TOKYO - Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, attended the opening ceremony of the World Congress of Medical Laboratory Science in Chiba, where she expressed condolences to victims of recent natural disasters and called for a swift recovery in affected areas.
The princess arrived at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City at around 1:30 p.m., where she was welcomed by event organizers and other officials.
The international conference brings together medical laboratory scientists and other specialists from 40 countries and regions to discuss developments in clinical laboratory testing.
In her address at the opening ceremony, Princess Aiko expressed condolences to those who lost their lives in the Kumamoto earthquake, torrential rains in Chiba and Typhoon No. 25, while offering words of sympathy to those affected by the disasters.
"I sincerely hope that recovery and reconstruction efforts in the affected areas will progress and that people will be able to return to their everyday lives in safety and peace of mind as soon as possible. I also wish to express my heartfelt respect to everyone working tirelessly to provide medical and health support to disaster victims and to restore the affected communities," she said.
Following the opening ceremony, Princess Aiko visited an exhibition highlighting the work of medical laboratory scientists during disasters. She examined the displays with keen interest and asked questions about the activities of laboratory professionals in emergency situations.
Source: TBS
