THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
October 20, 2024 at 14:40 JST
Empress Emerita Michiko marked her 90th birthday on Oct. 20 while continuing with daily rehabilitation training after breaking her leg.
The upper part of her right femur snapped in a fall at the Sento Imperial Palace, the couple’s residence, on Oct. 6 and she underwent osteosynthesis surgery at the University of Tokyo Hospital.
She has been doing daily exercises to build up her strength at the palace in Tokyo’s Moto-Akasaka district since Oct. 14, the day after she was discharged.
The Imperial Household Agency said she has been making good progress since the operation.
Some days, Michiko spends more than one hour on her exercises, although she still feels pain on occasion, an aide said.
During the past year, Michiko has taken a strong interest in victims of earthquake and rain disasters in the Noto Peninsula.
After a magnitude-7.6 temblor struck the region on Jan. 1, she avoided outings for private purposes for about three months.
The earthquake claimed 412 lives, with 185 of the deaths due to related causes such as stress exacerbated by prolonged evacuation.
Michiko’s anxieties grew after the region was hit by torrential rain in September.
She often called off her morning and evening walks with Emperor Emeritus Akihito in the Akasaka Imperial Gardens.
Until the routine was interrupted by her hospitalization in early October, Michiko enjoyed talking with her husband about seasonal changes in nature during their outings.
A birthday event is scheduled at the Sento Imperial Palace on Oct. 20. Michiko will attend in a wheelchair.
Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, Crown Prince Fumihito, Crown Princess Kiko and other imperial family members will gather to celebrate with her.
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Empress Emerita Michiko with Emperor Emeritus Akihito in the Akasaka Imperial Gardens on Oct. 4 (Provided by the Imperial Household Agency)
