TokYO Emperor Naruhito said that there remain various issues in Okinawa, as he and Empress Masako participated remotely in a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the return of the southernmost prefecture to Japan from U.S. rule.
The Emperor said that in Okinawa, where many precious lives were lost in the war, people have deepened their feelings toward what ''nuchi du takara' life is precious. He said that he was deeply moved to attend this ceremony while thinking about the history of the Okinawan people, who have continued to go through hardships since then, touching on the difficult circumstances in which Okinawa was placed after World War II.
He did not provide specific details on the issues in Okinawa, but expressed hope for the future, and said in the future I sincerely hope that the thoughts and efforts of people to date will be passed on, and a prosperous future will be built for Okinawa. It was the third time for an emperor of Japan to deliver words at the ceremony marking the return of Okinawa to Japan after Emperor Hirohito did so at the reversion ceremony in 1972, followed by Emperor Akihito -- now Emperor Emeritus -- at the 20th anniversary ceremony in 1992. It was the first time that an emperor mentioned current issues in Okinawa.
Nonfiction writer Masayasu Hosaka, familiar with modern history, believes that the issues Emperor Naruhito mentioned refers to the U.S. base problem and other such issues. He stressed that the fact that there are still unresolved issues in Okinawa even 50 years after the prefecture's reversion to the mainland points to his stance of approaching Okinawa with sincerity. Hosaka said if he were to say something specific, it could be taken as a political statement, so he probably had no choice but to use the word 'issues.