Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino Stresses Importance of Peace as He Turns 60

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:49 JST, November 30, 2025

Crown Prince Akishino stressed the importance of thinking about peace, during a recent press conference held to mark his 60th birthday on Sunday.

“It is important for each person to think about peace,” the crown prince said on Tuesday at the Akasaka East Residence in Motoakasaka, Tokyo. He made the remark in connection with the fact that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of Word War II.

“Even when I’m told it’s my 60th birthday, my reaction is more like, ‘Oh, the kanshi [60-year zodiac cycle] has come full circle,’” the crown prince said at the start of the press conference.

In July, the crown prince visited Hiroshima City and held talks with high school student peace ambassadors. He also observed a program in which young people colorize photographs taken before and after the atomic bombing of the city.

“It felt like seeing one example of how peace can be passed on,” the crown prince said of the visit.

Regarding World War II, the crown prince said at the press conference, “It is important for each person to remember from time to time and reaffirm that we must never repeat the same thing,” emphasizing the importance of continuously learning from the past, not just at anniversaries.

Touching on the ongoing conflicts around the world, he expressed his wish for ceasefires. “It pains my heart,” the crown prince said.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of his marriage with Crown Princess Kiko. The crown prince expressed gratitude to his wife, saying, “She has been a great support to her sometimes self-centered husband.”

Their son, Prince Hisahito, is a freshman at the University of Tsukuba and completed his coming-of-age ceremony in September. The crown prince said his son had sent photos of dishes he made including potato salad and rice cooked with chestnuts at his apartment near the university, along with a message.

The crown prince described the son as “a good conversational partner.”

Regarding his second daughter, Princess Kako, he expressed delight at the expansion of her public duties, noting she has been receiving “more and more requests.”

Asked about his feelings regarding the birth of a baby to his eldest daughter, Mako Komuro, the crown prince smiled and said, “I was happy and at the same time I had slightly complex emotions, realizing I’ve become a grandfather.”

Regarding the decline in the number of people carrying out Imperial duties, the crown prince reiterated his view that “It seems we have no choice but to scale back the scope of activities.”