Emperor Akihito Speech, Please Be Kind To Each Other

In a very rare occasion, Emperor Akihito has made a heartfelt speech with his messages to the victims of the eartquake and tsunami. He also expresses his respect for the brave men who are trying to deal with the nuclear reactors. And he asks of all of us here in Japan, "to be kind to each other."



NHK World video of Emperor Akihito

Japan's Emperor Akihito has delivered a video message to express sympathy for people affected by Friday's devastating earthquake and call for concerted efforts to overcome hardships.

The speech on Wednesday was the first in which the Emperor expressed his feelings on video.

He said the death toll has been increasing daily and that it is not clear how far it will rise. He said he hopes the safety of as many people as possible is confirmed.

He expressed deep concern about the situation of the quake-hit nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture, and said he hopes related people's efforts will prevent the situation from worsening.

The Emperor said he hopes from his heart that all people will pull together and care for each other to survive during this difficult time.

He expressed a wish that affected people will never give up hope and will take care of themselves to continue their lives.

The Emperor also expressed hope that everyone in the country will continue to monitor the process of rebuilding affected areas.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011 19:20

Comments

Pandabonium said…
I'm sorry, but I find no hope or comfort in the words of this man. What is he but a figurehead? The legacy of his family is one of war and destruction and suffering - and they have the gall to call his father's reign the "peace" era.

His life is one of comfort and riches. What effect can he have on our lives or on those who suffer now? He is living a life of luxury thanks to the wrongs of his forbears. His nice speech is totally empty to me. It rings hollow.

I dare not write what I feel when I hear words like these coming from a person in his position. It isn't nice, I can tell you.
6:29 pm, March 17, 2011
tommy said…
I wonder which side of the bed the person above me woke up from.

Anyhow, it's nice to hear these encouraging words in the face of negativity from many. The people of Japan need the world's assistance now more than ever.

Japan has been one of the biggest world donors in times of peace and in times of tragedy. Now is the time to return the favor.

All petty politics and arguments are unnecessary.
12:03 pm, March 18, 2011
Martin J Frid said…
Thanks P and T, you both hit the nail on the head, in your own ways! This is what I like about blogging at a time like this. I hope we can all share thoughts & feelings and grow stronger with this experience.

Let me also share a couple of lines I just got from Jean in an email:

"The slow tortuous handling of the situation is the worst part, I think, combined with our collective, understandable, survival-based mostly submerged fear of atomic fallout. I feel like I did when the Gulf was under siege from the Oil Spill and during Hurricane Katrina. All of these disasters could have been prevented, if not for greed and negligence." Thanks!
1:19 pm, March 18, 2011
Tom O said…
I think most Japanese know the score here, they can only really rely on/trust themselves. Brit reporters in Japan - for most their first time there - have been totally astounded by the generosity. Some of them will never look at a 'mere' packet of biscuits in the same way again.

Our connection with Japan is not because of people who 'look down'. We all care and know why.
2:16 am, March 19, 2011
Pandabonium said…
Tommy - I'm judgmental no matter which side of bed I get up on. It isn't politics it's morality. We disagree, but we are both making a judgment.
9:09 pm, March 19, 2011
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Global Article 9 Conference to Abolish War

Image
A unique three-day international conference is being held at Makuhari near Tokyo, a day after the 61st anniversary of the enforcement of Japan's Constitution. It is organized by nongovernmental groups, including Japan-based Peace Boat . Organizers said the meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss the significance of the constitutional article that endorses demilitarization and what people can do to promote its spirit, notes The Japan Times . While the constitution stipulates that Japan renounces war as a sovereign right and that it will not maintain land, sea and air forces, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has been keen to make amendments. "The war in Iraq has shown that even the strongest, biggest army in the world can not keep peace in a single city. It proves that aggression never instates peace," Tatsuya Yoshioka, director of Peace Boat and a representative of the event's organizing committee, said during the opening remarks. "Article 9 is a treasu...
Read more

マーティンの鵜の目鷹の目 -世界の消費者運動の旅から

Image
  My new book has been published! マーティン・フリッド (著)   世界中の消費者が同じ課題を抱え、悩み、たたかっている。スウェーデンに生まれ、ヨーロッパ、そして日本の消費者運動の現場を歩いてきた著者が、人びとの日常によりそいながら軽妙なユーモアを交えて食、環境、エネルギー、社会のあり方、政治、経済を考えます。   https://nishoren.net/new-information/14177 Consumers all over the world are facing similar problems, worries, and struggles. In this book, the author, who was born in Sweden and has walked the frontlines of consumer movements in Europe ...
Read more

Salvador Dali, Hiroshima and Okinawa

Image
Spanish artist Salvador Dali was deeply terrified by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki , and his exact, detailed style was very much suited to show the horror of the A-bomb, which America tried to keep a secret by classifying photos and descriptions until the end of the occupation of Japan in 1952. The Bureau of Atomic Tourism has more details if you want to know more about the legacy of nuclear weapons in the U.S. Even today, do people understand the real horror of atomic bombs? If not, then, why not ? Dali's paintings are on display in Fukushima prefecture, where you can view Melancholy Atomic and Uranium Idyll and The Three Sphinxes of Bikini at the Morohashi Museum of Modern Art . Long YouTube video from the Nihon University (Nichidai) channel with an interview featuring Morohashi Eiji, the son of the founder of the unique museum, and scenes from the Morohashi Museum (29:20): #271美術館への誘い ダリの世界 Is there a hidden message in Dali's Bikini hydrogen bomb painting...
Read more