Japanese emperor turns 81, hopes nation to move forward in peace
13:42, 23 December 2014
TOKYO. KAZINFORM Emperor Akihito, on the occasion of his 81st birthday on Tuesday, expressed hope Japan will move forward with other nations as a peaceful country, ahead of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II next year.
"I ardently hope that Japan will be able to go forward in the world as a stable, peaceful, and sound nation, in mutual support not only with neighboring countries but with as many of the world's countries as possible," the emperor said at a customary press conference held Friday before his birthday. He also referred to World War II, in which around than 3.1 million Japanese lost their lives, and touched on responsibility shared by people living in the current generation, Kyodo reports.