Crown Princess Kiko expressed her hope -- on her 54th birthday -- that the coronavirus pandemic would soon come to an end, on Friday.
In her written response to questions by reporters, she wrote, "I hope that the situation will soon calm down and that the day will come when people will be able to gather, work and study with a sense of reassurance, and be able to live peacefully."
During the past year, the princess visited regional areas eight times for such purposes as attending events. In Tokyo, she made a total of 65 such visits, including the Imperial Palace. However, since March, she has been focusing on activities at the imperial residence of her and Crown Prince Akishino due to the spread of the novel coronavirus.
In her written answers, the crown princess described how she and her family were briefed online by people, including experts, from various fields regarding the history of infectious diseases, what is currently being done to treat COVID-19 patients, and the prejudice and discrimination that are associated with the disease, among other topics. She also said that these issues were discussed among the family during meals.
Referring to the torrential rains that affected the Kyushu region in July, the crown princess wrote, "Measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in evacuation centers and other places where people tend to congregate in close proximity is also an important issue."
In regards to the postponed marriage between Princess Mako, 28, her eldest daughter, and Kei Komuro, she said that she and her daughter have repeatedly discussed the subject.
"There are times when we sympathize with each other and times when our opinions differ, but I want to respect my daughter's wishes as much as possible," she wrote.
She refrained from answering questions about the current situation and future prospects of the marriage.
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