Japan’s Emperor Naruhito, in his traditional New Year’s message, highlighted the loss of life caused by global conflicts and called for greater efforts to “build a more peaceful world.”
“I note with regret that a lot of people die due to wars and conflicts in different parts of the world. Once again, I emphasize the importance of efforts to understand and cooperate with each other to build a more peaceful world,” the emperor said in a speech sent to the media this Monday by the Imperial Household Agency.
Naruhito said 2023 was a year of natural disasters in Japan, including earthquakes, typhoons, heavy rains and snowfalls, and expressed concern for citizens who would also have to deal with inflation plaguing the archipelago.