Empress Emerita Michiko of Japan, wife of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and mother of Emperor Naruhito, celebrated her 91st birthday on Monday.
Despite facing health challenges over the past year, the Empress Emerita continues to show grace and resilience. After fracturing her right thigh bone in October last year, she has worked hard to recover and has regained almost the same physical condition as before the injury. She now spends much of her time caring for Emperor Emeritus Akihito, who also turned 91 this year and continues to receive treatment for a heart condition.
An aide from the Imperial Household Agency shared that Michiko dedicated herself to daily rehabilitation exercises at the Sento Imperial Residence in Tokyo’s Minato Ward after being discharged from the hospital. Her determination stemmed from her desire to once again assist and support the Emperor Emeritus as soon as possible.
During the Emperor Emeritus’s hospitalizations at the University of Tokyo Hospital in May and July, the Empress Emerita visited him every day. Those close to the couple described touching moments between them when Emperor Akihito smiles and softly says, “Thank you,” Michiko returns his words with a gentle nod and a warm smile.
Even in her advanced age, the Empress Emerita continues to stay informed about current affairs by reading newspapers, watching television news, and conversing with her aides, according to the Imperial Household Agency.
Throughout the year, she and Emperor Emeritus Akihito offered silent prayers on various solemn occasions. These included memorials for the victims of last year’s massive earthquake and heavy rains that struck the Noto Peninsula, the 30th anniversary of the 1995 Kobe earthquake, the 14th anniversary of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, and several commemorations related to World War II.
As 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Iwoto (Iwo Jima), Okinawa, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki to honor the war dead. The Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita watched over these visits with deep reflection, recalling their own journeys to the same places fifty years after the war.
In August, the couple visited the Ohinata settlement in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture. A community founded by Japanese repatriates from Manchuria after World War II. Their visit, officials said, appeared to bring them quiet relief and nostalgia during this milestone year.
The Empress Emerita continues to experience a slight rise in her body temperature during the afternoons, and her BNP levels, a measure used in heart health monitoring, remain above normal. To prevent falls and maintain her strength, she takes morning walks around the Sento Imperial Residence and occasionally strolls around the Akasaka Estate in the afternoon. She also engages in light exercise, though her aides note that she tires more easily and can no longer walk as far as before.
Despite these limitations, Empress Emerita Michiko continues to live each day with grace, humility, dedication, and the same quiet strength that has endeared her to the Japanese people for decades.
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