Empress Masako turned 61 on Monday, with thoughts of people affected by disasters, including the massive Jan. 1 Noto Peninsula earthquake weighing on her mind.

"The beginning of this year was deeply painful" with the Noto Peninsula earthquake, Empress Masako said in a written comment released by the Imperial Household Agency that saw her express her condolences to disaster victims in Noto and other areas.

The Empress visited the Noto region with Emperor Naruhito in March and again in April. The empress has fond memories of visits with her friends to Noto when she was a student.

"It is heartbreaking to witness many people enduring significant hardships," she wrote.

Noting that next January will mark the 30th anniversary of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, which rocked the Kansai area, Empress Masako wrote: "I believe it's important to think about disaster prevention and mitigation and make related preparations."

Turning her attention to the world, the empress expressed concerns about environmental issues such as climate change.

"The sense of urgency is increasing every year," she wrote, adding that she was "deeply saddened" by the many lives lost in wars and conflicts and stressing the importance of engaging in dialogue in order to build a tolerant society and a peaceful world.

Touching on her visit to Britain in June, the empress expressed gratitude for the warm reception extended by King Charles III and Queen Camilla. She recalled her first return in 34 years to the University of Oxford, where she had studied, describing it as "a very special and emotional occasion."

On her 23-year-old daughter, Princess Aiko, who began working at the Japanese Red Cross Society in April, the empress wrote that she hopes the princess will fulfill her duties as a member of the imperial family while gaining diverse societal experiences.

Empress Masako expressed relief at the progressing rehabilitation of Empress Emerita Michiko, who broke her right thighbone in October.

On the November passing of Princess Yuriko, great-aunt of the emperor, at the age of 101, the empress wrote that she misses her.

The agency's team of doctors expressed the same view as before that Empress Masako, who has been diagnosed with adjustment disorder and undergoing treatment, is in a process of recovery and that her physical condition remains variable.