Crown Prince Naruhito, ahead of his 56th birthday Tuesday, said he and Crown Princess Masako hope residents of the Tohoku region will recover from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami and rebuild their lives as soon as possible.
"I have pain in my heart for the fact that a number of people are still living in severe conditions. With the reconstruction being half way, I hope their lives will improve without further delay and they will restore their comfortable livelihoods," he said at a news conference.
Regarding the past year, which marked the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Crown Prince recalled the tour last April by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko to the Pacific nation of Palau to commemorate those who lost their lives during the war.