Emperor Naruhito, on the occasion of his 64th birthday, mourns the lives lost in a powerful earthquake that struck central Japan on New Year's Day and extended his sympathy to the people displaced.
Japan's former Emperor Akihito turns 89 after having spent most of the year peacefully with his wife while pursuing his life's work on goby fish research, the Imperial Household Agency says.
Emperor Naruhito, on the occasion of his 62nd birthday on Feb. 23, called on people in Japan to keep "a fire of hope" burning in their hearts and support each other in the face of challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.