Press Conference by His Imperial Highness The Crown Prince on the Occasion of His Birthday
21 February 2000
Question 2
Her Imperial Highness the Crown Princess met with misfortune at the end of last year, and amidst a great heightening of interest on the part of the people of Japan, I know that Your Highness showed her tender concern. Please tell us about how Her Imperial Highness' recovery has been progressing, and about Your Highness' own feelings during this period.
Answer 2
I feel that many Japanese people have been concerned for us. Fortunately, Masako has been recovering steadily, and this brings me more pleasure than anything. I would also like to express my great appreciation for the warm encouragement we have received from many people during this period, and for the many letters and other messages we have received even from people with whom we have never been acquainted.
Although regrettable, we were able to accept the outcome calmly. However, I do find it truly deplorable that in the process, at a highly uncertain stage before medical examinations had even taken place, a great amount of reporting was conducted, including reporting on areas which should remain part of an individual's privacy, as well as on things which were untrue. Amidst this, I noticed that Masako showed immense patience, and I hear that there were quite a few Japanese people who were themselves bewildered by the situation. I hope that in future such issues will be handled in a more prudent and considerate way, taking the nature of the matter into consideration.
Question 3
At the New Year Poetry Reading Ceremony this year, the poem composed by Her Imperial Highness the Crown Princess was full of feelings of trust, love and respect for Your Highness. Please tell us of any new discoveries you both have made, happiness you have found, or of anything else that has occurred in your daily life as a couple
Answer 3
Until she showed it to me, I did not even know that she had composed such a poem. On the day of the New Year Poetry Reading Ceremony, I did feel a little self-conscious, but I was so pleased that she had written her feelings for me into a poem. It has been seven years since we were married, and I am extremely grateful to Masako for supporting me as such a caring wife and partner during this time. When composing poems in years to come, we will have to make sure that "our words of the heart" that have grown deeper do not become transformed into quarrels.
Press Conference by Her Imperial Highness The Crown Princess on the Occasion of Her Birthday
7 December 2000
Question 2
Toward the end of last year, Your Highness had a truly unfortunate experience. Could you tell us about your feelings since that time?
Answer 2
I know that there were great expectations among the people, and I too feel that what happened at the end of last year was unfortunate. At the same time, honestly speaking, it is a fact that I was disturbed by the overheated coverage in the mass media from the very start. His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince was deeply attentive to my needs and helped me through that experience. I am also deeply grateful from my heart to Their Majesties the Emperor and the Empress for the unwavering warm support and encouragement that they have extended me, as they always have. I was fortunate to have excellent medical attention from the doctors and I am deeply grateful for their efforts in helping me to recover steadily. In addition, I will never forget the warm words of encouragement in the many letters I received from the people. Deep inside I could sense that I truly am supported by the goodwill of so many, and I would like to take this occasion to express my deep gratitude for the warm feelings of all the people.