Empress Masako turned 62 on Tuesday with reinforced hopes for lasting peace as she reflected on her visits this year to places associated with World War II.
To mark the 80th year since the war ended, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Iwoto, a remote Tokyo island also known as Iwo Jima, as well as the prefectures of Okinawa, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Memorial Hall to pray for the war dead.
In a statement released through the Imperial Household Agency, the empress said that this year deeply reminded her once again of the importance of preserving lasting peace.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.