Full text of Emperor Naruhito's 62nd Birthday Press Conference (2) About Empress and Princess Aiko
About Empress and Princess Aiko
The parent article is here.
Press: Her Majesty the Empress has been
attending to official duties with His Majesty while continuing her medical
treatment. How is her recovery going? Your daughter, Princess Aiko, has turned
20. What did you think when you saw her at the coming-of-age events? Looking
back over the past 20 years, please tell us about your most memorable memories,
her current student life with its ongoing online classes, your hopes for the
future, and your thoughts on her marriage as a father.
Emperor: Although it has been difficult for
Masako to keep in shape due to the restrictions on her activities caused by the
spread of the new coronavirus infection, she has been fortunate to be able to
attend ceremonies in Tokyo, visit various places online, and give New Year's
video messages together with us, while making various efforts. With regard to
sericulture, last year we were able to engage in more work and I was happy to
see that they were enjoying their work. I also believe that she is trying her
best to adjust the rhythm of her official duties and life in her own way,
despite the drastic changes in her living environment with the relocation to
the Imperial Palace.
However, she is still in the process of
recovering, and her physical condition varies, and she tends to be tired for a
while after major events. I hope that she will continue to steadily accumulate
the things she can do one by one without overworking herself. Masako is also an
important person who supports me in my daily activities and is a good advisor
to me both in private and public life. I would like to continue to help and
support her as much as I can. I would like to express my gratitude once again
to the people of Japan for their warmth and support, and I would be grateful if
you would continue to warmly watch over Masako's recovery.
Last December, Aiko reached the age of
majority. I'm sure there was a lot of nervousness as she presented her thoughts
on the coming of age and the coming of age events. We were relieved that she
was able to finish all the events without any problems. We were also deeply
moved by the fact that before we knew it, we had reached the age of 20 years
old and had joined the ranks of adults. As a parent, I am happy to know that
Aiko is grateful for the help and support she receives from so many people on a
daily basis.
As for memorable memories, I remember how
happy I was to see Aiko grow up in her swimming class at school, when she could
swim a short distance in the pool using a beat board when she was a little
girl, and when she could swim a long distance of 3 km in the sea in Numazu,
Shizuoka Prefecture, when she was in the middle school for girls. Also, I was glad
to feel her growth when she visited Hiroshima on a school trip in junior high
school, and was so shocked that she put her thoughts on peace into writing.
Aiko became a university student the year
before last, but due to the effects of the new coronavirus infection, she has
been attending classes online. as a sophomore, she has been busy giving
presentations in her exercise classes and submitting assignments, but she has
been working hard on her studies at the university.
When I look back on my university life, I
realize that it has been about 40 years ago now, and I have met and taken
classes with many different people, participated in after-school club
activities together, and sat next to strangers in the student cafeteria. I
think it was a series of new discoveries and experiences. In this sense, I hope
that Aiko will be able to visit the campus someday after the infection has
settled down, but I also hope that she will be able to have a fruitful student
life no matter what environment she is in.
Aiko cherishes the time she spends with her
family, and when she is with us, our happy gatherings are filled with laughter
and fun. As I mentioned last year, I hope that Aiko will learn a great deal
from various people, broaden her horizons and deepen her own thoughts as she
accumulates various experiences. Also, as an adult member of the Imperial
Family, I hope that she will fulfill each of her duties with great care, while
maintaining a sense of compassion and gratitude. In the process, I would like
to do all I can to help them in any way I can.
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