Japan’s Emperor Emeritus Akihito Turns 92

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Emeritus Akihito, the father of Emperor Naruhito, turned 92 on Tuesday. The former Emperor was diagnosed this May with silent myocardial ischemia, a condition in which blood flow to the heart muscles falls below sufficient levels, and began taking new medication in July. He has maintained a relatively stable condition since then, according to an aide. With this year marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Emperor Emeritus Akihito reflected on the war, including remembering his evacuation to the countryside during the war and his meeting with second-generation Japanese in the Philippines during his 2016 visit to the country. He was hospitalized in May for examinations and in July to begin the new treatment for his heart. In tests before the start of the treatment, doctors found that the Emperor Emeritus also suffered from supraventricular arrhythmia, characterized by a rapid pulse. His medication is expected to improve this condition as well. Since being discharged from the hospital, he has sought to maintain his muscles and health by going for walks and exercising to a level that will not negatively affect his heart. He is also continuing his research on goby fish classification twice a week at a biology research lab in the Imperial Palace. This year, he and Empress Emerita Michiko observed visits by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to areas deeply affected by World War II, including Ioto, a remote Tokyo island also known as Iwo Jima, and the prefectures of Okinawa, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Emperor Emeritus Akihito also watched television programs reflecting on the memories of the war, and read a newsletter that depicted the horrors of life as a Japanese postwar detainee in Mongolia, sent to him by the Memorial Museum for Soldiers, Detainees in Siberia, and Postwar Repatriates, which he had visited in 2023. During his retreat to the town of Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, he visited the Ohinata settlement, which was developed by people who returned to Japan from Manchuria in northeastern China after the war. He recalled the history of Japanese settlement in Manchuria before and during the war. At the Sento Imperial Residence in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, the Emperor Emeritus met with Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, who abdicated the throne in October 2025, and Belgian Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz, with whom he has maintained long-standing relations. They were visiting Japan for the 2025 World Exposition in the western Japan city of Osaka. Emperor Emeritus Akihito offered his condolences to Thai King Vajiralongkorn over the death of the Southeast Asian country’s Queen Mother Sirikit in October, reflecting on his meetings with the former queen and former King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2016. This year marked 60 years since the establishment of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which he has long supported. Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko read a special publication commemorating the anniversary and reflected on the history of the international aid organization. He was cheering on the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics in private, according to his aide, as he and Empress Emerita Michiko have met with participants in the event for deaf athletes since his time as Crown Prince. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]