Marking his 53rd birthday Saturday, Crown Prince Naruhito said he has been enjoying a "fruitful time" with Emperor Akihito by regularly discussing his role as a symbol of the state and various other issues.
"The Emperor talks about what he felt and experienced, so I'd like to draw on" his remarks and learn from them, the Crown Prince, the first in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne, said in a news conference Thursday amid concerns that communication between the two has been poor in recent years.
The Crown Prince and his younger brother, Prince Akishino, 47, have been visiting the Emperor, 79, at the Imperial Palace about once a month since last spring to exchange views over lunch.