Empress Michiko, on the occasion of her 71st birthday Thursday, recounted memories of the time she spent with Princess Nori and told of how she would miss her when she leaves the Imperial household to get married Nov. 15.
The Empress said she has not decided what she will tell her only daughter, whose other formal name is Princess Sayako, on her wedding day and might even be at a loss for words.
"I would like to tell Sayako just what comes to my mind on the morning of the wedding, but like my mother before me, perhaps I too might not be able to say anything at all," the Empress said in a written response to questions from reporters who cover the Imperial family.