Answer 1:
With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing globally, I spent the past year concerned about the many people facing hardships and living with painful feelings. I feel deep gratitude to medical workers and the many other people working in the vital roles that support and maintain our lives, who face the risk of infection as they carry out their important work.
During this situation, the Rikkōshi-no-rei (the Ceremonies for Proclamation of Crown Prince) took place last November at the Imperial Palace. Having been postponed once, the ceremonies were held amid infection countermeasures. After the Rikkōshi-Senmei-no-gi (the Ceremony for Proclamation of Crown Prince), Crown Prince Akishino and I worshiped at the Three Palace Sanctuaries in the Imperial Palace, and then at the Chōken-no-gi (the First Audience), we were honored with warm words from Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress. Now that the Prince is in a position of even heavier responsibility, I would like to continue to support him with even greater care and to perform each of my duties sincerely.
On September 6th, Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, together with Her Imperial Highness Princess Aiko (Toshi-no-Miya), moved from the Akasaka Imperial Residence, where they had long resided, to the Imperial Palace. It is my heartfelt wish that they will continue to enjoy good health at the Imperial Residence.
Our official activities this past year were mostly events held online. We, Crown Prince Akishino and I, and our daughters, therefore sent pre-recorded video messages, or made addresses on the day itself, attending the venues online from our residence. We also sometimes viewed events such as conventions and ceremonies online, as well as taking part in meetings, speaking to the other participants involved via a screen.
For the Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association (JATA) and the Imperial Gift Foundation Boshi-Aiiku-Kai, of which I am Patroness and President respectively, I had the opportunity to participate in international online events in which participants discussed issues relating to tuberculosis control programs and healthcare for mother and children under the circumstances of the pandemic.
In autumn last year, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), marked its Centennial, and held the “51st Union World Conference on Lung Health”. From the participants in the conference, I recognized the strong passion of those specialists around the world who are implementing measures against tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases to work together to catch up after the delays that have occurred in tuberculosis control programs due to the spread of COVID-19 infections.
Then, in May this year, the “Second Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Handbook Webinar” was held, and its participants reported on activities using Maternal and Child Health Handbooks to support pregnant and nursing mothers exposed to higher risks by the pandemic. Through this international webinar, I feel that participants shared the importance of listening to the voices of pregnant and nursing mothers and their partners and caring for them, as well as the importance of their perinatal mental health.
From this summer on, there was a rapid increase in the number of patients recuperating at home while waiting to be admitted to hospital. I am deeply impressed that many people in the medical and healthcare sectors dedicated themselves to treating patients with severe or medium-level infections in hospitals, and visiting and observing the health of patients recuperating at home. This makes me feel all the more strongly that each and every one of us should work to prevent infections from spreading, in order to reduce even slightly the burden on those workers.
I am sincerely concerned about those infected people and their families who face confusion and unease having difficulties in their social lives, or are struggling with poor health for long periods because of the after-effects of the virus. I am also deeply concerned about elderly people, people with disabilities, people who have lost their employment, as well as children who are having to be brought up in a constrained environment, all of whom may tend to become isolated as the opportunities to have close contacts with other people are reduced.
In these circumstances, volunteers are carrying forward various activities with appropriate consideration for preventing the spread of infections. For example, the National Federation of Community Women's Organizations for Tuberculosis Control (JATA Women's Society), with which I am involved, is taking the initiative to appeal for well-considered actions including undergoing the necessary health check-ups, while taking appropriate infection prevention measures based on correct information. Another initiative is the ”Citrus Ribbon Project”, which cares for those people infected with COVID-19 and those involved with medical care, among others, and expresses respect for them. Further, Aiiku teams from Boshi-Aiiku-Kai, while taking appropriate measures to prevent the spread of infections, are carrying out activities including people in local communities watching over families bringing up children in order to prevent child abuse, and paying individual visits to elderly people.
Amidst the pandemic, it was also a year when I felt anew how extremely important the role of blood donation campaigns is. With the spread of infections causing a decline in the number of blood donors, volunteers including students have been coming up with ways to promote blood donations actively, in order to save the lives of those people who need blood transfusions. Whenever I hear these stories or read written materials introducing these initiatives, I become aware of the passion and warm feelings of the people involved in these very meaningful activities.
This summer, I watched together with Crown Prince Akishino the video streaming of the Japanese Delegation Forming Ceremony and the Team Inauguration Ceremony for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 respectively, which took place mostly in the Tokyo Metropolitan area. During the period of the Games, news coverage and other media enabled me to appreciate the rigorously-trained athletes challenging their boundless potential, and the staff and volunteers working to support the games while implementing infection prevention measures. The moments remain in my heart of the athletes at the end of their competitions congratulating each other regardless of national and regional boundaries, expressing their gratitude to those around them, and sharing their joy with their families and friends online.
Again this year there were a large number of natural disasters both in Japan and overseas. In Japan, these included damage caused by last winter’s record-breaking heavy snowfall, and flooding and landslides in the summer, caused by heavy rain. As I think of those who died and those others who were affected by these disasters, l hope that the affected areas will recover as quickly as possible.
Overseas, too, there was a series of forest fires caused by heat waves, as well as large-scale flooding. I am concerned not only about people’s health and livelihoods, but also the effects of climate change on nature and ecosystems.
Ten years on from the Great East Japan Earthquake, and five years after the Kumamoto Earthquakes, I have been giving my thoughts to the sadness and changed living environments of those who have lost so much, including people dear to them, and houses in which they had lived for a long time, and also to the difficult situation of those people who are still today living away from their own homes.
I have had some chance to learn about activities to pass on and make future use of the memories of these earthquakes. For instance, the other day I had an opportunity to watch children who suffered the earthquakes in Tohoku and Kumamoto, looking back on their experiences and talking about disaster prevention and community development, and I felt once again the importance of being prepared for disasters.
I also sometimes hear stories that those affected and those who were supporting them or taking them in as evacuees still cherish their relationship with each other, and whenever I have heard of this it has warmed my heart. I wish from my heart for the day to come, as soon as possible, when the pandemic is controlled, and people may feel at ease again.
Addresses and Press Conferences
