Overview
- The Imperial Household Agency published the official December 8–14 schedule, listing Empress Masako’s birthday events on December 9 and an Akishino family meeting with Tokyo Deaflympics gold medalists on December 8.
- In a written message issued for her birthday, the Empress said the year impressed on her the importance of preserving peace after visits to Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where she met survivors and bereaved families.
- She expressed gratitude to those who shared their wartime experiences and voiced a hope for a tolerant, inclusive society, noting sorrow over conflicts that continue to claim civilian lives worldwide.
- Her 2025 program also featured disaster-related engagements in Kobe and, as Japan Red Cross honorary president, the presentation of merit awards, alongside appearances connected to the Osaka–Kansai Expo.
- A medical update released with her birthday said she remains in recovery with fluctuations in condition and should rest after major events, even as she continues a full slate of activities, including a state visit to Mongolia in July.