TOKYO - JAPAN'S Emperor Akihito made a rare comment on economic matters to call on the nation to unite in fighting its recession, in a New Year message released on Thursday.

'It grieves my heart that many people have been left in difficult conditions as the economic situation has worsened in our country since autumn due to the effects of the global financial crisis,' he said.

'I hope people overcome these difficulties by mustering their wisdom, caring for ties with other people and helping one another,' the 75-year-old monarch added.

Japanese companies have cut tens of thousands of jobs, mostly of vulnerable temporary-contract workers, as the demand for cars, cameras and other products dies amid the crisis.

Emperor Akihito, who marks the 20th anniversary of his reign in 2009 after taking over from his father Emperor Hirohito, who died on Jan 7, 1989, has been recovering from illness.

He has been restricting his official duties in recent weeks since suffering an irregular pulse.

The role of Japan's emperor has been reduced to a ceremonial one after Emperor Hirohito renounced his divinity and his status as the military commander in chief after World War II.

In the 1947 post-war constitution, the emperor was defined as 'the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people'. He has been made to remain neutral in political matters. -- AFP