[...]
"I have heard that in Okinawa, where many precious lives were lost in the war, people deepened their feelings toward what 'nuchi du takara' (life is precious) meant," the Emperor said. He continued, "I am deeply moved to attend this ceremony while thinking about the history of the Okinawan people, who have continued to go through hardships since then," touching on the difficult circumstances in which Okinawa was placed after the end of World War II.
He did not provide specific details on the "issues" in Okinawa, but expressed hope for the future, stating, "I sincerely hope that the public's understanding toward Okinawa will deepen widely, including among the young generation, and that in the future, the thoughts and efforts of people to date will be passed on, and a prosperous future will be built for Okinawa."
[...] it was the first time that an emperor has mentioned current issues in Okinawa.
Nonfiction writer Masayasu Hosaka, who is familiar with modern history, takes the view that the "issues" Emperor Naruhito mentioned "refer to the U.S. base problem and other such issues." He stressed, "The fact that he indicated his recognition that there are unresolved issues in Okinawa even 50 years after the prefecture's reversion to the mainland points to his stance of approaching Okinawa with sincerity." However, Hosaka added, "If he were to say something specific, it could be taken as a political statement, so he probably had no choice but to use the word 'issues.'"
interesting question... I assume a previous empress would have precedence but who knows. If the "keeping married princesses for 1-generation" legislation gets passed and Princess Aiko remains in the Imperial family, what's her precedence when Hisahito is emperor?
