Emperor turns 77, hopes for `elderly-friendly` society

TOKYO, Dec. 23 Kyodo -
Emperor Akihito, on the occasion of his 77th birthday on Thursday, reflected on
the past year and said that as he grows more aware of the symptoms of aging, he
hopes that society will become more attuned to the needs of the elderly.
''It is my sincere hope that there will be further understanding of the needs
of the elderly and that more and more attention will be paid to make buildings
and towns better equipped to serve the needs of the elderly,'' the emperor said
at the customary pre-birthday news conference held Monday.
The emperor admitted he has developed hearing difficulties and said, ''I can
understand what the announcers are saying, but when it comes to listening to
other people's conversations on TV, I find myself often relying on subtitles.''
The emperor, who climbed Mt. Sekison in Nagano Prefecture with Prince
Akishino's family in the summer, said he was sometimes helped by the prince and
his daughter Princess Mako on his way down the mountain, which has never
happened before.
The emperor has experienced some health problems this year, including a case of
norovirus-induced acute enteritis in February and a cold in June, leading to
the cancellation or postponement of his official duties.
However, the emperor stressed that he is ''not planning on making any more
major reductions'' to his work load, which had been cut back in consideration
of his health.
The emperor also said he and Empress Michiko are ''worried'' about Princess
Aiko, the only child of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, who
has been attending a limited number of classes since missing several days of
school due to the ''rough behavior'' in March of boys in her grade.
While their opportunities to see Princess Aiko have been limited, the emperor
said whenever the princess visits them she ''expresses her love for the
empress'' by presenting flowers picked from her garden and by showing a video
of her cat on her camera.
Concerning Crown Princess Masako, who continues to receive treatment for a
stress-induced illness, the emperor said, ''It is my hope that she will strive
first and foremost to regain her health.''
On the recent revelation that over 230,000 centenarians are missing despite
having been registered in local government offices, the emperor said that the
matter is ''most regrettable.''
He also sympathized with the suffering of those affected by the outbreak of
foot-and-mouth disease in Miyazaki Prefecture in April and the torrential rains
that hit Amami-Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture in October.
On a brighter note, the emperor said it was ''a truly delightful feat of the
year'' that Japan's Hayabusa unmanned space probe landed on the asteroid
Itokawa and returned to Earth in June after a roughly 6 billion-kilometer
journey.
The emperor also expressed deep respect for professor Tetsuji Nakabo of Kyoto
University, who made a major contribution in the rediscovery of kunimasu, an
indigenous freshwater salmon species, which was thought to have become extinct
over 70 years ago.
The fish, which was previously only seen in Lake Tazawa in Akita Prefecture,
was discovered in Lake Saiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, as the eggs of the fish
were taken to Lake Saiko before the species was thought to have become extinct.
Calling kunimasu ''a miracle fish,'' the emperor said he was ''pleased'' that
fish expert and TV personality Sakana-kun, who is also a visiting associate
professor at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, was among the
many involved in rediscovering the fish.
Emperor Akihito was enthroned Jan. 7, 1989, following the death of his father
Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa.
His formal accession ceremony took place on Nov. 12, 1990, at the Imperial
Palace following a period of mourning for Emperor Hirohito.
==Kyodo