The Emperor, during his speech at the national memorial ceremony for the war dead held in Tokyo on Saturday, referred to the suffering brought about by the novel coronavirus pandemic, the first time for a social issue to be mentioned at the event.
Although it is not unusual for an emperor to express his sympathies to people affected by a natural disaster in a speech at an event, an emperor had never spoken about current social issues at the ceremony to commemorate those who died in World War II.
One expert said the remark was "an indication of the Emperor's identity of being born after the war."
--'Appropriate expression'
"The Emperor had been contemplating the appropriate expression for the coronavirus disaster," said a close aide to the Emperor.
Since many families of the war dead were not able to participate in the memorial service due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, the aide said, "It is unnatural to not mention the coronavirus at all when considering the feelings of the bereaved families."
The Emperor said the spread of the coronavirus caused "unprecedented difficulties" and hoped that people "work together hand in hand to overcome this difficult situation and continue to seek happiness of the people and world peace."
In a 1982 Cabinet decision, Aug. 15 was defined as the Day to Commemorate the War Dead and Pray for Peace.
"The Emperor's remark was in line with the purpose of the memorial service," the aide said.
--Born after war
"The Emperor's speech reflects the thoughts of an emperor who was born after the war," said Nagoya University Associate Prof. Hideya Kawanishi who specializes in modern Japanese history.
The Emperor Emeritus, as part of the generation that experienced the war, directly faced the scars left by war, referring to "deep remorse," which the Emperor also mentioned.
Seventy-five years have passed since the end of World War II and more than 80% of the people in Japan were born after the war.
"The Emperor sensed the continuation of the peace built by the efforts of his predecessors as his mission," Kawanishi said, "and tried to show the role of an emperor in the Reiwa era who faces new challenges."
--Message to public
The pandemic has forced a series of events with the Emperor and Empress scheduled to attend to be cancelled or postponed. It was the first time since February that the couple attended an event outside the Imperial Palace and the Akasaka Imperial Palace. The Emperor did not have a chance to speak in front of the public amid the spread of the coronavirus becoming serious.
Experts from a wide range of fields, including medical care, welfare and economy, have been invited to the Akasaka Imperial Palace to explain situations involving the pandemic. The Imperial Household Agency has posted some of the Emperor's remarks on its website, but they are not widely known to the public.
"The memorial service is widely televised and a perfect opportunity to send a message to the public," said Takeshi Hara, a professor at the Open University of Japan who specializes in the history of Japanese political thought. "[The Imperial Household Agency] likely thought that it should not miss this opportunity."
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