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TOKYO, Japan / RoyalNews / April 10, 2009
Japanese Royals Celebrate 50 Years of Marriage
Golden year: Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko give a news conference Wednesday at the Imperial Place in Tokyo to mark their 50th anniversary. Pool Photo.
Emperor Akihito and Empress are marking their golden anniversary Friday, April 10, 2009. 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.’’
At their 1959 marriage.
Photo: Imperial Household Agency.
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.
Source:
Royalty In The News
_____________________________________
Click for related report
Imperial couple looks back on 50 years of marriage
in The Yomiuri Shimbun
_____________________________________
Imperial Couple happy on 50th anniversary
TOKYO, Japan / The Japan Times / News / Life in Japan / April 10, 2009
By Reiji Yoshida, Staff writer
The greatest joy of their marriage is that they have been able to enjoy their 50th anniversary in good health and Empress Michiko's good sense of humor has made their relationship even happier, Emperor Akihito told a news conference earlier this week to mark the matrimonial milestone.
The Imperial Couple's comments, made at a news conference Wednesday, were published after an embargo on the transcriptions was lifted for Friday morning's newspapers.
"I think that first and foremost, it is that we have both been able to reach this 50th wedding anniversary in good health. I think it has been a joy for us to be able to talk together about everything," the Emperor said.
"The Empress is a serious person, but she can also be funny and she is a lot of fun. I think that there has always been laughter in our home," the Emperor was quoted as saying.
When the two announced their engagement in 1958, it became a public sensation because Michiko was a commoner and it would be a true romance rather than the usual unions that are prearranged for the Imperial family.
But when asked what his exact words were when he proposed, neither the Emperor, 75, nor Empress, 74, could remember how their marriage came together.
"I recall that we spoke over the telephone many times before the Empress finally accepted," he said. "I would not say that it was anything as simple as a one-line proposal."
"I was truly happy when she accepted my proposal," he said.
Empress Michiko seconded her husband's statements and said she would like to give him a "Citation of Appreciation and Gratitude" with "all my heart."
The Empress initially had difficulty adjusting to the rigid traditions maintained by the Imperial Household Agency, a trying and secretive experience that has turned Crown Princess Masako into a recluse.
"Fifty years ago, when I left an ordinary family to join the new environment of the Imperial family, my heart was filled with uncertainty and anxiety," she said. "For me to be here today by his majesty's side, welcoming our golden wedding anniversary, truly seems to be as if in a dream."
The Empress, however, also suggested that some of these "traditions" be firmly maintained while others that only amount to formalities be discarded.
"Living with traditions is at times difficult, but we sometimes realize how strong and rich a nation, society or families can be because of traditions," she said.
"On the other hand, traditions that remain only in form can stand in the way of social progress, and there are instances in which old customs, continued in the name of tradition, can cause people to suffer. I do not like this word to be used lightly," the Empress said, without elaborating.
Crown Princess Masako has been undergoing treatment for "adjustment disorder," a stress-related malady that has left her unable to completely perform her public duties.
After several years of pressure and speculation, the Crown Princess gave birth to Princess Aiko, but Imperial tradition states that only a male can ascend the throne to become an emperor.
(C) The Japan Times
_________________________________________
"Happy Golden Anniversary"
Wishes The Japan Times
TOKYO, Japan / The Japan Times / Editorial / April 10, 2009
EDITORIAL
We congratulate the Emperor and Empress on their golden wedding anniversary. On April 10, 1959, the entire nation celebrated their wedding as TV and radio stations broadcast live the horse-drawn carriage parade carrying the newly-wed couple from the Imperial Palace to their residence.
It was a historic event that narrowed the psychological distance between the people and the Imperial family. People adored the then Crown Princess, referring to her as "Michiko-san." Instead of choosing a spouse from among relatives of the Imperial family or former aristocratic family members, the then Crown Prince chose to marry Miss Michiko Shoda, a commoner albeit from a wealthy family. Their marriage symbolized the birth of a new postwar Japan.
The wedding also marked a new economic era. Many people purchased TV sets in anticipation of the Imperial wedding parade. The number of TV sets sold in 1959 more than doubled from the previous year's 1.2 million sets to 2.9 million sets — a harbinger of the high-economic growth of the 1960s.
The Imperial couple tried to have an ordinary family life. Departing from the Imperial tradition, the couple lived together with their children, including the eldest son who would one day assume the Chrysanthemum Throne. The Empress breast-fed her babies, abolishing the wet-nurse system.
The Emperor, who was raised separately from his parents in accordance with Imperial tradition, is thankful for the Empress for letting him have a taste of an ordinary family life. In 1983, the then Crown Prince said, "Looking back at the past 25 years, I was able to have a spiritual peace that I had never had before."
The Emperor and Empress have sought to console the souls of war victims and have actively involved themselves in welfare-related activities, including providing encouragement to victims of natural disasters. The Imperial couple's visits to Okinawa, China, Iwo Jima and Saipan helped heal the wounds caused by war.
The Emperor believes that his role is "sharing both joy and hardship with people." We pray that the Emperor and Empress will be blessed with good health and long lives.
(C) The Japan Times
Golden year: Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko give a news conference Wednesday at the Imperial Place in Tokyo to mark their 50th anniversary. Pool Photo.
Emperor Akihito and Empress are marking their golden anniversary Friday, April 10, 2009. 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.’’
At their 1959 marriage.
Photo: Imperial Household Agency.
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.
Source: Royalty In The News
_____________________________________
Click for related report
Imperial couple looks back on 50 years of marriage
in The Yomiuri Shimbun
_____________________________________
Imperial Couple happy on 50th anniversary
TOKYO, Japan / The Japan Times / News / Life in Japan / April 10, 2009
By Reiji Yoshida, Staff writer
The greatest joy of their marriage is that they have been able to enjoy their 50th anniversary in good health and Empress Michiko's good sense of humor has made their relationship even happier, Emperor Akihito told a news conference earlier this week to mark the matrimonial milestone.
The Imperial Couple's comments, made at a news conference Wednesday, were published after an embargo on the transcriptions was lifted for Friday morning's newspapers.
"I think that first and foremost, it is that we have both been able to reach this 50th wedding anniversary in good health. I think it has been a joy for us to be able to talk together about everything," the Emperor said.
"The Empress is a serious person, but she can also be funny and she is a lot of fun. I think that there has always been laughter in our home," the Emperor was quoted as saying.
When the two announced their engagement in 1958, it became a public sensation because Michiko was a commoner and it would be a true romance rather than the usual unions that are prearranged for the Imperial family.
But when asked what his exact words were when he proposed, neither the Emperor, 75, nor Empress, 74, could remember how their marriage came together.
"I recall that we spoke over the telephone many times before the Empress finally accepted," he said. "I would not say that it was anything as simple as a one-line proposal."
"I was truly happy when she accepted my proposal," he said.
Empress Michiko seconded her husband's statements and said she would like to give him a "Citation of Appreciation and Gratitude" with "all my heart."
The Empress initially had difficulty adjusting to the rigid traditions maintained by the Imperial Household Agency, a trying and secretive experience that has turned Crown Princess Masako into a recluse.
"Fifty years ago, when I left an ordinary family to join the new environment of the Imperial family, my heart was filled with uncertainty and anxiety," she said. "For me to be here today by his majesty's side, welcoming our golden wedding anniversary, truly seems to be as if in a dream."
The Empress, however, also suggested that some of these "traditions" be firmly maintained while others that only amount to formalities be discarded.
"Living with traditions is at times difficult, but we sometimes realize how strong and rich a nation, society or families can be because of traditions," she said.
"On the other hand, traditions that remain only in form can stand in the way of social progress, and there are instances in which old customs, continued in the name of tradition, can cause people to suffer. I do not like this word to be used lightly," the Empress said, without elaborating.
Crown Princess Masako has been undergoing treatment for "adjustment disorder," a stress-related malady that has left her unable to completely perform her public duties.
After several years of pressure and speculation, the Crown Princess gave birth to Princess Aiko, but Imperial tradition states that only a male can ascend the throne to become an emperor.
(C) The Japan Times
_________________________________________
"Happy Golden Anniversary"
Wishes The Japan Times
TOKYO, Japan / The Japan Times / Editorial / April 10, 2009
EDITORIAL
We congratulate the Emperor and Empress on their golden wedding anniversary. On April 10, 1959, the entire nation celebrated their wedding as TV and radio stations broadcast live the horse-drawn carriage parade carrying the newly-wed couple from the Imperial Palace to their residence.
It was a historic event that narrowed the psychological distance between the people and the Imperial family. People adored the then Crown Princess, referring to her as "Michiko-san." Instead of choosing a spouse from among relatives of the Imperial family or former aristocratic family members, the then Crown Prince chose to marry Miss Michiko Shoda, a commoner albeit from a wealthy family. Their marriage symbolized the birth of a new postwar Japan.
The wedding also marked a new economic era. Many people purchased TV sets in anticipation of the Imperial wedding parade. The number of TV sets sold in 1959 more than doubled from the previous year's 1.2 million sets to 2.9 million sets — a harbinger of the high-economic growth of the 1960s.
The Imperial couple tried to have an ordinary family life. Departing from the Imperial tradition, the couple lived together with their children, including the eldest son who would one day assume the Chrysanthemum Throne. The Empress breast-fed her babies, abolishing the wet-nurse system.
The Emperor, who was raised separately from his parents in accordance with Imperial tradition, is thankful for the Empress for letting him have a taste of an ordinary family life. In 1983, the then Crown Prince said, "Looking back at the past 25 years, I was able to have a spiritual peace that I had never had before."
The Emperor and Empress have sought to console the souls of war victims and have actively involved themselves in welfare-related activities, including providing encouragement to victims of natural disasters. The Imperial couple's visits to Okinawa, China, Iwo Jima and Saipan helped heal the wounds caused by war.
The Emperor believes that his role is "sharing both joy and hardship with people." We pray that the Emperor and Empress will be blessed with good health and long lives.
(C) The Japan Times
