Overview
- Akihito’s heart condition was identified in May as asymptomatic myocardial ischemia, and the Imperial Household Agency says he has remained stable since starting new medication in July.
- He plans to mark his birthday with family and receive guests, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, according to the agency.
- He continues twice-weekly visits to a biology lab on the Imperial Palace grounds for his goby fish research, a field in which he has identified 10 new species.
- Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko observed four key World War II anniversaries this year with moments of silence as Japan marked 80 years since the war’s end.
- In August, the former emperor spent time in Karuizawa and reflected on his childhood wartime evacuation and the experiences of those displaced by the conflict.