2023(Written Answers)

Written Answers from Her Imperial Highness Crown Princess Akishino in Response to the Questions from the Japanese Media on the Occasion of Her Birthday

September 11, 2023 Question 1: Your Highness contracted COVID-19 in July. How is your health? Over the last year Your Highness has attended a large number of events with Crown Prince Akishino, and in May Your Highnesses also attended the Coronation of King Charles of the United Kingdom. Would you please tell us your impressions as you look back at those events, and your aspirations for your future activities.: Answer 1:

　Thank you for caring about my health. After I contracted COVID-19 I had a high temperature, but this gradually came down, and the pain eased, too. I had a period of rest during which I was unable to perform public duties, but my heart was comforted by the kind words and the letters that I received caring about my health, among other things. I am thankful that I have recovered, and I am very glad to be able to perform my duties again.

　Becoming infected myself gave me an opportunity to turn my thoughts once again to those people in Japan and around the world who have suffered hard experiences as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. I have heard that the virus has caused hardships for those who contracted COVID and their families, and that some people have taken a long time to recover their health because of after-effects, and I am concerned to hear this.

＜Looking back on the past year＞

　I would like to start by writing about events and the like that I have attended with Crown Prince Akishino since last autumn, and then to touch on events and other activities I have undertaken for organizations of which I myself am Patroness.

　My year with Crown Prince Akishino

　Looking back over the last year, Crown Prince Akishino and I had the opportunity to attend together various events that were held in person for the first time in several years, and to meet a large number of people.

　I visited among others the venues of the "National Sports Festival for People with a Disability" (Tochigi Prefecture), which was held last October for the first time in four years, and the "World Aquatics Championships" (Fukuoka Prefecture), which was held this summer, and together with a large number of spectators I enjoyed watching the competitions, in which the athletes competed hard, having worked to keep up their training during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the National Sports Festival for People with an Impairment I met elderly deaf people, nursing students and high school students, among others, who were working as volunteers performing roles supporting the provision of information, including in sign language, working as care attendants and assistants to the athletes, or helping to administer the games. Their enthusiasm for supporting the Sports Festival was communicated by the words they all spoke to me.

　There are several sports that I came across for the first time at these sports festivals. One of these was Boccia, which is an official Paralympic event, and I have a lasting memory of seeing the players using their various skills, some throwing the ball while sitting in a wheelchair, while other players, who were not able to throw the ball themselves, pushed the ball down ramps (inclined assistive devices to deliver the ball) with the help of their Ramp Operators (Sport Assistants), who positioned the ball according to the players’ instructions. I tried Boccia for myself for the first time in spring this year. While there were times when I was successful in rolling the red or blue balls towards the white target ball, there were also times when I simply couldn’t get the balls to roll where I wanted them to go, so my team mate and I cheered each other on as we played. I hope to have another opportunity in future to enjoy this universal sport which can be played by various people.

　I was able to meet a large number of people from all across the country involved in activities to promote tree-planting at the "National Tree-Care Festival" (Oita Prefecture) in November last year, and at the “National ‘Protect the Greenery’ Gathering" (Fukuoka Prefecture) in June this year. At these events I felt reassured to hear from children who were studying at primary school about their local natural environment, not just woods and forests, but also nearby ponds and rivers, and working to conserve it. I was also blessed with the opportunity to hear from elderly people who are planting and then maintaining flowering plant seedlings in nearby parks visited by local people, and along roadsides. These encounters with people from different generations working to preserve and nurture green spaces and forests in their local communities warmed my heart.

　During the COVID-19 pandemic, I spent more time working from our residence, and on my days off I often had contact with the plants and soil around it. This last year, too, at times when I was taking breaks while working, flower-loving members of staff and I planted tulips and other bulbs, and scattered sunflower seeds, watered them and looked after them. I used the flowers we grew to decorate the rooms where we receive guests, and to make baskets or bouquets of flowers that were sent to express gratitude.

　The Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was held on May 6 this year, with a large number of guests attending both from the UK and overseas. Crown Prince Akishino and I also attended this magnificent and joyful Coronation, and were able to share in the rejoicing with all those in attendance, while Westminster Abbey echoed beautifully with music composed for the Coronation by various British musicians, and church music sung in various languages including not only Latin and English but also Welsh and Gaelic. I had the opportunity to meet His Majesty The King of the United Kingdom, and also other members of the British Royal Family, as well as members of Royal Families attending from Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. It was a social reunion with many I had not seen for some time, which brought back fond memories.

　Double-flowered cherry flowers were blossoming beautifully in front of the entrance to the official residence of the Ambassador of Japan to the United Kingdom, which we visited. I heard with great interest, from Japanese people I met there, stories of the deepening relationship between Japan and the UK, including international exchanges through planting cherry trees, and educational activities at the Japanese School that incorporated positive elements from the UK.

　After returning home, I saw reports showing　“The Big Lunch”, which is an annual event, held on the Sunday following the Coronation, with people at a number of different locations bringing food and spending a congenial time together as they celebrated the Coronation this year. “The Big Help Out”, an event promoting volunteering, was held on the following Monday, and reports of large numbers of people, including members of the Royal Family, enjoying chatting together as they worked on projects left a very strong impression on me.

　At the opening ceremony of the "National Inter-High School Championships" (Hokkaido Prefecture), held in July this year, the venue was decorated with planters in which local agricultural high school students had planted various colorful flowers they had grown, expressing the hospitality with which these students were greeting athletes gathering from all over Japan. In the afternoon that day, I visited the Yoshino district of Atsuma Town, where at the time of the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake five years ago, many people lost their lives in large landslides. I heard from the mayor that the name of the district is said to derive from the mountain scenery, with (Hokkaido’s native) Ezo Mountain Cherry flowers blossoming in full glory considered comparable to those of Yoshino Town in Nara Prefecture, and that after the disaster, the people of Yoshino Town in Nara sent saplings of White Mountain Cherry (Yoshino Cherry) with hopes for recovery and for the repose of the departed, and that these saplings had been planted on the slope of the mountain that had collapsed. I was moved by the fact that the local people were looking after these trees in memory of their late loved ones who had lived there, and their work to protect these cherry saplings has meant that the site will end up being not just a place of sadness, but also a place where the past is remembered, and a repository for hopes for rebirth. After that, together with primary and middle school students from the Towns of Atsuma, Abira and Mukawa, where the damage had been devastating, I planted a Red Ezo Spruce sapling, and prayed for the healthy growth of the children.

　This year natural phenomena including rising temperatures, strong winds and extreme rainfall events seem to be having a major effect on people’s lives, on the ecosystem and on agricultural products. There have been a series of extensive forest fires around the world, and in August on Maui Island in Hawaii a forest fire spread into urban areas, inflicting damage on many people. I visited Hawaii together with Crown Prince Akishino in June 2018, and we received a warm welcome from a large number of people at the "59th Convention of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad". Also, in January this year, the "Honolulu Cherry Blossom Festival Queen" top contestants kindly visited our residence, which gave me an opportunity to hear about Hawaii face to face for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. Our family all hope that the lives of those affected by the fires on Maui Island, along with others elsewhere around the world affected by wildfires, typhoons, tornados and the like, will settle down soon.

　On the 1st of this month (of September), I attended the "Autumnal Grand Memorial Services for the Victims of the Great Kanto Earthquake (of 1923) and for the Victims of War Damage from the Tokyo Air Raids”, held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Memorial Hall. This year marks the centenary of the Great Kanto Earthquake, and I think it is very important that we are mindful of learning from past incidents and experiences not just this year but in ordinary times, and to act accordingly, and this can lead to disaster prevention and mitigation. I hope that we can become a caring society in which we are considerate, communicative and support each other so that everyone can obtain accurate information and the care that they need.

　This time of year when the summer holidays are over and school classes are starting, is said to be also a time when an increased number of children feel more keenly the difficulties of their lives. It is very important that in addition to their families and their schools, children have time to interact with other people they can trust, and places where they can be themselves. I feel that further progress in activities to create spaces where children can feel at ease, including telephone consultations, is very important.

　My activities over the past year

　Again this year I attended a number of events related to the fields of medical care, maternal and child health, and public health, including tuberculosis prevention, in which I have been engaged for a long time as Patroness of the Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association and as President of the Imperial Gift Boshi-Aiiku-kai. I met and talked with doctors and public health nurses working to preserve the health of people in communities across Japan. I also had the opportunity to meet and talk with people supporting the mental health of people from overseas living in Japan for work or study purposes, and learned for the first time that TELL (Tokyo English LifeLine) has been providing free telephone counseling and other activities for 50 years now.

　In that connection, in April this year I attended an event to celebrate TELL’s 50th anniversary. In addition to 24-hour English-language telephone counseling supported by volunteers in Japan and overseas, TELL at present offers face-to-face counseling and engages in outreach activities to support mental health. The message on TELL’s website that “You are not alone. We are here to listen. We are here for you.” was presented.

　At the Imperial Gift Foundation Boshi-Aiiku-Kai’s “Annual National Convention” held in the same month, April this year, an Aiiku volunteer team member presented a memorandum stating “I am here for you. You are here for me. We think it is important to keep getting this feeling across”, which I felt is getting across a similar warm feeling to that communicated by TELL's message. The lecturer who gave the special lecture at this Convention expressed hope that the Aiiku volunteer teams would perform the function of a bridge loosely connecting the many organizations and groups in different communities.

　I was fortunate to be able to come across these heartfelt words and powerful thoughts, so this spring was a season for me to think about person-to-person links.

　The following month, I attended the Annual Meeting of the “Society for the Protection of the Cultural Heritage of Daishōji Imperial Convent”, which was held for the first time in four years, at Daishōji Temple, an Imperial Convent in Kyoto. This year I had more opportunities to meet Abbesses of Imperial Convents, including Daishōji but also elsewhere in Kyoto and Nara, as well as people who are working hard to preserve the culture passed on in these temples. I would like to continue to carry out my duties to reciprocate the spirit of the generations of Abbesses, who have been active also as Grand Masters of Ikebana (the traditional style of Japanese flower arrangement) or Japanese tea schools, and those who support the Imperial Convent temples, who have both worked to preserve and restore cultural assets in order to pass on to the next generation the longstanding traditions and culture of the Imperial Convent temples.

＜Future wishes and aspirations＞

　Their Majesties the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita, who had refrained from going out during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, in May visited two Imperial Convent temples, which have deep historical ties to the Imperial Family; Daishōji Temple, where the restoration of the Western-style formal court dress (manteau de cour) of Empress Dowager Shoken has been completed, and Chūgūji Temple, whose Main Hall has been restored. They also saw the Aoi Matsuri, which is one of the three major festivals in Kyoto. Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, in Their first overseas goodwill visit since His Majesty’s accession, visited the Republic of Indonesia together, deepening relationships through the exchanges They had at Their destinations. And in June, Her Imperial Highness Princess Mikasa marked her 100th birthday. I pray that all the members of the Imperial Family will remain in good health.

　When I think about my own future activities, I feel that the various meetings, learnings and realizations I have had up to this point will lead to the activities I will move forward with from now. It is by virtue of the guidance, support and encouragement of many people that I have been able to pursue activities related to medical care, maternal and child health, and activities engaging with children, among others. In future too, I hope for healthy lives for everyone from children to the elderly, and I would like to cherish time to think about the preciousness of life. Turning my thoughts to the children who will build our future, I would also like to be involved in activities that will lead to their hope, together with specialists and my good colleagues.

Question 2: The Imperial Household Agency disclosed on June 30 that Princess Kako is living in the annex adjoining your residence. What sort of discussions did your family have, and when was this decided? Please tell us why it was not initially disclosed, and why it was announced to the public for the first time in June. Various views have been expressed by the public about the refurbishment costs of your residence and the way these were disclosed, so what is Your Highness’ response to this?: Answer 2:

　Before answering the question, I will explain about our residence.

　Our residence consists of three parts, namely, the private section where our family live, the public section where we hold events, greet guests and hold meetings and so on, and then the office section where our staff work.

　The main objectives of the recent refurbishment carried out by the Imperial Household Agency were to update installations like the plumbing, which had hardly been touched since the building was constructed in 1972 and had deteriorated, as well as structures that were no longer compliant as a result of changes in building regulations, to enlarge the public space to accommodate the events and guest receptions held in our residence, and to secure office space for our staff, whose number increased substantially along with the Imperial Succession. The private section of the residence was also refurbished as part of these works, and I understand that following the works, the Crown Prince residence consists of 20% private quarters, 30% public space, and 50% office space.

　With regard to these works, from the design stage Crown Prince Akishino and I expressed the following two wishes to the Imperial Household Agency:

　1.To preserve the beautifully-designed interiors and exteriors of the former Prince Chichibu’s residence, which was designed by Mr. Isoya Yoshida

　2.To carry out the works using the minimum necessary budget

　Now I would like to explain about the annex. While the works on our residence were being carried out, we lived temporarily for about three years in the annex (then called the temporary residence) situated several tens of meters away from our residence. This annex building contained a public section and an office section as well as the private quarters in which our family lived. After the three of us moved from the annex to our residence in spring this year, the bulk of the space in the annex is now being used for offices, etc., with the exception of the rooms that our younger daughter was already occupying.

　This is to answer your first question. When the refurbishment plans were drawn up, it turned out that some works such as expanding the public section and securing office space for the increased number of staff were indispensable. Our family (Crown Prince Akishino, myself, and our two daughters) discussed how to minimize the scale and cost of the works, and the idea emerged of not creating rooms for our two daughters in our main residence, by having the two, after the refurbishment of our main residence, continue to utilize their rooms in the annex in which we would be temporarily living while the works were going on.

　Following discussions with the Imperial Household Agency, since this was before the work had started, it was confirmed that this was feasible, so it was decided that both of our two daughters would continue to utilize their respective rooms in the annex.

　At the time when we were temporarily living in it, this annex included a private section in which our family lived, a public section, and part of the office section, but now, apart from our younger daughter’s private quarters, the bulk of the space that has been vacated is being used as offices, etc.

　With regard to your next question, the Grand Master of the Crown Prince’s Household announced in autumn last year, after the refurbishment was completed, that a part of the private quarters in the annex would be retained, and that our family would be using a combination of the private quarters in the Crown Prince residence and the private quarters in the annex that had served as our temporary residence. The details of specifically who was going to live where were, as they have always been, a private matter, and there were also security reasons why he refrained from explaining this. Later, the Imperial Household Agency judged that further explanation was necessary with regard to two major changes that had been made to the original plans for the refurbishment of our residence, and in June this year a supplementary explanation was made by the Crown Prince’s Household and the Imperial Household Agency's Maintenance and Works Department. The fact that our younger daughter is continuing to live in the annex was disclosed as part of that explanation. As a result, there was a time lag between the announcement made after the completion of the refurbishment work last autumn and this supplementary explanation, but I have heard that the reason for this was the time required for preparing the supplementary explanation after the Imperial Household Agency judged that a supplementary explanation was necessary.

　With regard to your last question, Crown Prince Akishino and I were very worried about the scale of these refurbishment works to our residence, and about the cost increasing above the original budget as a result of the planned period of the works being extended because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and soaring prices of building materials, among other factors. The Maintenance and Works Department, along with the architectural specialists and engineers involved, have considered, and carried out the refurbishment works as an essential requisite accompanying the Imperial Succession, and explanations about this have been made. I think that all those involved carried out the work with careful consideration of the options available to them under these circumstances.

Question 3: I would like to ask about your family. How is Princess Kako, who has stayed behind in the annex, spending her time? If you have had any discussions with her about her marriage, please tell us. Next year Prince Hisahito will become an adult member of the Imperial Family. What is he interested in recently, or what do you think is important and what are your expectations for Prince Hisahito’s future after high school? Please also tell us about how Komuro Mako-san, who is living in the United States, is getting along lately.: Answer 3:

　With regard to Kako, when I look back at this year, she has carried out various public activities. This summer, for the first time in a long time Crown Prince Akishino, Kako, Hisahito and I were able to receive together visitors who traveled from schools far away in the Republic of Paraguay and the Federative Republic of Brazil. At present, I think Kako is working to prepare for her various public activities in Japan, and her official visit to the Republic of Peru, among other things. In this way, as in the past, I am heartened to see her working keenly for each and every engagement.

　Kako visits us from time to time to talk or eat with us.

　With regard to marriage, if any such discussion arises, my wish would be to listen to Kako’s feelings and thoughts, and to be able to tell her my thoughts and opinions.

　Hisahito entered the second grade of high school this spring, and I think he is living a fulfilling life working hard at his studies, while participating in club activities and other school events. In his free time, he seems to be working in a well-balanced way to pursue his own interests, such as observing dragonflies, in which he has been interested since he was attending kindergarten, and cultivating rice.

　With regard to Hisahito’s future after high school, both in his school life and in his other activities, I hope that he will deepen his learning in his own way, and accumulate various experiences, while cherishing his personal interests and his inquiring mind.

　As regards Mako’s recent situation, as last year, I will refrain from answering, at her request.

　In the Banksia rose arch I have started to create in the garden, the shoots have grown and it is starting to look a bit more like an arch, and in spring this year it blossomed into pretty little yellow flowers. I think it will take time, but I am looking forward to the time when the arch is complete. Mako is living in a far-away place, but I always hope for her happiness.