to remember that the area suffered damage from heavy rain in late September at a time when people were working toward recovery and reconstruction from the quake.
She also mentioned many other disasters around the world that were caused by torrential rain and other natural phenomena reportedly worsened by global warming.
The Empress said she feels that a sense of urgency over climate change and other global environmental challenges has been growing year by year. She said she believes they are among the issues that people need to join hands to tackle seriously.
The Empress looked back on the historic achievements by Japanese athletes at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics as well as Japanese Major League Baseball player Ohtani Shohei.
She said seeing such young athletes in various fields pave the way for a new world through their tireless efforts must have given hope and courage to many Japanese people.
The Empress also referred to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization of survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It won this year's Nobel Peace Prize.
She said that, as 2025 marks 80 years since the end of World War Two, she thinks about the pain and suffering of those exposed to radiation from the atomic bombings and also about efforts that have been made by people for many years to realize the abolishment of nuclear weapons.
The Empress said she feels it is important for people across the globe to try to understand each other and work together in order to build a peaceful world.
The Empress noted that a state visit she made with the Emperor to Britain in June was memorable thanks to a heartfelt and warm welcome during the stay.
She said she was glad to feel that friendly relations between Japan and Britain had deepened through exchanges of many people and on other occasions.
She said her visit to the University of Oxford with the Emperor was also a special experience and that she was impressed. She attended the institution for two years until 1990. The Emperor also went to the university.
The Empress commented on her daughter, Princess Aiko, who graduated from Gakushuin University in Tokyo in March and started working at the Japanese Red Cross Society the following month.
The Empress said she is pleased that her daughter is feeling rewarded by her job while receiving warm instructions from colleagues.
She said she hopes her daughter will continue working to fulfill her duties as a member of the Imperial Family while taking care of her health and gaining various experiences as a member of society.
