ご成婚５０年 「国民とともに」を貫かれて

The Yomiuri Shimbun(Apr. 9, 2009)
Emperor has shared people's joys, sorrows
ご成婚５０年　「国民とともに」を貫かれて（4月9日付・読売社説）

Friday marks the 50th wedding anniversary of the Emperor and Empress. We would likely to extend our sincere congratulations to the Imperial couple on their golden wedding anniversary.
　天皇、皇后両陛下はあす１０日、ご成婚５０年を迎えられる。一般に言う金婚式である。心よりお祝いを申し上げたい。

This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the Emperor's ascension to the throne, and various events are planned to mark the double milestone, including a government-organized one in November in commemoration of the Emperor's two-decade-long reign.
　今年は天皇陛下が即位されてから２０年の年でもある。これを記念して１１月には政府主催の式典が予定されるなど、二つの節目の年に当たり、様々な催しが企画されている。

The Emperor, in his New Year's message this year, said he had been pondering on the years that have passed by. He surely harbors deep feelings about the half-century he has spent with the Empress.
　陛下は年頭のご感想で「歳月の流れにいろいろと思いを致しております」と述べられた。皇后さまとお二人で半世紀の時を刻んでこられたことに、深い感慨がおありのことだろう。

Their wedding was an event that galvanized the people, giving them hope for the nation's development.
　ご成婚は、その後の国の発展を予感させるような、列島を輝かす出来事だった。

The Empress was the first commoner to become crown princess. She raised three children on her own, not resorting to the conventional Imperial household practice of employing nursing mothers.
　皇后さまは初めて民間から皇太子妃となられた。宮中の慣習だった乳人(めのと)制をやめ、３人のお子さまをお手元で育てられた。

Looking at the history of their life after marriage, it is clear that in the new era, a more familiar image of the Imperial household has spread among the people.
　お二人の歩みとともに、新しい時代の親しみやすい皇室像が国民の間に浸透していった。

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Royal couple's health a worry

The Emperor always says that the most tragic event in his lifetime was the loss of many lives in World War II. In 1995, 50 years after the end of the war, he visited Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Okinawa Prefecture and the Tokyo Metropolitan Memorial Hall to console the souls of the war dead.
　陛下は常々、最も悲しい出来事は先の大戦で多くの命が失われたことだと語られている。戦後５０年の１９９５年には、長崎、広島、沖縄、東京都慰霊堂へと「慰霊の旅」をされた。

Every time disasters have occurred, such as the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, the Emperor has visited afflicted districts and consoled and encouraged the victims. He is presently concerned that many people are facing hardships due to worsening economic conditions. He has consistently expressed his belief that he should share in all the people's joys and sorrows.
　阪神大震災などの災害が起こるたびに現地に入られ、被災者を慰め、励まされてきた。最近の不況で国民が困難な状況にあることにも、心を痛められている。一貫しているのは、「国民と苦楽をともにする」というお考えだ。

We are concerned about the health of the Imperial couple. The Emperor had an operation to remove his cancerous prostate in 2003. He suffered from disorders of the stomach and the duodenum at the end of last year. The Empress also has suffered chronic coughs and aches and pains in her chest and back.
　心配なのは、お二人の健康である。天皇陛下は０３年に前立腺がんの全摘手術をされた。昨年末には胃と十二指腸を患われた。皇后さまも慢性のせき、胸部や背中の鈍痛などに悩まれてきた。

The Emperor is 75 years old, and the Empress is 74. We hope they will take good care of their health. The Imperial Household Agency is making efforts to lighten their burden of official duties. We hope the agency will make its best efforts in this regard, while respecting the Imperial couple's wishes.
　陛下は７５歳、皇后さまは７４歳になられた。くれぐれも、お体をいたわっていただきたい。宮内庁は公務の負担を軽減する見直しを進めている。お二人の意向に沿って最善の対応をしてほしい。

When the agency released details of the Emperor's digestive ailment at the end of 2008, it said he was suffering mental stress for various reasons, including the problem of Imperial succession.
　昨年末の陛下のご病状について宮内庁は「ご心労、ご心痛」があると説明した。その一つに皇位継承問題があるという。

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Succession issue unresolved

The only male member of the Imperial household in the generation after Crown Prince Naruhito and Prince Akishino is Prince Hisahito, the son of Prince Akishino. What kind of Imperial household system is desirable must be a future subject of discussion within the government.
　皇太子さま、秋篠宮さまの次の世代の男子皇族は、秋篠宮さまの長男の悠仁さまお一人だ。どのような皇室制度が望ましいかは、政府の今後の検討課題である。

On his marriage to the Empress, the Emperor once said that he feels he has not only obtained happiness, but also improved himself through their life together. Many people surely wish that the Emperor and Empress live happily together and stay healthy for the rest of their lives.
　陛下は、ご結婚について「温かみのある日々の生活により、幸せを得たばかりでなく、自分を高めたように感じています」と話されたことがある。いつまでもむつまじく、お元気で。それが多くの国民の願いだろう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 9, 2009)
（2009年4月9日01時40分 読売新聞）