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Tens of thousands of Japanese welcomed the year 2010 by gathering outside the palace in Tokyo to hear Emperor Akihito deliver his speech of peace and goodwill for the new year.
 AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi “I’m pleased to celebrate this new year together with you,” the 76-year-old Emperor said, speaking from the balcony protected by bulletproof glass.
“Marking the beginning of this year, I wish people happiness and the world peace,” Akihito said as crowds shouted “Banzai” (long live) and waved Japanese flags.
The Emperor continued, “last year, many people faced hardships due to the continuing severe economic conditions, and my heart goes out to them. In this new year that we are greeting, I hope that everyone will help one another and support each other to overcome the challenges they are facing.”
Joining him on the balcony were his wife, Empress Michiko, and the Crown Princely couple, Naruhito and Masako. All four waved to the crowds, which estimated nearly 50,000 of mostly senior citizens.
Also on Friday, the Imperial Household Agency released new photos of the entire family, including Prince Akishino, Princess Kiko and their three children, as well as Princess Aiko, daughter of Naruhito and Masako.
Such pictures are distributed during the first of the new year.
 Reuters/Imperial Household Agency Handout
As Japan’s Empress Michiko celebrates her 75th birthday, she has one wish: that the world would have no more nuclear weapons.
 AP Photo/Imperial Household Agency of Japan “I think Japan, the country that has been hit by atomic bombs, needs to seek broader and deeper understanding of this in the international community,” she said.
“The horrors of nuclear weapons are not only the magnitude of their destruction but also the serious and tragic effects of radiation that leaves victims suffering long” after their exposure, she said in written remarks issued on her birthday.
Empress Michiko praised U.S. President Barack Obama for his efforts to ban nukes, and believes that is what earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.
Also on the Empress’ mind is the Japanese economy, which has been struggling in ways not seen since World War II.
“Many people lost their jobs and homes, had to give up on higher education or had hiring promises canceled. This was the most serious concern in this past year.”
Michiko married the then Crown Prince in 1959, with this year marking their 50th wedding anniversary. 2009 is also the 20th year for Emperor Akihito’s ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne. The Empress wishes him “good health and various events associated with the commemoration of his enthronement this fall will be carried out without any incident.”
Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko arrived in Hawaii Tuesday, after spending nearly two weeks touring Canada. Their plane landed in Hickam Air Force Base a quarter after 3 p.m., and the couple were greeted by local politicians, such as Governor Linda Lingle and Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral Timothy Keating.
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After their arrival, the Emperor and Empress headed to Kapiolani Park. While there, the couple saw their rainbow shower tree, which they planted back when they toured Hawaii in 1960, as Japan’s Crown Princely couple.
They also met with local dignitaries and residents. Meeting with the local people was reminiscent of Akihito and Michiko’s Canadian visit, where people of Japanese descent gathered in large crowds to see them. Hawaii is home to large numbers of people of Japanese heritage.
“I just went to Japan a year ago and of course we could only stay outside of the castle but that was a thrill for me. Now I am here because I thought this is the only opportunity, the last time because I don’t think he will come again,” said Harriet Lum, a Pearl City resident.
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“Its important because he’s kind of the people’s Emperor. He married a commoner and he really cares for the elderly. And he’s kind of nodding towards Hawaii to maintain the relationship,” said Curtis Matsushige, a Mililani resident.
Wednesday saw the Emperor and Empress lay a wreath at the Punchbowl National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, the final resting place for hundreds of U.S. soldiers who served in the Second World War. Their Imperial Majesties bowed their heads in respect once the wreath was put in place.
They then went on to have lunch with Governor Lingle at Washington Place. At night, they will go to the Hilton Hawaiian Village to attend a banquet which honors the 50th anniversary of the Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship Foundation.
Thursday will see the end of the imperial tour. Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will fly back to Japan for much needed rest and relaxation from visiting two countries back to back.
The Emperor and Empress of Japan spent their last full day in Canada Monday by going touring Vancouver. One of the stops they made was in Canada’s poorest neighborhood.
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Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko went to the Japanese Language School and the Japanese Hall in Downtown Eastside, right after touring the Institute of Ocean Sciences. The area is known for its poverty and high drug uses.
The couple were greeted outside the school by Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson. As they toured the school, the mayor told them about the history of the area that is known as “Japan Town.”
“These are the oldest neighborhoods that visitors settled in,” Robertson told them. “Now, it’s a very culturally diverse and dynamic neighborhood. It’s got a rich history.
“It was fun to meet them, and interesting to hear what they are curious about. I don’t think they realized how culturally diverse Vancouver is. They remarked on how diverse our city council was when they were introduced, and through all the photographs, how diverse the broader community is. That’s obviously a great source of pride for us.”
While at the school, Akihito and Michiko saw Japanese arts and crafts, and met with the students, who sang songs for them.
Outside, hundreds of locals crammed the streets to get a glimpse of the Emperor and Empress. One of them, Mitsuru Haga-Brownstyn, couldn’t wait to tell her sister back in Japan of who she had seen.
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“She won’t believe it. Most people in Japan don’t even get to meet the Emperor,” she said.
After touring the school, Akihito and Michiko moved on to the University of British Columbia, where they toured the campus’ Asian Center, and watched a film of the Emperor first visit to Canada as Crown Prince back in 1953. Afterward, the imperial couple went to see the University’s Nitobe Garden, considered to be one of the most authentic traditional tea garden outside of Japan.
Later on, they visited Vancouver’s Museum of Anthropology, and Nikkei Place, a home for senior citizens, both of Japanese and non-Japanese descent. The Empress dressed in kimono for the latter event.
Tomorrow, the Emperor and Empress will end their Canadian visit, and will fly to Hawaii for a few engagements before heading back to their country.
These past two days had Japan’s Emperor and Empress go to Western Canada to visit two cities in British Columbia. Akihito and Michiko were briefly in Vancouver, before moving on to the province’s capital of Victoria.
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In Vancouver Friday, the Imperial couple were greeted by local residents and leaders – Canada’s First Nation chiefs included – as they toured the Olympic Oval, one of the arenas built for the Winter Olympics, in which Vancouver would be hosting in 2010. The couple met with Canada’s speed skaters and members of a local hockey team.
There may be a chance Akihito and Michiko may return to the Oval next year, to watch the Games.
After that, the two went to Victoria. Once again, they were greeted by large crowds of Japanese-Canadians, whom have been enthralled by seeing Japan’s Imperial couple.
“It was so nice to see them so close,” said Kazuyo Iga, who originates from Osaka. “They are very special people.”
“We can’t get this close to the Emperor in Japan” said Takoaki Naito who has been in Canada for 30 years.
In Victoria, the couple met with Lieutenant Governor Steven Point and Premier Gordon Campbell. Saturday saw them tour the Institute of Ocean Sciences in nearby Sidney.
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Sunday, Akihito and Michiko will return to Vancouver, this time to visit a Japanese language school. There has been some controversy over Their Majesties going to the school, because the neighborhood it is in, is ridden with drug addicts who casually use hard drugs such cocaine and heroin out in the open.
“It took weeks of intense, behind-the-scenes lobbying to overcome initial resistance to the idea of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko venturing through neighborhoods few tourists see,” reported Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper, which described the area’s streets as “rife with the boarded-up businesses and daily horrors.”
Another controversy swirling around the imperial couple’s visit was the memory of how the Japanese committed atrocities throughout East Asia during World War II. Some Vancouver groups publicly expressed hope that Emperor Akihito would apologize in some way about the way his country behaved during that time.
No protests related to that controversy have been reported so far during the visit to British Columbia.
On Wednesday night, the Emperor and Empress of Japan arrived in Toronto, their third stop on their official visit of Canada. Upon arriving at the Royal York Hotel, they were greeted by a large group of children, some of them of Japanese descent. Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko took the time to say hello and shake hands with the children.
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“My son shook hands with the emperor. That is a lifetime memory,” said Minoru Komori. “In Japan, the emperor is highly regarded and they usually sit in a very protected manner.”
On Thursday, Their Imperial Majesties got down to business in the Canadian capital of finance. They met with Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.
They also visited children at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. The couple chatted with both the staff and the children. Empress Michiko, who is patron of Japan’s Red Cross, chatted with some of the children about badminton, one of her favorite sports.
She also donated four books she had written or translated to the hospital’s library. The Empress wanted to sing a lullaby, but warned the patients, “I don’t have a good voice.”
Not everyone thought so.
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“She was very good. It kind of made me wish I could hear more,” said Brandon Greenwall, a patient.
Another patient, 11 year-old Douha Amani, demonstrated the Japanese she learned from her karate classes.
“I counted from one to five for the empress,” she said. “She told me she hopes my brother gets well. It’s not every day you get to meet someone so special, so it was very exciting.”
Next, the Emperor and Empress had a meeting with Lieutenant Governor of Ontario David Onley at Queen’s Park. They later went on to the Japanese Canadian Cultural Center, where the Empress wore kimono.
Friday the imperial couple arrive in Vancouver, British Columbia. Waiting for them there may be large crowds again, but also some controversy. Community groups are calling for Emperor Akihito to make amends for the atrocities Japan did during World War II. One group sent a letter to the Japanese Consulate, asking for Japan’s parliament to pass a resolution which would apologize for such actions as turning thousands of women in the Asia-Pacific region sex slaves to Japanese soldiers.
The letter does not directly ask Emperor Akihito for an apology, but it says whatever he says about the atrocities would mean a lot to the victims.
“The current emperor mentioning an apology or expression of regret over the past war can, of course, influence the Japanese people or Japanese government’s behavior,” Satoko Norimatsu, director of the Peace Philosophy Centre, told a news conference.
The letter to the Japanese Consulate thanks Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko for their efforts for a peaceful world, but adds more needs to be done.
Monday saw Japan’s Imperial couple arrive in Ottawa, the third day in their eleven day official visit to Canada. They had spent their first days in the country touring the MacKenzie King estate outside of the Canadian capital, and now Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko were doing the duties of a state visit.
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First, the Emperor and Empress were escorted by carriage, surrounded by the Royal Mounted Canadian Police, to Rideau Hall, the residence of Governor-General Michaelle Jean, the representative of Queen Elizabeth II.
“We cannot imagine a greater honor than the presence of their Majesties in Canada to mark the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Canada,” Jean said.
She went on to say that she and the Canadian people, “hope that your presence here in Canada in this year of celebration of our friendship will open the door to infinite opportunities for sharing with Japan, to which we are forever bound in our hearts and in solidarity.”
Our sincerest wish is that the memories that Their Majesties gather over the next few days will be added to those that His Majesty has kept from that visit, with our assurance that, as the Japanese-inspired proverb says, ‘No road is long with good company.’”
After talks, Akihito and Michiko planted a tree at the Governor-General’s residence to mark their visit. They also met with 150 Japanese-Canadians invited to Hall.
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Many Japanese-Canadians were looking forward to see the Emperor and Empress, as two guests explained:
“I’m absolutely excited. It’s a very rare occasion, and my mother is very proud back home,” said Ottawa resident Minori Goto. “It’s very rare in Japan to see the Emperor and Empress. You really have to be a celebrity almost to see them so close.”
“In Japan, you rarely can see the emperor and empress this close up. It’s always behind bulletproof glass,” said Jane Hayami, who dressed in a traditional kimono and is a member of the Ottawa-based Emi-no-kai Japanese dance troupe. “It was quite an experience. They were quite elegant to look at and very down-to-earth.”
Later in the day, the Imperial couple met with Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
At night, there was a state dinner hosted by Michaelle Jean.
Thursday, the Emperor and Empress will be in Toronto, Canada’s financial capital. Later in the week, they will move on to British Columbia.
Just over two hours ago, Japan’s Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko arrived in Ottawa, Canada for their 11-day goodwill visit of the Great White North.
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It is the first time the couple is visiting the country since Akihito ascended to the throne in 1989. He once toured Canada in 1953 as a 19 year-old Crown Prince.
This tour is to mark the 80 years Canada established diplomatic ties with Japan.
“Fifty-six years have passed since then, and I am much delighted that I will be visiting there once again, this time with the Empress,”Akihito said in a departure speech.
Upon arriving, the Emperor and Empress were greeted by Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon and Cooperation Minister Bev Oda.
On Saturday, the couple will visit MacKenzie King estate in Gatineau Park, near Ottawa. Sunday will see them meet with Canada’s leaders, Governor General Michaelle Jean, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
For the rest of their tour, Akihito and Michiko will be in Toronto, Victoria and Vancouver.
After Canada, they will move on to Hawaii, to mark the 50th anniversary of a scholarship foundation, which was set up to commemorate the imperial couple’s golden anniversary, plus meet with Hawaii’s large Japanese community.
Also in Hawaii, the Emperor and Empress will visit the National Memorial Cemetary of the Pacific, where American soldiers, including those who died in the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor, are interred.
Emperor Akihito and Empress are marking their golden anniversary Friday. The couple married fifty years ago, and their love for one another is apparently as strong as ever. 
‘‘It has brought me joy that since our marriage, the empress has always understood the significance of my position and official duties, and in our family life, as she stood by me, she has been very devoted to the members of my family beginning with Emperor Showa,’’ Akihito told a press conference earlier this week.
He also said, ‘‘If there is something that I would like to present to the empress on the occasion of our 50th wedding anniversary, it would, this time, be a citation of appreciation and gratitude.’’
‘‘She has truly made great efforts which she has continued to make right up to this very day. She has truly made great efforts over these fifty years,’’ he told reporters. ‘‘I know that during these years there have been many sad times and many difficult times, but the empress has borne these well with fortitude.’’
The empress, on her part, said she would also like to offer her husband ‘‘a citation of appreciation and gratitude.’’
 Akihito was 25 years-old when he wed the 24 year-old Michiko Shoda, the daughter of a wealthy businessman.
The two met while playing tennis as the then Crown Prince vacationed in the Nagano Prefecture.
Their union was historic, as it marked the first time a commoner married the heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne.
Their wedding also inspired the Japanese to buy television in order to watch the parade following the traditional Shinto ceremony.
At the same time, it created a psychological bond between the royal family and the average Japanese people. They saw a refreshing start after the devastating defeat after World War II.
They also had a hands-on, down to earth royal mother. Michiko even breast-fed her three children – Naruhito, Akishino and Nori.
In 1983, Akihito reflected on his marriage.
“Looking back at the past 25 years, I was able to have a spiritual peace that I had never had before.”
This past week, the Emperor was asked this time to reflect on his proposal to Michiko.
‘‘As for the exact words that I used to propose marriage, I recall that we spoke over the telephone many times before the empress finally accepted.
‘‘I would not say that it was anything as simple as a one-line proposal. During our many telephone conversations, I told her that in order for me to carry out my duties as crown prince, I really needed someone who could understand the meaning and the significance of those duties and would support me,’’ he said. ‘‘I was truly happy when she accepted my proposal.’’
The Empress responded, ‘‘Our engagement was such ‘a long, long time ago,’ more than 50 years ago, that I cannot remember the exact words’’ of the emperor’s proposal.
The Japanese Imperial Household Agency announced Empress Michiko tore the ligaments in her left knee early February after a fall while playing tennis. 
The Empress had been feeling pain ever since, and an examination Monday proved her injury.
Although the injury should not hinder her mobility and does not require surgery, it will take up to six months for the 74-year-old Empress to recover fully, the agency said.
It is not expected Michiko will reduce royal engagements due to her hurt knee. However, she will not accompany Emperor Akihito to the Imperial Stock Farm in Tochigi Prefecture on Thursday because it is a long-distance trip.
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