Saturday October 20, 2012
Japan empress turns 78, relieved over emperor's recovery
TOKYO: Japanese Empress Michiko celebrated her 78th birthday Saturday, expressing relief over Emperor Akihito's recovery from heart surgery and hoping to live with him "in peace" despite her own health concerns.
Akihito underwent coronary bypass surgery in February, three months after he was hospitalised to treat bronchial pneumonia, further raising concerns about the monarch, whose cancerous prostate gland was removed in 2003.
"At times I worried whether His Majesty would ever get better, but gradually signs of improvement began to appear," Michiko said in a statement released in response to a questionnaire from the Imperial Palace's press corps.
The emperor, who turns 79 in December, recovered well enough to attend a ceremony in March marking the first anniversary of Japan's earthquake-tsunami disaster, and visit Britain to attend the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in May.
"Both the Queen and the Emperor looked so happy when they met at Windsor Castle that, looking on by their side, I felt deeply happy as well," said Michiko.
The Imperial Household Agency said the empress takes morning walks with the emperor to ease the pain of backache she sometimes suffers upon waking.
"Although at times I feel aches and pains and I am beginning to experience some discomfort I am somehow learning to manage them and am hoping that I may spend the coming days together with His Majesty rather quietly and in peace," she said.
Michiko, the daughter of a flour milling magnate, became the first commoner to marry into the world's oldest continual monarchy, when, in 1959, she and the eldest son of the late Emperor Hirohito tied the knot. They have two sons and a daughter.
Speaking about the quake-tsunami which forced tens of thousands of people to move from their homes near the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the empress said: "It is my sincere wish that those people be given the most accurate information available so that their lives will be safer and more stable."
She called for "proper care" to be given to those working "valiantly" at the plant. - AFP
- Mural proves too popular, owner whitewashes it
- MIC is the 'mother party of the Indian community', not Hindraf, says Palanivel
- Malaysian Buddhists celebrate Wesak Day
- Robber shot dead after attacking out-of-uniform cop with meat cleaver
- PKR preparing five-year GE14 'war' plan, says Azmin (updated)
- Tian, Tamrin and Haris released after remand denied (updated)
- Sea lanes, barter trading to be reviewed, says Esscom D-G
- Najib and Palanivel to discuss deaths in police custody
- Single-party Barisan Nasional is feasible, says Muhyiddin
- Rafizi: PKR filing election petition for Balik Pulau parliamentary seat
- Karpal calls for state-level Senate elections
- Copies of Opposition tabloids seized for violating permit
- Rally organisers told to adhere to Act or face the music
- Three held over May 13 statements
- Umno leaders back police action against those who utter seditious remarks
- Malaysia tycoon Vincent Tan plans IPO of football club Cardiff City
- Google, like Facebook, in talks to buy Waze for about US$1bil
- Crown selling entire 10% in rival Echo, partly owned by Genting(Update)
- First edition of 'Great Gatsby' to be sold at auction, can fetch US$150,000
- Malaysia leads the way in Basel III debt
- Markets face rough summer ride as Fed pullback feared
- Wall Street sags, HP hits 52-week high
- Commodities trader sues BP, Shell others for alleged oil price fixing
- Billionaire Icahn seeks up to US$7bil for Dell bid
- Google faces new federal antitrust probe
- Goldman Sachs unveils checks on conflicts in bid to fix tarnished image
- Air Asia's Tony Fernandes to ‘fire up’ investors
- Maybank bullish on growth, to expand regionally under new leadership
- Khazanah appoints Nor Mohamed deputy chairman
- Lafarge Malayan Cement to finalise next expansion plans by August
- London's Heathrow airport closed after emergency landing
- Far East quake felt in Moscow, tsunami warning lifted
- Police make new arrests in London soldier killing
- Britain's press demands jailing of Islamist preacher
- Tsunami warning in Russia's Far East after 8.2 quake
- US bridge collapse sends cars, people into river
- Strong quake strikes off Tonga
- Jury fails to decide on US murderer death sentence
- One killed in Brazil giant fuel depot blaze
- Kingston leads, McIlroy in Wentworth woe
- LPGA plans 12-hole rounds in water-logged Bahamas
- Ryan Palmer sizzles with 62 to seize lead at Colonial
- Kelly overcomes scare to clinch title in KLGCC
- Time to make amends Garcia wants to meet Woods to defuse racist row
- American Johnson back to defend Colonial crown
- Rain dampens debut of LPGA Bahamas event
- Tianlang adds another US event to schedule
- Clock ticking for next golden generation
- Nadal wants to create history at Roland Garros
- Serena out to tame French Open demons
- Zheng Jie stuns Wozniacki in Brussels
- British Open: Ramy Ashour racks up 38th successive win
- Nicol David sails into quarter-finals of British Open in 35 minutes
- BAM must stop rewarding mediocrity or be doomed
- KL car number plates to bear ‘W1A’
- Fernandes does his first firing in Apprentice Asia
- Thousands throng thanksgiving rally by DAP
- Three held over May 13 statements
- Rally organisers told to adhere to Act or face the music
- DJ stands by hubby in molest case
- Adam pleads not guilty to giving seditious speech
- Copies of Opposition tabloids seized for violating permit
- Umno leaders back police action against those who utter seditious remarks
- Tian, Tamrin and Haris released after remand denied (updated)
- Air Asia's Tony Fernandes to ‘fire up’ investors
- Singapore GDP growth surprises, beats economists’ forecast of contraction
- KL car number plates to bear ‘W1A’
- Tian, Tamrin and Haris released after remand denied (updated)
- Inventions a-plenty, but no real innovation
- Robber shot dead after attacking out-of-uniform cop with meat cleaver
- Malaysia leads the way in Basel III debt
- Three held over May 13 statements
- Fernandes does his first firing in Apprentice Asia
- Wall Street sags, HP hits 52-week high
RSS
