TOKYO - Japan's Emperor Naruhito vowed to work with the public to overcome a range of challenges from climate change, child abuse, poverty and the better integration of minority groups as he turned 60 on Sunday (Feb 23).
This would have been a landmark celebration for the Emperor, his first birthday since taking over the Chrysanthemum Throne from his 86-year-old father Akihito, who is now Emperor Emeritus, in May last year to herald the dawn of the Reiwa (beautiful harmony) era.
Further, the age 60 is a landmark year in the Japanese zodiac calendar, which is represented by five natural elements - metal, fire, earth, water and wood - and 12 animals like in the lunar calendar. So a person who turns 60 has undergone all possible combinations and returned to that of his year of birth.
But concerns over the coronavirus outbreak led the traditional birthday public greeting, typically attended by tens of thousands of people, at the Imperial Palace to be scrapped.
Emperor Naruhito offered sympathies to those who have been infected with the coronavirus and their families, adding: "I hope the contagion will be put under control as soon as possible.
"In an era of rapid change, it is important to contemplate measures in our official duties that would correspond to societal changes and act accordingly," he told reporters ahead of his birthday, adding that the imperial family "bears a share of the responsibility" to take on such issues.
The Emperor, a staunch advocate of water issues, pointed to climate change as a major crisis that Japan has been facing, with stronger typhoons and hotter summers in recent years.
He also pointed to the increasing cases of child abuse and poverty in Japan, which he said was "heartbreaking", while adding that the Olympic year is a chance for Japan to accept its growing diversity and better integrate groups like foreign residents, people with disabilities and the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community.
Like how the 1964 Tokyo Olympics had "opened my eyes to the world", he hoped Japanese youth will seize the chance to "enrich their understanding of the diverse world and to foster a global perspective".
While he pledged to uphold his official duties as the symbol of the state and unity of the people, as stipulated under Japan's Constitution, he also vowed to keep an eye out for his wife, Empress Masako, 56, who has gradually reappeared in the public eye as she recovers from a "stress adjustment disorder" that first developed more than 15 years ago.
But noting that she continues to feel lethargic after major events or a series of appearances, he said: "I would like for my wife to not push too hard and steadily take on what she can do."
Their only child, Princess Aiko, 18, will be a freshman at Gakushuin University in Tokyo starting in April, majoring in Japanese literature.
But Japan's Imperial Household Law forbids females from ascending the throne, which means she will not be able to become monarch.
As it is now, there are only three heirs to the Chrysanthemum Throne in the 18-member family: Emperor Naruhito's younger brother, Crown Prince Akishino, 54; the crown prince's son, Prince Hisahito, 13; and Prince Hitachi, 84, the emperor's uncle.
And while women can marry into the royal family, the six princesses born into the family will lose their royal status when they marry a commoner.
"This is a problem related to the future of the imperial family," Emperor Naruhito said, noting the shrinking pool of royals who can perform official duties.
But he stopped short of discussing the future of the imperial line, given that his role is apolitical. The government is due to begin talks on how to sustain the royal line from April.
